What To Know About Chemical Peel Clients ?Chemical peels are one of the most popular skin procedures out there. For those who don’t know, a chemical peel is a procedure that uses acids to remove the outer layer of skin and reveal new, fresh skin. It’s a popular treatment for acne scars and wrinkles because it can help to improve your complexion by removing dead cells, which leads to clearer skin.
But how do chemical peels work? And how do you know whether or not they’re right for you? Read on for everything you need to know about this popular beauty treatment!
Chemical peels are performed for various reasons: to clear acne, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, reduce pigmentation (age spots or sun damage) and to boost radiance. Chemical peels can be superficial or medium depth. Chemical peels may or may not cause skin irritation earlier on the first treatment day. Therefore, you need to know how your clients are likely to react, especially those with sensitive skin. Read on to learn more Chemical Peel Blanching/Chemical Peel For Dark Spots.
What To Know About Chemical Peel Clients
Chemical peels are a cosmetic skin treatment. They are a staple of professional skin care and are used to treat a variety of skin conditions.
The best way to learn the ins and outs of how chemical peels work and how to perform one is by studying at an elite esthetician training program. But for now, here’s a brief overview of chemical peeling: what it is, what the benefits are, and who can receive one.
What Is a Chemical Peel?
A chemical peel is an exfoliation technique in which an acid-based solution is applied to the skin. It is usually performed on the face, hands or neck. The acid in the chemical peel forces the top layer of skin to peel off. In the short term, this causes redness and blistering. This is intentional.
A weak vinegar solution or unscented emollient may be used to speed up the skin’s healing process. But mostly, the skin is left to heal on its own. One to two weeks later, the client has new, smoother skin.
Chemical peels target the top layer of the skin, the epidermis. More intense chemical treatments may target the layer of skin just beneath, the dermis, as well.
Your epidermis skin cells naturally die and are replaced by cells from the dermis beneath. Because the epidermis cells are the outermost cells, they are the most damaged by the sun, wrinkles and other factors. Chemical peels speed up your skin’s natural process by gently removing dead epidermis cells.
What Are the Benefits of a Chemical Peel?
Chemical peels can benefit any client who wants fresher, younger-looking skin. Clients with fine lines, enlarged pores, scars, hyperpigmentation, and sun damage may be especially pleased with the results. Clients experiencing acne and rosacea may often find their conditions improved by a chemical peel too.
What Are the Types of Chemical Peels?
In order to choose the best chemical peel for your client, you must determine their type and shade of skin. The Fitzpatrick Scale categorizes skin by color and light sensitivity. It is used in many medical offices to determine a client’s best course of treatment. As an esthetician, you can decide whether the Fitzpatrick Scale is relevant for your clients. The skin condition your client wants to treat will also determine the type of chemical peel they receive.
There are three levels of chemical peels: superficial peels, medium-depth peels, and deep peels. Keep in mind that a superficial peel to one client may be a medium-depth peel to another.
Superficial peels often use alpha- or beta-hydroxy acids. They are intended for clients looking to treat minor skin conditions such as slight discoloration. Beta-hydroxy acids can be beneficial for clients with slightly more prevalent skin conditions, like acne or enlarged pores.
Superficial peels have minimal downtime, one to seven days. However, clients are recommended to wear sunscreen for extra protection during this period. They should also refrain from wearing makeup and sweat-producing activities like exercise or saunas for at least the first few days.
Medium-depth peels are conducted with trichloroacetic acid. More severe skin conditions like fine lines or more extreme acne can benefit from these types of treatments. Medium-depth peels require 10 to 14 days of downtime. In addition to the aftercare recommended for superficial peels, clients who have received medium-depth peels should limit sun exposure.
Deep peels are recommended only for the most severe skin conditions: severe sun damage, deep wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. These treatments require intense aftercare. This can include up to three weeks of downtime, antiviral medication, and washing the treated area four to six times a day. Clients who have received deep peels must avoid direct sunlight for up to six months.
Chemical peels have many potential benefits for clients. But an esthetician must know how to do such treatments properly. Esthetician schools and training programs can provide you the tools and learning to give your clients great chemical peels.
Chemical Peel Blanching
Blanching – Sometimes after a chemical peel, you will see tiny blisters or vesicles. This is called blanching and it means that the peel has penetrated deeply into the specific area that you are seeing the blanching.
Have you ever purchased a wart or corn remover, like Compound W, over the counter? When you apply the product onto the treatment area, the skin turns white after a few minutes.
Most of these over-the-counter products contain Salicylic Acid. A “frost” is common with Salicylic acid peels, Jessner’s solutions, and other treatments containing salicylic acid. The skin turns white or “frosts” as it neutralizes.
Frosting is a salt crystal residue on the surface of the skin and has nothing to do with what is occurring within the epidermis and dermis. It only pertains to what is being applied to the surface of the stratum corneum. As more of the peel solution is applied, the residue will appear more obvious.
Blanching is different than frosting. Blanching refers to protein coagulation or kerato- coagulant. This is a way to say burn! You are creating a controlled burn or wound to the skin. You may see some blanching occur, especially compromised skin around blemishes. The skin may go from varying shades of ashy gray to bright white, depending on the depth of the damage.
You will know the difference between frosting and blanching by simply wiping the residue away. If it disappears, it’s frosting or the salt precipitate left from the neutralization process. If it doesn’t immediately wipe off, it’s blanching.
The blanch will remain until the skin has normalized, which can take approximately 1 to 4 hours after the treatment. Consider the amount of blanching when recommending post-care instructions. The more blanching, the more downtime your client may experience.
Have you had an in-clinic chemical peel but didn’t experience any peeling afterwards?
Were you disappointed that the treatment hadn’t worked?
Don’t worry most people expect to have some peeling after a peel but it really depends on the condition of your skin at the time of chemical peel whether you peel or not.
Skin’s natural cycle
Our skin is in a constant renewal state and we shed our top layer on a daily basis. We shed very slowly, and as dead skin cells get washed or brushed away, we do not normally notice this. The cells are made deep in our skin and migrate to the surface to be shed. This process is quite quick in youth lasting about a four-week period extending to six weeks or longer as we get older. As the shedding slows down, so does the production of new cells leading to a build-up of a thicker layer of dead skin cells on the surface. Externally, this can give your skin a dull, dry appearance.
The cells also change as they migrate to the top from being juicy and plump to flatter and dehydrated. They normally carry pigment to the surface with them. Once at the surface they are held by special bonds which ‘glue’ the cells together for a short period before they break away.
What happens during a chemical peel?
During a chemical peel, a specially prepared acid or a combination of acid solution is applied on the surface of your skin. This breaks the bonds or ‘glue’ holding the cells together. Different acids are able to penetrate to different depths during the treatment. Over the following week, the cells separate away giving visible signs of flaking or peeling. Sometimes this may only be happening when you wash your skin so you may not be aware of the ‘peeling’. If the skin is particularly dehydrated at the time of the peel, you may experience more peeling. Deeper peels cause more extensive peeling.
Whether you peel or not, you can be reassured that a good chemical peel would do its job- stimulate separation of the surface layer encouraging your skin to multiply faster. Hence reveal more radiant, hydrated skin.
What are the risks of a chemical peel?
Occasionally if the skin is poorly prepared with no exposure to medical-grade products, it may react with side effects such as hyper (increased) pigmentation, inflammation or even scarring. It is possible to have an allergic reaction to the components of the peel in susceptible individuals. It is therefore recommended that your skin is prepared with the correct skincare before you have a chemical peel. This may be as little as two weeks or twelve to eighteen weeks depending on your risk factors. Those with a darker skin tone or a family history of darker skin tones are at increased risk of hyperpigmentation and need careful skin preparation.
What are the benefits of a chemical peel?
A chemical peel is a brilliant skin rejuvenation treatment to stimulate your skin to perform better. It is great at removing superficial pigmentation and improving superficial scars. By exfoliation, it can help to even out your skin tone. Chemical peels can be used to address uneven and rough skin texture by stimulating new skin production. It also helps to reduce fine lines and wrinkles as skin quality improves.
In blemish-prone skin, the targetted chemical peel helps to shrink the pore and reduce sebum production. It will also reduce inflammation leading to fewer blemishes.
How often should you have a chemical peel?
How often you should have a peel really depends on the intended purpose. For acne and blemish-prone skin, gentle chemical peels are recommended every 2-3 weeks. For pigmentation, it maybe every 3-4 weeks. Skin rejuvenation peels maybe every 4-6 weeks. Once a course of a peel is completed you should really start a maintenance programme to sustain the results of the initial treatment course. You may also consider home peels when clinic attendance is unsuitable. If not maintained, the skin will revert back to its dull state lacking lustre.
At Skin Enhance And Wellness, I offer a variety of chemical peels including prescription-only chemical peels. It is best to have a consultation first in person or remotely to assess suitability and start on home treatment to prepare for a chemical peel.
Chemical Peel For Dark Spots
The superficial peels most frequently used to lighten dark spots are alpha hydroxy acids (glycolic and lactic acid), beta hydroxy acids (salicylic acid) and trichloroacetic acid (TCA). Glycolic acid (GA) is the most common alpha-hydroxy acid peel and is also known as a fruit peel
The journey to a great chemical peel starts with finding the kind of peel best suited for you. It ends with ensuring that your skin gets the best care after the peel.
What Are Chemical Facial Peels And How Do They Lighten Dark Spots?
A chemical peel is a technique that utilizes a chemical solution to ‘peel off’ the topmost layer of skin, removing discolorations and promoting new skin growth. Peels can be used to improve the appearance of acne scars, melasma, sun-damaged skin, wrinkles, and several other conditions. They can also be used to lighten dark spots.
Chemical peels for lightening dark spots use chemical agents that enable the removal of the skin pigment melanin. The type of peel, its concentration, the number of coats, and the duration of application are the main factors that influence the effectiveness of treatment. These same factors affect the likelihood of developing adverse effects, such as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). Individuals who have dark skin are at a higher risk of developing PIH and should consult with their dermatologist to determine if a chemical peel is right for them.
The most effective treatments sequence peels with a topical prescription creams. Priming the skin with a topical cream for at least four weeks prior to peeling is an essential part of treatment. The priming ensures uniform penetration of the peel and also reduces the risk of PIH.
What Are The Types Of Chemical Peels?
There are three types of chemical peels. All peels should be combined with topical dark spot treatments to improve efficacy. These topical treatments, also known as bleaching creams contain a combination of ingredients that are applied to the skin to either remove dark patches, such as melasma, or reduce the amount of skin pigment.
Superficial peels
Superficial peels penetrate only the outermost layer of the skin to remove pigment. Superficial peels provide improvement with the least risk of complications. This is because stronger and deeper peeling agents cause more inflammation, which has the potential to worsen pigmentation.
Superficial peels generally take a week or more to heal.
Medium depth peels
Medium depth peels remove the outer and middle layers of the skin to improve the appearance of age spots, skin discoloration, and more. Medium depth peels can be repeated between three and nine months to maintain a clear complexion.
Medium depth peels generally take one to two weeks to heal.
Deep peels
Deep peels remove damaged skin cells in the lower dermal layer of the skin to improve the appearance of sun damage, age spots, and more. These peels require both pretreatment and several weeks’ recovery time. However, the effects of deep peels may last as long as ten years.
Deep peels generally take two to three weeks to heal.
What Are The Ingredients In Chemical Peels For Lightening Dark Spots?
The superficial peels most frequently used to lighten dark spots are alpha hydroxy acids (glycolic and lactic acid), beta hydroxy acids (salicylic acid) and trichloroacetic acid (TCA).
Glycolic acid (GA) is the most common alpha-hydroxy acid peel and is also known as a fruit peel. It is simple, inexpensive, and has no downtime. GA peels have anti-inflammatory, keratolytic, and antioxidant effects. For melasma, it is used in concentrations of 30-70%. Sessions are conducted 2-3 weeks apart for a total series of 4-6 treatments.
Lactic acid (LA), which is derived from milk, works by decreasing skin cell cohesion. This type of peel is beneficial for lightening dark spots when used at 92% strength with double coats that are applied for 10 minutes every 3 weeks.
Salicylic acid (SA) has been used to treat various skin disorders for more than 2,000 years. The ability of salicylic acid to exfoliate the stratum corneum (the top layer of skin) makes it a good agent for peeling. Peels in 20-30% strength help eliminate superficial skin pigment. It causes the outermost layer of skin to shed and leaves a smooth post-peel texture. SA has an intrinsic ability to reduce inflammation, making it an especially useful agent for lightening dark spots, as it reduces the chance of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Trichloracetic acid (TCA) is a relative of vinegar and works on the principle of causticity (burning). The higher the concentration, the deeper the penetration, and the more skin cells that will be damaged and removed. At the lower strength of 15%, it can be used as a superficial peel. Sessions are conducted monthly, usually about four in total.
Post-Treatment Skincare Tips
Post-treatment maintenance with topical formulations and sunscreen is necessary to prevent skin discoloration from recurring.
In addition to using maintenance creams and sunscreen, Kirsch Dermatology recommends the following post-treatment skincare tips:
Don’t pick at the skin, as this delays healing and can cause scarring.
Use moisturizer to help the skin stay hydrated.
Protect the skin from the sun using a broad-spectrum mineral sunscreen, such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide with SPF 30 or greater. Sunscreen should be used concurrently with or prior to the start of your treatment.
What Is a Chemical Peel
A chemical peel is a way of exfoliating skin using a solution that has a pH of around two. It helps to smooth out the texture of the skin making your face feel fresh. It helps to treat many skin issues like hyperpigmentation, acne, and wrinkles.
Chemical Peel Side Effects
The side effects that you may experience depend mainly on the type of peel used, its strength, and intensity. For light peels, you will have little to no side effects. Usually, you will get a little redness which resolves in an hour or two.
For deep peels, you will have skin peeling in addition to the redness. Other side effects include the change of skin color, heart, kidney or liver damage, infection, and scarring. These effects can last for 7-10 days.
How to Care for Skin
Knowing the above, it is therefore important that you take care of your skin after a chemical peel. For at least 24 hours, it is important to ensure that you do not use products that have active ingredients like:
- Alpha Hydroxy Acids.
- Beta Hydroxy Acids.
- Low pH Serums.
- Retin-A or any other Retinoids.
- Serums with Vitamin C and Ascorbic Acid.
- Any other chemical exfoliates.
Follow a very bland and basic skincare routine. Use a hyaluronic acid product as they help to moisturize, hydrate, and play an important role in wound healing. Look for ingredients like ceramides and cholesterol which function as ingredients identical to those found in the skin. They help to repair damage caused to the moisture barrier.
A good moisturizer to use after a chemical peel is CeraVe. It comes with an addition of four percent niacinamide. Niacinamide is an antioxidant that has anti-aging benefits and helps to brighten skin tone. It also increases the production of collagen by your skin and is great for people with dry skin.
However, a better alternative is Vaseline. Contrary to popular belief, it does not clog pores. It will prevent water loss and keep your skin hydrated. To speed up the healing of your chemical peel, make sure you use petroleum jelly.
In addition to all the above, make sure to use sunscreen as the skin is very sensitive. Do not allow hot water to touch your face as it may cause post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.