This is How Skin Peels Help Fix Your Spots, Ageing, Pigmentation and More
Did you know that professional chemical skin peels can treat a number of skin concerns? Skin peels help fix your spots, prevent and treat the signs of ageing, and brighten and balance skin pigment and tone. They even help enhance your sun resistance and boost hydration to alleviate dryness and sensitivity.
These are some of the specific skin conditions you can have treated with professional chemical skin peels, what to expect when going for the treatment and how you and your skin will feel before and afterwards.
SKIN PEELS HELP FIX YOUR SPOTS
For pimples and breakouts, the Lamelle Beta Plus skin peel, which is a special version of beta-hydroxy salicylic acid that’s adapted to be very anti-inflammatory and able to help calm and help remove comedones (black- and whiteheads).
The treatment: Your skin is cleansed and exfoliated with Lamelle’s Cathepsin D, which mimics your skin’s natural exfoliants. After this, the peel is applied to your face with a brush, and it is left on for 5 minutes before a neutralising agent is applied, followed by a short moisturiser massage.
What it feels like: When the peel is applied, your skin might feel a little tingly. When the neutralising agent is applied, the chemical reaction produces a little extra warmth and the tingling will feel slightly more intense for a very short period. Your skin will feel plump and hydrated directly after and may be a little red – especially over any open pimples – for a little while afterwards. Follow your therapist’s recommendation for caring for your skin over the next few days.
You can read up more about professional treatments for problematic skin and don’t miss our post on Lamelle’s Clarity Active home-care treatment.
SKIN PEELS TO PREVENT AND TREAT AGEING
For ageing, insist on Lamelle Alpha skin peel or Lamelle Retistore. The Alpha peel is an alpha-hydroxy (fruit) acid that’s ideal for treating sun-damaged skin, while Retistore is a more advanced peel that gives full epidermal restructuring and requires some social downtime.
The treatments: The alpha peel is very similar to your other peels: a quick cleanse and exfoliation, then the peel is applied for a few minutes and you feel a bit of tingling until it is neutralised, and then a moisturiser is applied and you can practically go back to work again, if need be. With Restistore, you might want to plan a little bit more downtime, because the product is left on your skin for 6–12 hours.
What it feels like: An alpha peel tingles on the skin during the application and your skin may be a little red afterwards, but mostly your skin feels plump, hydrated and beautifully smooth. There might be a little dryness in the days after, so follow your therapist’s instructions for moisturising.
With Restistore – and especially the supercharged Restistore Plus treatment – there’s virtually no tingling during the first five-minute preparation application, and then the active treatment is left on your skin for up to 12 hours, with specific instructions on how to wash it off and what to apply immediately afterwards and in the days to come. Your skin might feel a little itchy during the treatment, but it’s just the retinoid penetrating and won’t irritate the skin. After the treatment your skin will feel plump and smooth, maybe a little heat sensitive and you’ll experience fine flaking of the skin for two to five days after the treatment (although it won’t be visible peeling and you can safely go back to work if need be), so keep up your home-care programme as advised by your therapist.
You can read up more on skin treatments for ageing and also see these ultimate age-preventing home-care products.
SKIN PEELS FOR REBALANCING AND BRIGHTENING PIGMENTED SKIN
For hyperpigmentation, ask for Lamelle Beta skin peel. This beta-hydroxy peel promotes exfoliation safely and effectively, increasing cell turnover to help get rid of excess pigmentation to get a brighter, more even skin tone.
The treatment: After cleansing and exfoliation, the peel is applied with some gauze and left on until the tingling dissipates (usually after about three minutes). This skin peel neutralises itself, so there’s no need to apply a neutralising agent. Afterwards, the therapist will apply a moisturiser, some sunscreen and then give you some home-care treatments to apply over the next few days.
There are slight variations of this treatment. Sometimes it’s combined with a retinol treatment that has to stay on your skin for 8–12 hours, so you’ll have to plan some social downtime. Another version is the Beta peel combined with a spot treatment of TCA (Lamelle’s strongest peel), applied in small quantities to only those spots that are resistant to the normal Beta treatment.
What it feels like: The Beta peel itself only tingles for about three minutes, after which your skin will feel plump and smooth. It might get a little dry and tight in the days to come, so follow your therapist’s home-care instructions carefully.
With the retinol treatment, you get your Beta peel and then the retinol will be applied and left on for up to 12 hours afterwards. You’ll be given instructions on how to wash it off and what moisturisers and sunscreens to apply and when. With the TCA spot treatment, the parts of the skin treated with TCA might feel hotter, drier and tighter for up to 48 hours afterwards. Follow your home-care routine, though, and you’ll have beautifully smooth, even-toned skin in a day or two.
Read more on skin treatments for pigmentation, see how skin peels are used to treat hyperpigmentation and learn about the home-care product Luminesce for brightening skin every day.
SKIN PEELS FOR PREVENTING SUN DAMAGE
To prevent photoaging, look to the Lamelle Lacti-firm peel. This peel is made from lactic acid (a type of alpha-hydroxy acid) and it is very comfortable and requires almost no social downtime. In fact, Lacti-firm is an ideal first peel if you’ve never had a skin peel before and are curious or just want to experience it for yourself before moving onto more targeted peels.
The treatment: After cleansing and exfoliation, the peel is applied with a brush and left on your skin for a few minutes (no more than 10), after which it is neutralised and moisturiser and sunscreen applied. This treatment helps prevent the signs of photoaging, stopping the formation of wrinkles, lines and pigment.
What it feels like: Lacti-firm tingles a little on the skin when it’s first applied, but then the sensation dissipates. It might feel a little tingly again when the neutralising agent is applied too. Your skin will feel very smooth, hydrated and plump after the treatment. And you have to follow your after-care regimen carefully to avoid and little dryness and tightness for a few days afterwards.
Read more on skin treatments that prevent photoaging and get sun smart by knowing how to prevent and reverse sun damage.
Remember that these professional chemical skin peels have to be performed by a trained skincare specialist, a dermatologist or medical doctor.
A professional will assess your skin beforehand, to ensure that the right peel is used and that the treatment will be both safe and effective. Plus: having a trained pro right there with you is always good for making you feel safe and reassured when getting a treatment.
You might also be interested in this secret for taking care of your skin in your 20s, why you should never pop a pimple and why it’s so important to have a healthy skin barrier.