Yes, the word is out: many celebs swear by chemical peels. Some choose not to reveal their cosmetic treatments, but others are quite open about their love for this procedure to maintain a flawless skin. Gwyneth Paltrow, Courteney Cox and Jennifer Anniston are a few who have given the thumbs up to regular peels.
Lactic acid peels are nothing new. In fact, Cleopatra used sour milk and clay to exfoliate her skin. But these days we use infinitely more scientific chemical peels to either remove the outer layer of skin or inflame the deeper skin so that the healing process will lead to renewed, refreshed skin.
Which peel?
Chemical
peels are the ultimate multitaskers: providing exfoliation, skin rejuvenation
and general skin tone improvement. And do note that it’s never too early or too
late to start your chemical peel journey.
In your 20s and 30s, light peels, alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) peels, glycolic acid and other AHAs are great for rejuvenating the skin, as well as treating mild to moderate acne.
From age 40 upwards you might want to consider deeper peels. Trichloracetic acid or TCA peels (which have greater depth than AHAs) reduce the onset of sun damage and stimulate collagen when applied at least once a year. On the other side of the spectrum, phenol peels are reserved for deeply-damaged skin.
A
chemical peel won’t erase deep wrinkles or large areas of pigmentation. Rather,
it can work wonders at minimising sunspots and other discolouration, reducing
fine lines, boosting your skin’s collagen production and improving elasticity.
Frequency
Chemical peels can be administered as frequently as once a month to treat acne-prone skin, or at much longer intervals from a few months to six months for ageing skin. Phenol peels are often administered only once, or with many years in between.
When
deciding on the frequency of your peels, take the condition of your skin into
consideration. For instance, if your skin is acne-prone, a monthly treatment
might be advisable.
So be assured that chemical peels can shave years off your face. After all, celebs swear by chemical peels.
But to look youthful, you must be diligent about stripping off that top dead-cell sludge. Another bonus is that topical products such as moisturisers and serums will penetrate the fresh new skin much better.
