Do you ever feel like getting the texture and tone of your skin under control is like fighting an uphill battle? Most people can identify one or two concerns about the appearance of their skin – and just as many people struggle to find the right combination of products that can address those concerns. Fortunately, the skin experts at Nuance Cosmetic Surgery in Folsom, CA know that chemical peel are an all-in-one aesthetic treatment that can turn your skin health around.
How Often Should You Get a Chemical Peel?
Like many other facial treatments, you can have a peel fairly regularly. Many people use peels are part of their regular skincare routine and have treatments as often as every four weeks. In general, using a peel this frequently is a great way to maintain the health, tone, and texture of your skin.
Of course, because peels have different depth levels, the timing of your peel will depend on the type of peel you are using. The most commonly used peel is a light peel, which can be done every four to six weeks as needed. Medium peels, on the other hand, exfoliate deeper layers of the skin and should be spaced about three to four months apart. Deep peels, which exfoliate almost the entire epidermis, can be done once every two to three years.
Why Do You Need to Wait Between Appointments?
If you are regularly having light or medium peels, you must give your skin enough time to recover between appointments. The nature of a peel treatment is to remove the top layers of the skin to accelerate your skin cell turnover cycle. Accelerating the natural skin shedding cycle of your skin helps renew the appearance and texture of the skin and also encourages your body’s natural regenerative abilities. Waiting several weeks between appointments gives your skin enough time to renew itself.
The Importance of Skin Cell Turnover
Your body’s natural skin cell turnover rate is one of the most beneficial phenomena of skin health. The average skin cell turnover cycle is about 28 to 40 days long and is the process of new skin cells replacing old skin cells. The importance of this natural cycle is all about maintaining the integrity of your natural skin barrier.
Your natural skin barrier protects deeper layers of your skin from UV exposure, pollution, and deeper injuries; when this barrier is compromised or weak, skin appearance concerns like acne and sun damage become visible. When you can maintain the health of your natural skin barrier, you can improve and protect your skin health.
What Can Chemical Peels Treat?
A chemical facial can address a myriad of skin-related concerns. This treatment is primarily used to correct superficial skin concerns, which are the concerns that are visible to the naked eye. These concerns include skin roughness, dryness, uneven tone and pigment, large pores, and other blemishes or visible flaws.
Superficial skin concerns are usually only as deep as the first few layers of the skin, which is why peel treatments are so effective. Other concerns that can be treated with this facial include:
Age-Related Concerns
Age-related concerns like skin laxity, fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots, sun damage, and dull, thin skin. Age-related concerns are caused by a combination of sun exposure and the decline of certain proteins within the skin, such as collagen and elastin.
These concerns can be addressed by chemical facials because certain peel depths can be used to stimulate the production of collagen within the sub-dermal layers of the skin. Usually, age-related concerns are treated by medium-depth peels, but light peels can also reduce the appearance of fine lines and blemishes.
Acne-Related Concerns
Acne is one of the most common skin conditions on the planet and affects more than just adolescents since acne can last well into adulthood. The signs of acne include active pustules, blackheads, whiteheads, clogged pores, enlarged pores, overactive oil production, skin dryness and irritation, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and also a variety of atrophic scars.
The way chemical facials improve acne-related concerns is two-fold. While chemicals kill acne-causing bacteria on the skin surface, the peel also exfoliates skin cells that are clogging pores and improves the appearance of scarring. The stimulation of collagen production can treat acne scarring in the long term and shrink the appearance of enlarged pores as well.
Skin Health
Sometimes, some dermatology concerns can also be treated with chemical facials. For example, mild rosacea can improve after repeated light peels, as well as the natural oil distribution in your face. Importantly, this treatment can also be used for medical skin health concerns, such as lesions or pre-cancerous spots on the face.
What Is the Treatment Process?
Chemical facials are purely non-invasive and take about 20 to 30 minutes to complete. The first step of your treatment will be to cleanse the skin of any dirt, oil, or make-up to ensure there is no potential interaction with the products you use and the chemical agent.
An aesthetician will apply the chemical agent to your skin and the serum will be allowed to soak into the skin for several minutes. The chemical will then be removed and a neutralizing agent will be applied to your skin before your appointment ends.
Does This Treatment Hurt?
No. Some people have the misconception that chemical facials should burn or sting because of the chemicals being used, but the truth is that this treatment doesn’t hurt or cause significant discomfort. At most, some patients feel a tingling or warming sensation on the skin. Most people don’t associate this treatment with any notable sensation.
How Should You Prepare for Treatment?
To prepare for your chemical facial, you will need to do a few things to ensure your skin is in its best possible condition for the treatment. For example, you will be instructed to temporarily discontinue acid-based skincare products, including Retinol, for at least three to five days before your appointment. You should also not tweeze or wax your facial hair.
What Should You Do After Treatment?
After your treatment, your skin will be vulnerable to outside elements, particularly unprotected sun exposure. For that reason, you should be sure to wear SPF 30 or greater when you plan to be outside for the next one to two weeks to protect yourself from harmful UV rays. This includes not using any tanning beds or self-tanning products. You will also need to avoid the use of hot water, excessive sweating, and other heat that may cause skin irritation.
You will need to continue avoiding the use of acid-based skincare products for the first 48 to 72 hours after your treatment. You must keep your skin moisturized after your treatment by using gentle moisturizers like CeraVe or products containing hyaluronic acid, which will help support collagen growth. You may experience some skin shedding or flakiness, but please do not exfoliate your skin for at least two weeks.
How Fast Will You See Results?
You will see the results of your treatment within three to seven days for both light and medium peels. The speed of your results will depend on how quickly your skin exfoliates and turns over new skin cells, as well as the condition of your skin and the issues you are treating. Your results will improve several days after your treatment as new skin cells rise to the surface. You will notice better tone, texture, and radiance within one week of your treatment for light and medium peels.
Do Results Get Better With Time?
Yes. Because this treatment exfoliates problematic skin cells from the surface of the skin, you will notice that your results will get better with time and consecutive treatments. For example, when you regularly use light peels for superficial skin concerns, your skin will eventually produce skin cells that are not flawed by previous concerns.
This is especially true for those who are using chemical facials for anti-aging concerns. Collagen maturation takes time, so repeated chemical facials will stimulate collagen production in deeper layers of the skin to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and skin laxity.
How Long Do Results Last?
The results of a chemical facial will depend on the exact peel used. For light peels, you can expect results to last for about a month, while medium peels can last for three to four months at a time. The results of a deep peel can last for several years depending on how the treatment is used.
What Are the Advantages of Peels?
There are many advantages of chemical peel. These facials are incredibly diverse and can be used to treat a variety of superficial skin concerns, even moderate and severe wrinkles that may not respond well to basic skincare products. The other advantages of chemical facials include:
Customizable Peels
Peels are customized to your exact skin tone, type, and needs. There are a variety of chemicals that are used for peels, which means your treatment can easily be matched to your skin concerns. This means that patients with sensitive skin can use chemicals that are ideally suited for that skin type. Using a customized peel improves the likelihood of positive outcomes from the peel treatment.
Better Product Results
Many patients find that one of the biggest benefits of this treatment is the fact that skincare products work better after peels. Exfoliating treatments like this one can allow for skincare products to be better absorbed by the sub-dermal layers of the skin to produce better overall results. Even applying cosmetics will be easier and look better after peel treatments.
Improve Skin Health
Perhaps most importantly, chemical facials can improve the health of your skin. When your skin is healthy, it is better hydrated and less reactive to hormonal changes or pollutants that may cause superficial concerns. Healthy skin also requires fewer products, which can simplify your overall skincare routine.
Who Are Ideal Candidates for Peels?
The best candidates for chemical facials are those who have one or more superficial skin concerns that can be improved with chemical exfoliation. From age-related concerns to managing acne breakouts, people of all skin tones and types are usually good candidates for this treatment.
Refresh Your Skin With Chemical Peel
A chemical peel is one of the oldest beauty treatments in the world. In fact, some of the first peels historically date back to Cleopatra’s milk facials in Ancient Egypt. Over time, peels have become more nuanced and can address a wide variety of appearance-related concerns. If you’re looking for a treatment to improve the overall health and appearance of your skin, then a peel is likely a good choice for you. Please contact Nuance Cosmetic Surgery in Folsom, CA to schedule your first appointment today.