burn, baby, burn!

in keeping with the idea of 'soft, silky and smooth', we are going to explore one of my favourite topics: skincare. seems like no matter how trends evolve, good skin is always trendy but achieving good skin has its price. one of the tags happen to be chemical peels. sounds good? it does... until you are lying down at your dermatologist and going through the procedure. 

what we want to achieve

speaking from personal experience (in a nutshell from a nut), the acid is applied to the face and left for a certain amount of time. once the alarm sounds, another chemical (probably alkali-based) is used to neutralise the acid. this is when the 'fun' really begins. you will actually hear sizzling sounds coming from your face. the next couple of days, as the dead skin cells flake off, you are almost like a winter wonderland.

the use of chemical peels to soften and improve the appearance of the skin dates back over 3,500 years to the ancient egyptians. historians describe the use of several different techniques, including the use of animal oils, salt and alabaster to smooth the skin. egyptian women bathed in sour milk or rubbed fermented grape skins from the bottom of wine barrels over their skin to enhance beauty. little did they know that they were benefiting from the superficial skin peeling effects of a family of chemicals called hydroxy acids which remove the outer layers of the skin. these acids have now been identified as lactic acid in milk and tartaric acid in grape skins. later in history, poultices (something like our modern face packs) containing mustard, sulphur, and limestone were used for similar purposes. indian women mixed urine (yes, urine!) with pumice.

Samantha Jones, Sex and the City

today, scientists have identified numerous forms of acid which can be used to induce beneficial changes for our skin, including salicylic acid, trichloroacetic acid and phenol peels. facial peels have grown enormously in popularity over the past twenty-five years and now it can be a very effective treatment when performed by an experienced practitioner. such is their success rate that chemical peels are now the fifth commonest cosmetic procedure in the united states of america. official statistics from the american society for aesthetic plastic surgery (asaps) reveal that just under 385,000 procedures were performed in 2011. the depth of peel relates directly to the pain experienced and number of side effects.

Sharon Stone

superficial peels: during the procedure most patients experience a mild stinging sensation whilst the glycolic acid is on the face. the face is often pink after the solution is removed and there may be a faintish white discoloration in some areas, or a blotchy appearance to the skin that usually fades within a couple of hours. some patients do not experience any visible peeling off of the skin after treatment, but the treatment still has a beneficial effect, like a very good exfoliation. side effects or risks of superficial peels can be hyperpigmentation (too much pigment which causes brown blotches on the skin) and a high factor sunscreen should be applied at all times to help reduce the potential for this problem. in rare cases, patients may experience an infection in the skin or an out-break of cold sores. 

Pigmentation - side effect of chemical peeling

medium depth peels: the face may swell shortly after the solution has been applied and turn pink, with some burning and stinging of the skin that can last for thirty minutes to an hour following 25% - 35% tca peels. over the next few days, the face may turn a dark brown colour, with streaks of white appearing amongst the brown. the skin will then begin to peel, over a five-to-six day period, and may begin to itch during this healing phase. after peeling, the face will be bright red – this will fade to a fresh pink tone in most people over the following 3 - 6 weeks. hyperpigmentation or brown spots may occur, even if you follow your doctor’s advice and apply sunscreen before going outdoors. bleaching creams may be used to help reduce the appearance of these brown areas. redness of the face may also last for longer than two-to-three months in some patients; however, this should disappear over time. 

another image from dipity

deep peels: patients often feel unwell for several hours after this procedure. pain can be moderate to severe for several days but is usually controlled with pain-killing tablets. you would normally need to be driven home following this procedure and only soft and liquid food can be eaten for a few days as chewing can be painful after the peel and it is a good idea not to disturb the face’s skin with vigorous chewing. the swelling of the face is usually at its worse at around two days after the procedure, but this will reduce over the following week. itching can be a problem during the healing process, which may take up to fourteen days before you are presentable in public with make up and a concealer to cover the remaining signs of the treatment.

fast-forward to 3:50 for maximum eek! sigh. the things we do just to get smooth skin (i use 'we' because i tried fruit acid treatments for a period too!).

fash'on... BAM!