Skin Regeneration
Chemical peels (or skin peels) are a fantastic treatment for skin regeneration by exfoliating the skin and stimulating collagen and elastin production.
Chemical peels purify and oxygenate the skin to help your skin stay healthy, youthful and radiant. They are an excellent solution for a wide range of skin concerns such as fine lines and wrinkles, acne, hyperpigmentation and age spots, enlarged pores and uneven skin tone.
Although chemical peels are mostly used on the face, they can also be used to improve the skin on your back and chest.
Healthy, Glowing Skin
Chemical peels, are a skin-resurfacing procedure. They are a perfect treatment for any skin texture issues. They exfoliate the skin and encourage fresh, new skin cells to grow, helping to produce healthy, glowing skin.
Aging, sun exposure, environmental pollution, and acne can all cause our skin to appear damaged and older than we really are. Skin peels use a chemical solutions containing naturally occurring acids and enzymes to deeply exfoliate and peel back layers of dull, rough skin, helping to reveal brighter, fresher and clearer skin.
The treatment also stimulates new skin cells to grow and produce more collagen and hyaluronic acid, helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. This skin beneath is softer, smoother and more radiant.
Clear Pores & Reduce Breakouts
Chemical peels can help treat inflamed breakouts, clogged pores, and mild surface level scarring. They can also help to control excess oil production and clear dead skin cells, which results in fewer breakouts.
Enhanced Exfoliation
Chemical peels generally come in three different strengths, a light chemical peel, medium chemical peel and a deep chemical peel.
Light (superficial) peels use more gentle chemicals to treat only the top layer of skin. Medium chemical peels use a higher concentration of the same chemicals to reach the mid-layer of skin. Deep peels treat deeper wrinkles, scars, and severe sun damage with an even more irritating and potent solution of chemicals that peels off a deeper layer of skin and leaves the skin red and crusty. The healing time with a deep peel can be anything from 6 to twelve months.
At Alabaster Aesthetics we use a light, superficial peel to remove the outer layer of skin. A series of light chemical peels has the same effect as a medium peel and requires no unwanted downtime.
For long-term results, we recommend a series of three to four chemical peels, spaced one to two weeks apart. If you suffer from regular acne breakouts further sessions may be required. The benefit of receiving a series of peels is that this treatment will be able to target the deeper layers of the epidermis, giving your skin enhanced exfoliation.
Chemical peels are fantastic for surface level imperfections but won't treat deep scars, deep wrinkles or loose skin. Many people with acne scars, or fine lines and wrinkles find a combination of microneedling and chemical peels deliver the best results. Microneedling will reach deeper under the skin to promote healing of scarred areas and boost collagen and elastin to reduce wrinkles. Once the microneedling treatments are complete, a chemical peel can rejuvenate your skin further, leaving you with clearer, younger-looking skin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the procedure hurt?
Chemical peels are composed of an acidic solution. These acids are not painful on the skin. You may feel a very mild stinging sensation. The acids used in skin treatments are known as alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) or beta-hydroxy acid (BHA).
AHAs and BHAs are a common ingredient in many over-the-counter skin treatments but with much milder doses than those used in chemical peels.
Am I suitable for the treatment?
A patch test will be required prior to the treatment for individuals having a ‘PURE peel’ who have a Fitzpatrick score of 5 or above. Your skin will be assessed during the consultation and a Fitzpatrick scale test carried out, if you have olive to dark skin. The GLOW and REFRESH peels are suitable for all skin types.
Do I need to prepare the skin prior to having a skin peel?
No, the CLINICARE peels come in 3 varieties of strengths using a special formulated peel blender, which is packed with hyaluronic acid (to retain moisture), acetyl tetrapeptide-40 and acetyl hexapeptide-49 (to reduce inflammation), citric acid (to improve skin elasticity).
By performing the first peel at the lower strength this prepares the skin and the strength can be increased at each session. No further skin preparation is required leading up to the day of treatment, but it is recommended to stop using any harsh anti-ageing products containing retinol 2 days prior to the appointment.
Will the skin peel and flake after the treatment?
Possibly, but not necessarily. The CLINICARE 2nd Generation Peels and Peel blender are the highest quality peels which have been designed to reduce redness and discomfort, improve hydration and faster skin healing.
The skin peels are a superficial peel and so there is little downtime. Several light depth peels achieve similar results to one deeper peel, with less risk, less discomfort and a shorter recovery time.
If you suffer with cold sores please let us know prior to booking your appointment as a chemical peel has the potential to reactivate the cold sore virus. Suitable medication can be recommended to try and prevent this.
If I don’t peel does this mean the chemical peel has not worked?
No but if your skin is of poor quality with a lot of dead skin on the surface then it is likely that you will peel more. A gentle enzyme peel is carried out prior to all skin peels to gently exfoliate the top layer of the skin, removing any excess dead skin cells prior to the treatment.
What should I do after the appointment?
- Keep the skin clean – do not apply makeup that day
- To protect your skin, swimming pools, saunas, and heavy exercise should be avoided for 48 hours
- Keep your face out of the sun for two weeks after the appointment – wearing a good factor 50 suncream is essential
- Avoid any harsh skin care products that exfoliate the skin including glycolic acid, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), Retinol and vitamin C serum for at least the first 48 hours. These can be gradually introduced into your daily skin care regime once the skin has recovered
- CLINICARE have a great 5 step home care plan which can be used following the treatment to maximise results. Please discuss this at your appointment if you would like any further information