If the term ‘face peel’ makes you nervous, you’re not alone! But the truth is skin peeling products and treatments can actually prove to be a magical ‘cure all’ for stubborn skin concerns that don’t respond to much else. From pigmentation and scarring to dry skin, acne, and even fine lines and wrinkles, there’s a peel to treat it all! But how do you go about choosing the right peel for your skin type or concern? Optiphi Skincare Specialist, Stephnie-Anne Dickenson gives us the low-down on all things face peels.
If you’re not interested in going under the knife then nonsurgical aesthetic skincare solutions, like a skin peel might just be the best solution for you.
What is a chemical peel?
Currently the most popular nonsurgical aesthetic skincare treatments, chemical peels offer a wide variety of benefits. There are three types of chemical peels — superficial peels, medium peels and deep peels — with each type of peel penetrating the skin to different levels in the epidermis or dermis.
Superficial peels are the mildest form of chemical peel treatment and are usually performed using alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA), and in some instances beta-hydroxy acids (BHA). The most common peeling agents in a Superficial Peels are Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid.
How do peels work?
It all depends which type of peek you’ve chosen. A superficial peel, for example, makes use of an acid to break down the binding elements of the skin’s top layer, causing dead skin cells to shed off to reveal the fresh, healthy skin underneath. Superficial peels require minimal healing time are a great place to start on your skin peel journey as they can be customised to address minor skin irregularities like discoloration, acne, surface scarring, fine lines, and sun spots.
Peels deliver the best results when performed as a course of treatments. Regular superficial peels have the potential to create enough of a ripple effect through all the layers of the skin, to stimulate collagen remodelling in the dermis as well as optimal hydration to reveal younger, brighter, glowing skin.
When it’s time to get a little more serious you can try a medium depth or deep peel. These types of peels are performed by medical professionals only, with depths reaching either to the Papillary dermis or parts of the Reticular dermis. While these peels are very effective patients can experience downtime, where the skin sheds and flakes, for anything from a week to several weeks.
Choosing which peel to go for all depends on your skin concern and the results you would like to achieve. Speak to your skincare specialist, or dermatologist about your concerns and your interest in trying a peel to find out which peel is right for you.
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