Will I look like Samantha from Sex & The City?!
A month ago I introduced a new treatment to the skin centre and when I mentioned chemical peel, the look on some faces were slightly horrified and a little scared. A common question was asked, “will I look like Samantha from Sex & the city after?!” This question has come up quite a few times, I thought I had better address it.
Now I would like to point out that Samantha had gone to a plastic surgeon to have her Botox then he offered her the peel (I had to rewatch it for research purposes) with plastic surgeons they can go deeper into the skin and prescribe hydrocortisone for healing the skin after. Therefore their peels can be a very deep peel. The Alumier peel I use is a light to medium level. Which is not aggressive, yet still effective for skin conditions
So after realising that you won’t look like something off of The Walking Dead let me explain to you:
‘What is a chemical peel?’
A chemical peel is a technique that is used to improve the texture of the skin. It helps with acne, ageing, pigmentation, and redness. The peel intends to remove the outer most layers so that it speeds up desquamation, the natural skin exfoliation process.
Please don’t think a chemical peel is a harsh skin stripping treatment. The chemicals that are used are natural acids you find, for example, lactic acid, which is naturally found in milk and salicylic acid is found in plants, another is soy amino acids, which is extracted from yeast.
With the explanation of the chemicals used, you can see they are not the harsh skin peeling chemicals you naturally think of.
These ingredients are progressive, not aggressive, ensuring they are targeting specific skin conditions. Salicylic is great for mopping up excess oil.
Why have a chemical peel?
There are so many skin conditions that a peel can help with; ageing, hyperpigmentation, acne, redness. These are the main conditions that I hear clients say they are unhappy about. The peel itself helps to remove the outer layers of the skin quickly, so the newer, healthier, the less blemished skin can appear.
Can one peel sort out everything?
A single peel will help with the appearance of your skin initially (around 10 days after) though if you have a skin condition a course of peels with home care will be the best course of action for the best possible outcome. If you were trying to lose weight and only ate healthy once a month you wouldn’t lose a lot.
What does my skin look like after?
Each person’s skin can look different each time. My first peel was absolutely amazing, my skin was glowing. Then my next peel, I had a few flaky bits to start with, but then it settled after 5 days and as I mentioned before my skin looked amazing at day 10. As there can be such a difference after each peel, I would always make sure that you have not got a special occasion a week or so after the peel, as the reaction can be different each time.
Do I have to do anything after?
After having a peel, which is a really deep exfoliation, you must take good care of your skin. After each peel you will be given an after peel pack, to be used for 5-7 days after. Which contains a cleanser, moisturiser and an SPF 40. This is to make sure when you go outside your skin is protected at all times. Not wearing SPF will cause sun damage/hyperpigmentation.
To get the very best results from the peels, it’s recommended that you use the home care products continually in between peels. The best analogy I’ve heard recently is; if you have your kitchen professionally cleaned once a month, you wouldn’t expect it to stay clean in between. The more effort you put into looking after your skin the better it will look.
For more information on the Alumier peels and skincare contact me or watch this space for product reviews.