Who doesn’t want clear, radiant, blemish-free, rejuvenated skin am I right? But acne, acne scars, black head, white head and pores are the bonus when one hit puberty. Only puberty may not be the sole reason for the skin damage ‘n’ number of things chime in when the skin gets spoiled or ruptured with pores. As modern medicine took a turn there are a lot of procedures which came into the picture. One of the best ones which came into market was chemical peel. Yes, let’s know most about it in this article.
What is a chemical peel?
A chemical peel is a solution which tends to be acidic. Which is applied to the skin parts, once these chemicals penetrated the skin, the solution destroys the dead skin cells and unclogs the pores and make way for the new skin cell to rejuvenate. This process makes the acne and the scars disappear. The main reason for doing this treatment is for the smoother texture with a nice tone, lightening of the dark spots, and unclogging of the pores which reduce the breakups. Generally, there is a misconception about chemical peels that it damages the skin cells from the incorrect depth, chemical peel only works by removing the top layer of the skin.
The chemical peel generally helps as a physical exfoliator and topical scrub. The chemical peel takes a good toll on the skin by killing the dead skin cells on the surface. But one might worry about the production of collagen, but this damage to the surface of the skin cells leads to the body’s immediate response to produce more collagen.
As most of the clinics have been doing this procedure, it is always better to consult your dermatologist to know what is best for your skin. Generally, the scars develop in the peeling process leading the skin to act fast and notify the skin cells to form new collagen fibres and attack the infection. As a result of this, there would be scars.
What kind of chemical peels can be tried at home?
If the patient is willing to get the peeling done at home, then let us see which chemicals would make the skin happy. Most chemicals safe to use at home often help to lighten the surface and help to reduce the scars which lead to spot reduction. But getting to know the best kind of acid is the homework one must do, before getting into this chemical peeling.
Some of the most famous acids used nowadays and their actual uses:
- Glycolic acid is an oily and normal skin type and it helps in exfoliating the layer of the skin.
- Salicylic acid is good for oily and acne-prone skin to loosen the dirt from pores.
- Lactic acid is good for all skin types for fading dark spots.
- Mandelic acid is good for all skin types and darker skin tones and helps large pores.
- Phytic acid is very good for sensitive skin and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
What must be considered before and after the peel?
- No physical exfoliation has to be done before and after 24 hours of the peeling.
- Retin A, acids and acne-reducing products should not be used before and after the use.
What are the different types of peels which are being practiced in market:
Superficial peel: As the name indicates this peel just touches the surface of the skin and this can be used for all skin types.
Medium peels: These can penetrate deep into the skin and these peels are also known to cause second-degree burns to the skin.
Deep peels: This peel will penetrate deep into the layers of the skin and is also known to cause second-degree burns. But these peels are not suitable for dark skin and the tone can cause hypopigmentation.
What are the instructions to be followed while peeling at home?
- Instructions may vary depending on the product as the sample bottle might say used as directed generally when it comes to the timing. But before applying anything to the skin it’s always better to do a patch test but always avoid contact with lips and eyes.
- Clean the skin with the neutral cleanser
- Skin has to be prep with a pH solution to make the skin well-balanced and rejuvenated for the procedure
- The peeling solution has to be applied from the forehead to the chin.
- Once applied then the wait time will be for 3 to 10 minutes depending on the solution or the product instructions. If this is the first peel then less time would be better.
- Once the peeling is done it is advised to use to neutral cleanser and if the peeling which was done wouldn’t require a cleanser then that can be skipped.
- Always pat dry and use neutral moisturizer.
- Then this procedure should never be repeated till the later week. General downtime for the home peel is not necessary but being vigilant with skin protection, and moisturizer is a must.
What should be the other modes to transfer if the chemical peels don’t work?
The chemical process would be the best way to get rid of acne scars but what if it doesn’t work, what would be the alternative way to prevent the scars? In those cases, the superficial or light peels would do wonders, in treating the skin. One might consider this method as well. The commotion of the cost of chemical peeling would plummet but light peels are way cheaper than chemical peels but chemical peels are effective when compared to light peels.
The degree to which chemical peels work may also depend on your budget. Light and at-home peels, which are cheaper, are less effective for raised or pitted scars than medium and deep peels. Given that in the conclusion of this article, one suggestion everyone willing to undergo the chemical peeling should keep in mind is that they give enough time for the skin to heal and rejuvenate because that is all it matters in the end, the skin to be healthy.
