Chemical Skin Peels

What is a chemical peel?

A chemical peel is a cosmetic procedure to exfoliate the weather-beaten and damaged external layer of skin to reveal the underlying newer, firmer and smoother skin. It is recommended for reducing fine lines and wrinkles, blemishes and age spots as well as irregular pigmentation on the face and neck.

What are the types of chemical peels available?

Different types of chemical peels are available for use in different skin types. They vary in the degree of penetration and peeling. Stronger chemical peels penetrate very deep into the skin layers and give better results but cause more discomfort and delays recovery time. Strong chemical peels such as phenol peel need general anaesthetic during treatment and pain medications after the treatment. Patients can expect redness in the area of peel that lasts for a longer duration. These traditional chemical peels also can cause infections, hyper-pigmentation marks and may leave permanent scars.

What chemical peels do we use?

At Restore, we use the chemical peels from CosMedix and these products confer better results than traditional chemical peels. They contain chirally correct natural ingredients that give similar or better results. Chirally corrected compounds are those compounds that are devoid of the chemicals that can cause harmful effects. Moreover, these peels do not cause irritation and patients can expect immediate results than compared to traditional peels. Results are immediate with mild peels and are seen in 5 to 7 days with deep peels.

Retinol is the one of the common constituents in peeling agents and is quite effective but often causes irritation. In CosMedix peels retinol is in encapsulated form which does not cause irritation and has a longer duration of action to help the skin improve.

Various CosMedix peels treatments offered at Restore include:

Benefit peel: This is a very mild peel and can be used for all skin types even in sensitive skin types. It contains high amounts of vitamin C, a potent antioxidant, low concentration of chirally correct retinol in an encapsulated form and fruit enzymes. It exfoliates the outer damaged dead skin gentle without excessive peeling revealing a more firm, smooth and blemish-free inner healthy skin. It also protects the skin from free radical damage and stimulates collagen synthesis giving a more refreshed look that lasts long.

Blueberry Jessner peel: It is an ideal choice for reducing fine lines, wrinkles, blemishes and age spots and restoring glow to your face with minimal discomfort and recovery time. It is often used as a preparatory peel for deeper peel treatments. It contains natural chiral-corrected compound L-lactic acid, salicylic acid, resorcinol with soothing blueberry extract.

Timeless peel: This is a deep peel and gives the best results. As the name suggests it dramatically reduces fine lines, wrinkle and age spots. It exfoliates deeply, excessively and promotes collagen production in the dermal layer giving a younger rejuvenated look. It contains chirally correct encapsulated retinol and lactic acid.

The other chemical peel that can be used is NeoStrata glycolic acid peel, a peel with an entry level glycolic acid percentage of around 20%, the highest that any over the counter product offers. It reduces existing wrinkles and prevents new wrinkle formation, softening and smoothing the skin, and balancing irregular skin tones. In addition, Neostarta glycolic acid peel with higher strengths can reduce the appearance of acne scar marks, clogged pores and some pigmentation problems.

Neostrata glycolic acid peel can be used on the face, hands, chest and neck and is suitable for all skin types. Results of this chemical peel can be observed in 2-3 sessions.

The type of peel to be used and the duration of treatment depend on improvement required and nature of your skin. Your aesthetician will choose an appropriate chemical peel based on the skin type.

How can I minimise unwanted side effects?

To achieve the best possible outcome and avoid untoward effects, please inform the aesthetician if you have any of these conditions:

• Prone to cold sores
• Keloid scars caused by previous cosmetic procedures
• On medication for any illnesses

These factors are important and can affect the outcome of the peel treatment substantially. After any peel treatment you should protect your skin from sun exposure and avoid smoking as these factors affect the healing process.