Knife Styles

Face Peel - At Home Kits

What can they do for you?

These light peels can subtly clean and brighten your skin. They come in a DIY kit for home use and are less irritating than salon peels.

They're also far less effective, but they're safer and can be done weekly if needed.

Home peels may help reduce enlarged pores, age spots,fine lines and slight sun damage and improve dull skin tone.

The procedure

This often consists of three steps: cleanser; acid; and soothing moisturiser or desensitiser, also available as pre-soaked pads. After the treatment, your skin will feel so soft, you won't want to put make-up on, so use these products in the evening or on a weekend.

You'll see some results immediately, but your skin will improve much more after several treatments.

What can go wrong?

Very little, unless your skin is very sensitive. You may feel a tingling sensation, but it's short-lived.

Ones to try

L'Oreal Renoviste Anti-ageing Glycolic Peel Kit, 118.99.

MD Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel, £60 for 30 packets (from www.HQhair.com).

Chemical Face Peel

A chemical face peel can sort out many skin worries - from a dull complexion or acne scars to deep wrinkles. It all depends on how deep you want to go.

What is it?

A face peel is a chemical potion that's painted on to skin to produce an accelerated version of exfoliation. The difference is that a peel goes deeper into your skin, making your complexion smoother and brighter for longer.

There are three types of peel available. Superficial peels are the most common ones - they exfoliate the skin, taking just the top layer off.

Medium-depth peels, which penetrate deeper into the skin, are used to reduce fine wrinkles and acne scars.

Deep peels are the strongest type you can have. It's claimed that they eradicate deep wrinkles and even alleviate facial scarring.

What can it do for you?

It can improve your skin's appearance. In all types of peel, chemicals loosen and remove the skin's surface layer. The deeper the peel, the more dramatic the change.

A deep peel can reduce pitted acne scars, pigmentation, rough texture or mild sun damage; a superficial peel will make your skin feel super-soft and give it a glow.

The procedure

A deep peel is administered by a medical doctor or registered nurse, who'll apply a strong glycolic acid or trichloroacetic acid (TCA) mixture to the face with a spatula.

It's left on for 90 minutes, when you may feel some stinging. When the peel is removed, it also takes off the top layer of skin.

At the other end of the scale, a superficial peel, which contains much less glycolic acid, is brushed on to your skin and left for a few minutes. It's then washed off during a short facial. This can be done by a beautician.

Cost

From £50 to £3,500, depending on the intensity of the peel, whether you need to be sedated or stay in hospital, and the aftercare required.

Recovery time

After a deep or medium peel, it can take a couple of weeks before you can resume normal activities. Even after this time your skin may still be quite red. Skin will turn red or brown and flake and peel, so recovery may require several days off work.

A superficial peel, however, takes hardly any time and skin may be just slightly pink, so you can head back to the office.

What can go wrong?

If you don't wear sunblock after a peel, you could end up with a blotchy or uneven complexion. The downtime is far longer for a deep peel.

You should have an in-depth consultation to make sure you have the correct procedure and understand the risks. The deeper you go, the more layers of skin you remove to get a bigger, quicker improvement. However, the further you go, the longer it takes for your skin to recover.

How long does it last?

Using the correct aftercare regimen, the effects can last up to a year. You'll be given a list of specific products to use at home, plus you should have a maintenance peel every four to six weeks. But visible results - smoother skin- will be felt after the first treatment and seen after the first two to three visits.

 


Categories

Articles


Sponsors