Chemical peels are often described by our clients as ‘wonder skin treatments’ – a relaxing and simple way to revitalise and refresh the skin and slow down the visible signs of ageing.
Yet, with so many different kinds of chemical peels available, it’s important to understand how they work and which skin treatment is best for your skin type and individual needs.
What are chemical peels and how do they treat skin concerns?
Chemical peels are medical-grade cosmetic skin treatments that treat a wide range of skin conditions as well as improve tone and texture.
During a treatment, you’ll quietly relax as a safe chemical solution is applied to the skin and gets to work deeply exfoliating, removing the build-up of dry, oily, and dead skin cells.
Chemical peels can achieve a variety of therapeutic and aesthetic benefits including rejuvenation of sun damaged skin, the reduction of pore size, and the evening out of skin tone by removing pigment such as sunspots, freckles, melasma, and hyperpigmentation.
Chemical peels can also reduce the appearance of scars.
What types of chemical peels are available?
At Bass Coast Skin Doctors, we offer a range of chemical peels to address your specific needs as well as speciality peels that can only be prescribed by a skin doctor. Here’s what we offer:
Glycolic peel
Known as our ‘all-rounder peel’, the glycolic peel is a light but powerful skin rejuvenation treatment that evens out your complexion, smooths skin texture and brightens the look of your skin without the downtime of stronger peels.
Glycolic peels are a great collagen-boosting treatment that can target superficial scarring and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
The peel also gets rid of dead skin cells from the upper and middle layers of the skin, removing excess oil from hair follicles, making it an effective acne treatment.
Retinoic acid peel (vitamin A peel)
The retinoic acid peel is our signature ‘anti-wrinkle peel’ and offers an excellent way to repair sun-damaged skin and wind back the ageing clock.
Retinoids are powerful anti-ageing molecules that can help plump out the skin and reduce wrinkles and fine lines, while treating pigmentation caused by sun damage.
The vitamin A in the peel also promotes cell turnover and collagen production, making it an effective peel for treating fine lines, wrinkles, thinning of the skin, and dull complexion.
Salicylic acid peel
Commonly referred to as our ‘pimple peel’, this is a great go-to skin treatment for those who are prone to blocked pores or acne.
The salicylic peel helps to calm inflamed skin while gently exfoliating blocked pores and reducing oil production.
Salicylic acid peels also help kill the bacteria present in acne, resulting in a cleaner and clearer complexion.
Lactic acid peel
Designed to refresh, brighten and smooth the skin, our lactic acid peel is often nicknamed the ‘party peel’.
It lightly exfoliates and hydrates the skin, and is perfect for those wanting a safe and effective freshen up before an event or for those seeking more hydrated, glowing, plump skin.
Jessner peel (pigment peel)
Using a combination of salicylic acid, lactic acid and resorcinol, the Jessner peel is designed to treat oily skin, enlarged pores, congestion and pigmentation.
As this peel is renowned for treatment pigmentation, it is often what we call our ‘bright stuff peel’ because the ingredients penetrate into the layers of the skin and target cells that cause skin discolouration, helping to achieve a brighter, more even skin tone while eliminating dark spots.
As the most ancient of skin peels (it’s been around for about 100 years), it’s suitable for most skin types.
What can I expect when getting a chemical peel?
Before the skin treatment starts, your skin doctor or nurse will prepare your skin with a cleanser.
Then they will evenly apply the chemical peel with a brush, and let it sit for a length of time depending on the peel, before removing it and applying a neutralising ointment.
Initially, the treated skin may become red, dry and mildly irritated, although these symptoms usually decrease with each repeat treatment. Your skin doctor or nurse might apply a protective ointment to soothe the skin. You can usually wear make-up the next day.
With minimal downtime, our ability to tailor peels to your individual needs and the use of prescription ingredients for greater results, it’s no surprise that peels are a favourite treatment for many of our patients.
Interested to know more about chemical peels?
At Bass Coast Skin Doctors we offer a wide range of chemical peels, but the best results will always come from a regimen designed especially for you and your particular needs.
Book an appointment with one of our experienced and highly trained skin practitioners, who can walk you through the options.
Call (03) 5618 7007 or book an appointment online here.