Chemoexfoliation — more commonly known as a chemical peel — is an aesthetic process that uses varying strengths of acids to peel away the top layer of your skin (i.e., the epidermis).
Along with that top layer, a chemical peel can remove most or all evidence of sun damage and other skin issues, including:
Every year, physicians and aestheticians perform about 1.3 million chemical peels in the United States alone. It’s the third-most-popular non-invasive aesthetic procedure.
Chemical peels are simple, don’t usually take much time, and are among the most cost-effective anti-aging tools available. To get the most of your chemical peel, you must take care of and protect your newly revealed skin layer
At Aesthetics, by Dr. Lee, our expert aesthetics team offers a variety of chemical peels, including the VI peel collection, Cosmelan, Dermamelan, and Ormedic Peel. As overseen by our experienced physician, Dr. Luis Lee, we refresh and renew your skin at our offices in Roseville, California, serving the greater Sacramento area.
Is your skin ready to renew itself with a chemical peel? Here’s how to baby it afterward.
Light chemical peels work on the superficial skin layer, the epidermis. These peels require minimal maintenance after your treatment, because they only slough off the outer layer of dead cells.
The VI peel and other deeper peels reach all the way into the dermis. The acid in the peel coagulates the keratinocytes (i.e., skin cells), which means it clumps the proteins in the skin together. It also denatures the proteins within both the epidermis and the dermis.
The combination of coagulation and denaturation causes skin cells to release proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. This controlled inflammation then activates your skin’s healing cascade, which causes your skin to:
As your skin heals, the epidermis thickens and the dermis increases in volume. The process also improves both superficial and medium-depth hyperpigmentation, such as brown spots and freckles.
In other words, a chemical peel is, indeed, a chemical process. It creates a number of beneficial changes in your skin. But the inflammation and skin renewal process requires special care.
For the first two days or so after a peel, your skin is flaky as it sheds the coagulated proteins and old skin cells. On days 3-5, your skin may actually start to peel away, much like the skin that overlies a sunburn.
You can expect the skin to stop peeling by the sixth day. From the seventh day onward, your refreshed and glowing skin is ready for display.
But to achieve results like this, you must follow your aftercare instructions.
A chemical peel, in essence, creates a controlled burn in your skin that triggers the healing cascade. As you might imagine, when it's in this burn state, your skin is extra sensitive, especially to light.
Protecting your skin from the sun is always important, but it’s not negotiable before and after a chemical peel. It’s absolutely essential that you avoid the sun as much as possible at least two weeks before and after treatment during the healing period.
Don’t go outside during peak sun hours, 10am to 4pm. When outdoors, wear a gentle, medical-grade and broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 50 or more. If possible, try to wear a broad-brimmed hat and sunglasses for extra protection.
After your peel, we recommend a soothing emollient balm that helps control discomfort as well as redness and swelling. Our clinic offers plenty of medical grade products available for purchase during your appointment. Talk with our esthetician about your at-home skin care products, to ensure the products used are gentle, regenerating and have ingredients that are anti-inflammatory.
We may also give you a take-home kit to continue the peeling process. Use it as prescribed and follow all the other aftercare instructions! Some peels require a second follow-up treatment in the office.
While you may be tempted to scrub away at flaking or peeling skin, resist the impulse. Your skin is especially tender after a chemical peel and susceptible to injury.
We recommend a gentle cleanser that doesn’t strip your skin of protective oils. We carry a great gentle cleanser by Neocutis, if you do not have an approved cleanser at home. Simply pat your skin dry and then apply your repair cream.
Does your skin need to be renewed and refreshed with a chemical peel? Call our team at 916-888-8988 for a chemical peel appointment today, or use our online appointment request form.
In addition to Roseville, we serve the California communities of Granite Bay, Rocklin, Citrus Heights, Folsom, Lincoln, and the greater Sacramento area.
