We all remember the Sex and The City episode when Samantha receives a chemical peel and is forced to hide her post procedural face with a black veil… sadly for chemical peels this is the standard misconception. Although upon first conception of the original chemical peel, patients and recipients alike were made to spend a minimum of seven days inside avoiding any and all direct sun exposure or external factors, we’ve come a long way since then. With time and proper chemical formulation the peels of our age are both equally as efficient as they are gentle. Each peel is made to be tailored to each recipient individually, taking careful consideration of their sensitivities to UV damage and of course their personal desired outcome and extent of downtime. Some people love to peel and some people don’t want anyone to know what they’re doing and each are acceptable and achievable goals.
Chemical peels at their core are simply another set of lovely tools that we as providers keep in our arsenal and encourage regularly. From acneic skin to anti-aging skin, chemical peels have the potential to benefit every skin type and condition. By chemically resurfacing the skin we are actively addressing the dead interstitial glue that holds together the dead skin cells (and the impurities woven between them) as opposed to addressing the skin cells individually themselves, one cell and one layer at a time. Although mechanical and granular exfoliation is key to keeping proper cellular cycle and maintaining healthy cell regeneration/turnover, a chemical peel is truly imperative when it comes to turning back the hands of the aesthetic clock.