Chemical Peels – Vancouver Skin Care Clinic

Vancouver Chemical Peels
Do you want healthier, more youthful looking skin? One of the leading treatments for a range of skin blemishes, including those related to aging and sun damage, are chemical pees.

Chemical peels can be used on their own, or in combination with other skin treatment techniques.

Chemical peels are also referred to as chemexfoliation or derma peeling. Some of these terms may sound intimidating or invasive, however chemical peels are actually one of the safest treatments to smooth the texture of your skin; they are minimally invasive and cause little to no pain. Chemical peels are generally applied to the face, however many clients opt to have treatments applied to the neck, hands, and other parts of the body.

What is a Chemical Peel?
A chemical peel occurs after a special chemical solution is applied to the skin. This solution causes the dead surface skin to slough and peel off. By removing the outermost layer of skin, the body can naturally regenerate a new layer. This new layer of skin is usually smoother, less wrinkled, and more youthful looking.

Chemical peels can also help remove other surface blemishes. They’ve been used to treat everything from acne and acne scars to age and liver spots. Clients have also experienced a great deal of improvement with fine lines and wrinkles, freckles, uneven pigmentation of the skin, rough and scaly patches, and sun-damaged skin. Chemical peels can also minimize the appearance of acne or surgical scarring.

It’s important to note not all chemical peels are made alike. Chemicals commonly used in Vancouver chemical peels include phenol, trichloroacetic acid, and alphahydroxy acids. Other common types include Jessner’s peels, retinoic acid peels, and beta hydroxy acid peels. Our skin care consultant can guide you through the selection process.
Chemical peels can be broken down into three main categories. Superficial or mild peels are safe to use on all skin types. As their name implies, superficial peels use the mildest solutions available and, as such, they tend to only target the uppermost layers of skin. This can help to smooth very fine lines, but may not be able to help with deeper blemishes and wrinkles. Glycolic acid is one of the most common components of a superficial peel.

One step up is the medium peel. As you can probably expect, this type of peel is more aggressive than a superficial peel, as it is able to penetrate into deeper layers of the skin. Medium peels are better able to address wrinkles, pigmentation concerns, and other similar types of skin blemishes. However, patients receiving a medium peel will require more recovery time than those receiving a superficial peel.
The harshest chemical peel available is a deep peel. Phenol is able to penetrate through several layers of skin, removing many of the deeper blemishes and skin concerns that superficial and medium peels cannot. These include deeper wrinkles, sun spots, more severe age spots, and so on. As deep peels can bleach the skin, they may not be appropriate for clients with darker skin. It’s also important to note that deep peels require the longest recovery time, however the results tend to last the longest.

After a typical chemical peel, you may experience a similar sensation on your skin to that of being sunburned. It can also feel somewhat tight. This is why it’s important to follow the skin care regiment as recommended by pur skin care professional following a procedure. This can include applying sunscreen, applying moisturizer, and avoiding exposure to sunlight. The amount of down time or recovery time will depend on the strength of the chemical peel and your own individual skin characteristics. The actual process itself typically takes anywhere from 10 to 60 minutes, which can then be followed by a cleansing facial.

Vancouver Chemical Peels
Some clients may be wonder about the difference between chemical peels and microdermabrasion. The key difference is that chemical peels utilize a chemical solution, whereas microdermabrasion uses a mechanical tool to remove the outermost layer of skin. At Electra, we use the DiamondTome method of microdermabrasion which can be used in conjunction with chemical peels to provide vibrant, beautiful, youthful looking skin.