Let’s talk about peels. At a surface level, medical-grade chemical peels are known for peeling away dull, uneven skin and revealing a younger, smoother complexion. But at a deeper level, chemical peels stimulate our natural cellular renewal process to produce new, healthier skin cells.
To better understand why we invest in glow-getting treatments like chemical peels, let’s take a closer look at the science behind their anti-aging results:
What is cellular renewal?
Our skin has its own cell renewal cycle in which new cells that are formed in the bottom layer of the epidermis travel up to the skin’s surface where they are either shed or exfoliated. Shedding old, dead skin cells stimulates the formation of new, healthy cells. And exfoliation speeds up this renewal process, which is why exfoliating treatments and products often produce glowing, younger-looking skin.
How long is the process?
At a young age, the cell renewal process is completed in about 28 days, a time when optimal collagen and elastin production occurs. After the age of 30, the process begins to slow down. And after 40, collagen and elastin decrease further, leading to a loss of skin tone and firmness and more pronounced lines and winkles. A great way to help your skin remain young is to adequately nourish it with cosmetic products and skin renewing treatments that help strengthen the epidermis structure and promote collagen and elastin growth.
How do chemical peels stimulate cell turnover?
There are two types of exfoliations: physical and chemical. Chemical peels fall under chemical exfoliation and use potent skin care ingredients like beta hydroxy acids (salicylic acid) and alpha hydroxy acids (glycolic acid, lactic acid) to stimulate cell turnover and produce an intensely renewed and overall smoother, more youthful complexion.
What is a chemical peel at Chesapeake Vein Center & MedSpa like?
We proudly offer professional chemical peels by SkinMedica® as well as the VI Peel by Precision Plus. Our fully customizable peels can improve the appearance of lines and wrinkles, melasma, sun damage, acne discoloration, redness, textural irregularities and dullness. What’s more, our peels are safe for almost every skin type, even darker tones. Typically, a treatment takes between 30 and 45 minutes, with noticeable results appearing five to seven days after your first peel.
Which peel is right for me?
Our peels range in intensity, from mild to intense, so it depends on the results you’re looking for. Milder peels carry a much lower risk of side effects and downtime. The VI Peel is a wonderful medium-intensity peel formulated to brighten tone and smooth texture with only minimal downtime. Our SkinMedica peels range from the Illuminize® Peel for brightening skin tone (a mild peel with no downtime) to the Vitalize® Peel for correcting tone and texture (a more intense peel with minimal to no downtime). Any redness of the treated area after your chemical peel should subside in a few days. If you wish to maximize your results, we recommend a series of milder chemical peels to gradually attain your complexion goals.
To learn more and find out which chemical peel is right for you, please give us a call at 757.663.5461 or request a consultation online today!