The words ‘chemical’, ‘skin’ and ‘peel’ may not sound like a walk in the park, and indeed some are not, but for most, the results far outweigh what it takes to get there. Face peels were made famous by Sex And The City, when Samantha, determined to look fabulous for Carrie’s glamorous book launch party, decided to have a chemical peel. On the day. Big mistake.
So how do they work? Peels use chemical exfoliants such as glycolic, salicylic and tichloroacetic acid (TCA) to remove dry, damaged skin and stimulate the growth of new, healthy cells. The exfoliation removes all dead skin layers and promotes the regeneration of collagen to revitalise the skin and plump it back up.
Chemical peels are available in a variety of strengths, depending on the condition of your skin, and also your lifestyle. Many require ‘downtime’, in other words, time at home while the skin goes through the redness and peeling stage, and recovers, which can vary from 24 hours to four weeks.
Superficial peels or ‘lunchtime peels’ are available in beauty salons and medi-spas and require no downtime, although a course of at least six treatments is required to achieve the best results. They remove the outer layer of cells, lightly exfoliating the skin to give it a healthy glow. Glycolic and salicylic tend to be the acids of choice, which will gently shed the skin whilst boosting cell renewal. ‘After a 30-minute treatment – the acid is only left on for a few minutes at a time - there may be some tightness and redness but it shouldn’t last for more than 48 hours’, explains Katie Chalmers, Beauty Therapist at Wisteria Lane salon, Bath (01225 337912).’We always apply a repair cream afterwards, and tell our clients to avoid direct sunlight for at least 72 hours.’
Katie is adamant about her clients using sunscreen after a skin peel. ‘It is imperative that you wear an SPF of at least 20. There’s no point in damaging your skin all over again’. SkinCeuticals Glycolic/Salicylic Peels, from £50 per session.
Medium-depth peels treat the deeper layers of the skin and usually require downtime of anything from four days to two weeks, depending on the strength of treatment. These peels usually contain trichloroacetic acid (TCA), sometimes in combination with glycolic acid. For dull skin, one treatment will probably be sufficient, with a maintenance treatment once a year. The skin will look red for a few days, and two or three days after the peel, it will start to peel off in large flakes. It is important not to touch or peel the skin, however tempting, which will interfere with the healing process. Unless you leave the house in dark glasses and a large hat, you’ll probably want to stay at home until the worst is over, up to a week. The Private Clinic offers a selection of chemical peels from £100.
However, the new kid on the block of chemical peels is the Innerpeel. Unlike other peels that remove the outer layers of the skin, it is a milder but just as effective peel that works from the inside out. Instead of sloughing off layers of skin, it encapsulates the exfoliating ingredients so that they are not released until they reach the deeper layers of the skin. As a result, peeling and redness are avoided and downtime is minimal, two days at the most. Innerpeel, from £270 for a single treatment (http://www.sknclinics.co.uk/). For more information view our video coverage of a peel treatment at SK:N Clinic.
With such extreme sounding side effects – redness, swelling, flaking and peeling – what are the risks of having a chemical peel? According to Cosmetic Doctor, Dr Jean-Louis Sebagh, they are, in fact, few and far between. ‘As long as the appropriate peel for your skin type if used and applied correctly, there are not any real risks,’ he explains. ‘There is a small percentage of patients who have hyper sensitive skin, who may not be the ideal candidates for peels, but a simple patch test, on the inside of the elbow 24 hours before the treatment, will establish whether they will be hypersensitive or not.
Next week....Chemical Free Alternatives
