Peels taper and improve the skin
They can help to reduce wrinkles
For as long as we can remember, peels have been an integral part of most women’s beauty routines.
Regardless of this, most people still don’t know what a facial peel is, entails Are you peeling your own skin off? Does it hurt? And what benefits does it have?
Jeanette Van Staaden, manager of the Wembley MediSpa in Cape Town, says a peel is a professional technique used to taper and improve the appearance of the skin by exploiting the potential of skin renewal.
Van Staaden says the facial peel is effective in that it uses three mechanisms to create noticeable changes in the skin, namely:
Stimulation of cellular
● turnover through the removal of dead cells;
The removal of damaged skin ● cells and degeneration, which will be replaced by new skin cells; and
Introduction of an inflammatory ● reaction and the production activation of new collagen fibres and of revitalisers organisms of the derma.
While it all sounds like science fiction, Van Staaden says that it is not.
She explains how a peel works: “The controlled application of acid solutions quickly eliminates the outer layers of the skin, stimulating a reaction capable of awakening the cellular activity slowed.”
The peeling acids induce slight “damage” to the skins surface structures.
This technique produces a reparative process that leads to a controlled skin renewal.
“The depth of action is closely related to the concentration used, the number of steps and the time of contact with the skin surface,” she says.
Does it hurt to peel things off? Van Staaden says although seeing people yanking off the peel from their faces may look graphic and painful, she says the pain will not leave anyone screaming.
“Depending on the type of peel and the client’s pain threshold, there might be a tingling sensation on the skin, but it is bearable.”
Next, Van Staaden took us through the different peels on the market, which the Wembley spa also offers:
Glycolic acid
Glycolic acid belongs to the family of alpha hydroxy acids.
Originally extracted from sugar cane, beet and grapes, immature glycolic acid has amolecular weight, which gives it an intense ability to penetrate the epidermal layers.
It has a double action: Exfoliates the superficial lay- ● er of the skin, easing the cell turnover, resulting in a thinning of the stratum corneum and in a dermal hydration; and
It helps to even out the skin
● tone.
Salicylic acid
Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid, derived from willow bark. It has a keratolytic action, acts only on the corneocytes and is well tolerated by underlying cells. As a result, it facilitates the surfacing removal of hyperpigmented cells.
Lactic acid
the rejuvenation of skin cells and treating affected areas.
While body peels are not as popular, the trend is catching on. One can also do a full body peel, which encompasses all problem areas.
Organic acid is present in nature and derived from fermented milk. It breaks the adhesion between cells of the epidermis encouraging exfoliation. As a result, it increases the hydration of the skin.
Beta acid
A beta hydroxy peel is a superficial, quick, no down time procedure that renews the skin by lifting dead cells off the surface of the skin and stimulating metabolism of the cells underneath. Beta peels are used to treat acne, ageing and hyperpigmentation. It also assists with firming and tightening.