Hey there! Welcome to the madness, I hope you are well. This topic is going to be really fun and I can't wait to tell you all the deets! Stick around for all things chemical peel ?
How it all began
I'll be honest- I really wasn’t an advocate of chemical peels until January of 2020.
When I first became and Aesthetician there was really only Dermatologists and Medical Aesthetics with no one in between. There were a lot of harsh peels, dramatic procedures and no holistic approach to skin in any way. I stayed away from these harsh services, knowing there had to be a balance of both medical and holistic. I still stand by that today.
I learned so much about the skin I felt ready to try more services and more intense exfoliants. A good Aesthetician friend and I did my own chemical peel in January 2020 and it was a game changer for my skin!
I will always be an advocate for prepping and strengthening the skin properly to get the most out of a service like a chemical peel. The reason some clients never have a good result, is because they may never have had a good foundation to start with. There are many things we must first balance, strengthen and prep to be set up for success.
It also comes down to home care products. I can work hard in the treatment room, really give my best facial- but if the client goes home to pore-clogging ingredients and stripping cleansers, we'll never achieve the results we want. A few products can change everything ??
Types of chemical peels
We have officially jumped into PEEL SEASON! You never want to do chemical peels in the summer or hot temperatures of the year due to heat and lots of sunlight that can cause your skin to pigment. Fall, winter and a bit into spring is a great time to do one. Now, let's do a refresher on chemical peels, shall we?
There are so many types of chemical peels - and I use them in the treatment room all of the time. There are instant mini peels all the way to dramatic "peels" that you probably think of every time you see the word. There are very light options that can be done at home, there are mini peels that can be done every two weeks over the course of 6 treatments/12 weeks, or we can do what I call is my "For Real Peel" ?. So, according to your preference and day to day life - you have options based on your schedule!
*Also let me specify- when you see and Aesthetician, you are providing yourself the knowledge and trust of someone who works one-on-one with skin every single day. This is not an Amazon chemical peel!! I repeat. They can be extremely dangerous, strip your skins levels and cause pigmentation that could have been prevented.*
The in's and out's
Moving on, let's quickly chat about "down time". Down time is when you receive an intense chemical peel and will have skin hanging or "shedding like a snake"?. For clients who have jobs where they work with people face to face or need to be the upmost of professional, this may be a time to take a few days off, rest at home and let your skin do it's magic.
The peeling process usually begins around day 3-5 after the peel and can last up to a week. For people like me, it doesn't bother me be flaky and have loose skin- its what I do for my job. However, I completely understand those who aren't a big fan of this! We will plan around your schedule.
Day 5 and day 10 (with the For Real Peel) you will come back into the treatment room for a relaxing "Lift Off" Enzyme treatment to help the skin lift off naturally. We simply do an Enzyme treatment and you relax for 45 minutes. These treatments are included in the price of the peel.
There are a few ground rules at a home when you have had a chemical peel performed- lots of sunscreen, great home care products, no heat, no sweating or saunas and NO picking any of the dead skin that may feel loose. We don't want any pigmentation to happen if the skin is traumatized. Most of the time we are trying to lift away pigment in the first place!
If you need help or have questions, just call me and I got you boo ?
Who is a candidate
If this is something that pricks your interest, now is the best time to do it! Remodel the face, take the “old wallpaper off” and reveal a new coat of “paint” underneath ?.
So who is this treatment best for? They are great for pigmentation in the skin, mild texture, sun spots, fine lines and wrinkles. Check out my "Acne Scaring" blog post if you haven't already! I used to have a lot of scaring and acne marks from picking as a teenager - this can help with revising those??.
I absolutely love peels for pigmentation and mild texture. They completely change the game. I really felt like it propelled me forward in my skin revision after my first peel and now my second.
In conclusion
Your Aesthetician can assist you in deciding when your skin is ready for that chemical peel or not! Trust her, she will (should) always be honest with and open with you.
If this is something you would love to chat about, get started or revise things like acne or pigmentation, I would love to have you! You can book with me in person OR book a virtual consultation with me. Obviously, chemical peels must be done in person, however I can help chat with you about the process and give you some insight into how to go about starting your journey. Details are pricing can all be found here and you can shop my skincare line here!
I hope this answered some questions for you or taught you something you may not have known ?. I most certainly have learned a lot in 2020 and it has been an awesome, wild ride. See you soon!
Much love ❤️ -A