Chemical peels

A chemical peel is a solution of acids applied to clean skin and left on for a set number of minutes. The solution loosens the bonds between cells in the outermost layer, and over the following days that layer sheds. Peels come in strengths, and the strength is chosen for your skin and for what you can accommodate in the days afterward, not for how dramatic it sounds. A light peel may leave you slightly pink with a few days of fine flaking. A stronger one asks for more time at home.

Irene or Bailey cleanses and degreases the skin, applies the solution in layers, watches how the skin responds, and neutralizes or removes it on schedule. Most of the appointment is preparation and observation, and the solution itself sits on the skin for a short time. Peels are usually done as a short series spaced a few weeks apart rather than once. If you are new to peels, the first one is deliberately conservative, so that everyone learns how your skin behaves before the strength goes up.

• Texture and dullness that a home routine has not addressed
• Uneven tone, or the marks left behind after a breakout
• Wanting a short appointment with predictable days afterward
• Building a series into the cooler months rather than midsummer

The skin is cleansed and degreased so the solution meets it evenly.

Eyes and lips are protected, and the solution is brushed on in layers.

You will feel warmth and tingling that builds and then settles, and a fan helps.

Irene or Bailey watches the skin closely and stops or neutralizes on schedule.

A bland moisturizer and sunscreen go on before you leave, along with written aftercare.

Several days of flaking.

• Expect several days of flaking, and let it come away on its own rather than picking at it.
• Sunscreen daily, and no deliberate sun for at least two weeks.
• Pause retinoids, scrubs, and acids at home until the skin has finished shedding.
• Plan a peel with a clear week ahead of anything you want to look settled for.

• You are pregnant or nursing
• There is an active skin infection, a rash, or a cold sore in the area
• You have had significant sun exposure or a tan in the last two weeks
• You have used certain prescription skin medications recently
• You have a history of keloid scarring

Irene decides candidacy at your consultation.