Chemical Peels: What to Know About This Treatment
A chemical peel is a non-invasive skin treatment that can address many different skin concerns. A chemical solution is applied superficially to treat wrinkles, correct sun spots, fade scars, and even remove layers of dead skin. There are many different types of chemical peels and each can be chosen depending on your personal needs and concerns.
What You Need To Know About Chemical Peels
How Do You Prepare For A Chemical Peel?
We recommend setting up a consultation with either one of our Master Estheticians who have been trained thoroughly in chemical peels. Your health history will be reviewed and you will be given an opportunity to discuss your reasons and your skin care goals to make sure a chemical peel is the correct choice for you. Your esthetician will give you a comprehensive explanation of what you can expect as far as prep, the procedure, your recovery, and the results. An examination of your skin will follow to determine the skin health along with photographs for the purpose of documentation.
Your esthetician will also give you an outline of other things you should avoid before the procedure. Following the protocols will reduce the risk of complications and accelerate the healing process.
Types Of Chemical Peels
When undergoing skin rejuvenation via a chemical peel, you have two of the following types to choose from:
- Light Chemical Peel – This is a light and superficial procedure that removes the outer layer of the skin. This is the best peel if you are just looking to treat minor fine lines, wrinkles and light acne and looking for little to no downtime. It is performed every two to five weeks. Skin Better and ZO Skin Health both offer what would be considered a ‘lunchtime peel’
- Medium-depth Chemical Peel – This is the most requested peel. It involves working on the middle layer of the skin. It treats more aggressive issues like uneven skin tone, acne scars, and wrinkles. Because this is a more intense chemical peel, there is a longer downtime and peeling can occur. The peel may need to be repeated 2 or 3 times to get the best results. We offer the VI Peel for this service.
What Happens After a Chemical Peel?
After the peel is over, you might have some slight uncomfortable irritations like redness or stinging. With the more intense medium depth peel, you might experience some peeling of the skin. Your esthetician will go over post treatment instructions per the type of chemical peel you just received but the main thing to remember is to wear SPF 30+ daily and to avoid direct sun exposure and to not pick at your skin while everything is healing. You’ll want to avoid any other forms of exfoliation but are encouraged to use non-irritating hydrating creams. To continue getting the best results, your esthetician might suggest scheduling your next one so you can stay on a plan.
Schedule a Consultation
To find out more about chemical peels or to set up a free consultation with one of our skin rejuvenation experts at DWH Health & Wellness Med Spa, fill out our online booking form. We service clients in the Richmond, Virginia area.