Chemical Peels for the Fall Season: Types, Treatment, and Aftercare

PURE BLISS MED SPA / NOVEMBER 9, 2022 / FACE

This season, show your skin the tender loving care it deserves. Not only will you look better but you will also feel better as well. Your skin is not only your body’s largest organ, but it is also your biggest asset. When people see you, it’s the first thing they tend to look at, especially when your skin is healthy and glowing. Although making sure your home care regime is perfect for the Fall, it is also important to visit a professional, like our Atlanta Aestheticians, to perform services that cater to your skin.

As the weather changes so should your skincare treatment plan. As you prepare for holiday gatherings and the cool air, it is time to consider giving your skin a little extra attention. Now that the summer sun has gone and the Fall season has arrived, what better option than a chemical peel to add to your treatment plan. Here At Pure Bliss Med Spa, in the Sandy Springs area, we offer the best chemical peels for all skin types and concerns.

Want to spruce up your skin this fall? Book your Fall Chemical Peel in Atlanta today.

What Is a Chemical Peel?

Chemical Peels are advanced treatments that involve high concentrated solutions and acids to break through the barrier of the skin and correct minor to significant concerns. Chemical Peels range from gentle to aggressive and have different depths from medium to deep. Some pose more like a deep exfoliation, while others are more penetrative, going deeper into the layers of the skin.

Peels also vary in percentage levels. The lower percentage is gentler and serves as exfoliation rather than aggressive peeling, but as the percentage increases, so does the peel’s intensity. It’s essential to start with lower percentages to build your skin’s tolerance and resilience.

This gives us a chance to learn about your skin and how it reacts to products. It also ensures that you have the proper at-home skincare regime for pre and post peel. If you are unsure which peel is for you, consult with a skin care professional to help you decide which is best for your skin.

What Are the Different Types of Chemical Peels?

Light Peels

Light peels are known to treat minor concerns over time. They provide little improvement with each peel and are frequently done in a series. These peels are considered to be more exfoliating and targets the outermost layer of skin — the epidermis.

Light peels are great for smoothing rough textures and enhancing the skin’s glow. They also treat fine lines, wrinkles, breakouts, an uneven tone and dry skin depending on which light peel is selected. Although light peels normally do not physically peel, they still work wonders on the skin!

Medium Peels

Medium peels are considered to be advanced peels that transform the skin in a gentle way. Medium peels reach not only the epidermis (the top layer of the skin) but also the upper layer of the dermis (the middle layer of the skin). This type of peel is great for clients suffering from moderate wrinkles, age spots, acne scars and hyperpigmentation.

Although medium peels are less aggressive than deep peels, physical peeling and downtime is still expected. A medium peel normally takes 7 days to fully complete its peeling cycle. It is recommended that certain activities, especially any that require sun exposure, during that time period are paused until peeling has stopped.

Deep Peels

Deep peels are the most advanced peels that are offered. Deep peels penetrate through the epidermis to the lowest layer of the dermis. Although recovery time is normally longer with deep peels, they help clients to achieve the most dramatic results.

Deep peels are ideal for those wanting to correct deep lines, extensive sun damage, pitted acne scars, blotchy skin, and post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. It is best to give yourself about 2 weeks of down time for peeling, 7 days for the initial peel but also an additional 7 days. With deep peels it is possible to peel twice, so preparing for it is best. Be sure to follow any specific aftercare from your providers.

Why Chemical Peels Are Great For The Fall

Advanced Chemical Peels

After receiving an advanced chemical peel, your skin becomes slightly more sensitive to sunlight for about 2 weeks post peel. This is the key reason why chemical peels are safer during certain times of the year. The fall and winter months are when the weather is cooler, days are shorter, and the sun is not as intense as the summer months. Also, doing an advanced chemical peel during the fall and winter season prepares you and your skin for all of the activities planned for the warmer months so that your recovery process is complete when that time comes.

Light Chemical Peels

Just like advanced chemical peels, light chemical peels are more beneficial to be applied during the fall and winter months. Although light chemical peels are a milder option when considering getting a chemical peel, and can normally be applied throughout all seasons, they can cause slight sun sensitivity to the skin. This is why it is also a great option for the up-and-coming season to help elevate your skin.

What Conditions and Concerns Can a Chemical Peel Treat

Perfect candidates for chemicals are but not limited to clients dealing with:

Acne and Congestion
Dark Marks and Hyperpigmentation
Fine Lines and Wrinkles
Skin Pitting, Acne Scarring, and Texture Issues

Although chemical peels can be good for most, they aren’t safe for everyone. Chemical Peels may not be for you:

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding
If you are allergic to any peel ingredients listed on the peel pamphlets
If you are allergic to Aspirin
If you have open wounds, infected skin, sunburn, cold sores, or lesions
If have used Accutane within the past 4-6 months
If you have a history of cold sores (herpes simplex) and have been given an antiviral 3 days prior
If you have recently had treatments such as waxing, laser hair removal, electrolysis or chemical defoliants
If you are undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy
If you currently have or have a history of an autoimmune disease or any condition that may weaken the immune system

What Happens During a Chemical Peel Treatment

Light Chemical Peels

During the process of the light peel, we first cleanse the skin, and then we prep with medical grade acetone. Once the skin is dry, we protect the face’s sensitive areas, such as the orbital rim of the eye, the nostrils, and the lips. After the light peel is applied, it begins to exfoliate and absorb. The peel you select will determine the allotted time, but no light peel exceeds 7 minutes. You will feel a warm tingling sensation, which is completely normal! Once the peels time is complete, the skin will be neutralized with a solution that stops the peel from exfoliating further and after, we hydrate the skin and protect with broad-spectrum sunscreen.

Advanced Chemical Peels

Advanced chemical peels take about 10-20 minutes to complete (30 minutes for resilient skin). We apply the peel on the skin one layer at a time. Each layer applied pushes the previous layer further into the skin. It is a self-neutralizing peel, therefore you will not wash it off for the first 8 hours to activate it.

During your service you will experience a slight burning sensation. This is totally normal because we are using professional grade chemicals to renew the skin. Then you will start to feel a numbness to your skin due to the peel containing numbing agents. You will experience redness (erythema) and see white patches (frosting) which means that the peel has passed through the first 4 layers of the epidermis (the first layer of your skin) and reached the 5th and final layer.

How To Prepare for A Chemical Peel in the Fall

Preparation is essential no matter how light or deep the chemical peel you select is. You will need to stop using certain products and treatments until your aesthetician informs you when to use them again. These products include chemical exfoliants, advanced lightening products, retinol, and any vitamin A derivatives. You will also need to discontinue hair removal procedures such as laser hair removal, electrolysis, waxing, and other depilatory hair removal products/methods.

At least 72 hours before your scheduled chemical peel, avoid using physical exfoliators, self-tanners, and bleaching agents on the skin. This includes both over-the-counter and prescription skin care products. Additional things to do or avoid:

Tanning beds and direct sunlight for two weeks before your chemical peel
Stop using tretinoin two weeks before your peel to adverse reactions on the treated area
Use topical medications, like hydroquinone, a month prior to help prepare your melanin to break down within the skin.
If you’ve been given oral antibiotics or an antiviral pill to treat cold sores, stop taking them no less than 24 hours before your treatment.

What To Expect After A Chemical Peel

Light Chemical Peels

Light peels are very simple and easy treatments. Normally there is little to no downtime. The sensation you feel during the peeling process goes away minutes after the peel is removed. You may experience some redness but only on the day of. Some clients experience flaking but not all and definitely not as long as an advanced peel. It honestly depends how much exfoliating your skin may need.

The good thing that most enjoy about light peels is the little down time. You may want to avoid exfoliating for the next four days but that’s all, you are able to jump right back into your regularly scheduled program.

Advanced Chemical Peels

After your service you will experience something called erythema (redness of the skin) and frosting (white patches), which will go away within the first day. Your skin will feel extremely tight and dry. Also, you may experience a little itching and discomfort. All of these reactions are totally normal and will take place within the first 2-3 days after your peel.

Around day 3 (sometimes 4) you’ll begin to see peeling, typically around the mouth because that’s the part of your face you will move the most. As tempting as it may be, DO NOT tug on the excess skin that will flake, you can simply cut away the hanging pieces. Try to avoid activities that make you sweat and facial movements that stretch your face may speed up the process. We are aware that this can be an uncomfortable process, but you don’t want to rush the peel. Just let it flow and fall off naturally so that you receive the best results.

Around Day 5 or 6 you will be in your final stages of peeling and by day 7 or 8 your skin will officially be renewed!

Additional Great Treatments For The Season

As we’ve mentioned throughout this reading chemical peels are a great option to add to your fall and winter treatment plan. But there are also others that are not only best for this season, but also work well alongside chemicals to achieve great results for your skin. So those options for this season include:

Laser Genesis – Laser Genesis is a non-invasive and comfortable treatment that uses heat to stimulate collagen and elastin within the skin. It can help smooth texture and reduce the look of wrinkles, acne, red and brown spots, and more. It is a treatment that not only works well with a chemical peel to see amazing results but it is also perfect for the fall. Because laser genesis creates dermal heating it makes the skin more sensitive to the sun. With the days getting shorter, weather getting cooler and the sun beginning to reduce, the skin is less likely to experience damaging effects from being outdoors after a treatment.
IPL Photofacial – IPL Photofacial also known as Intense pulsed light, is a treatment that uses intense light to correct the skin. With intense pulse light energy being used, this treatment causes the skin to become sensitive to the sun as well. A key reason why this is another perfect treatment option for the Fall season. Results of an IPL photofacial tend to be best when the skin is not exposed to a lot of direct sunlight. During the fall months, you may find it easier to remain indoors during the days before and after your treatment, which can greatly enhance your results.
Microneedling – Microneedling is a treatment that creates thousands of tiny wounds on the surface of the skin reaching the dermis. This result actually stimulates the body’s natural wound healing process, inducing collagen to help repair the wounded areas. As the skin heals the result is brighter, more supple, even and smoother skin than before. With fall being the season for deep skin rejuvenation since there will be shorter days and less time in the sun, what better time than now to explore the benefits of microneedling and PRP Treatments.
Laser Needling – Laser Needling is a corrective treatment that uses both Laser Genesis and Microneedling to help restore the skin’s complexion and overall texture. Considering that Fall’s sun exposure is not as extreme as summers, laser treatments are a great option for the up and coming season. Especially for a treatment like Laser Needling, combining two skin sensitizing procedures into one. Not spending as much time in the hot sun helps to speed up the healing process and ensures that your results last longer than anticipated. This treatment leaves you with glowing skin.

Ready to book your next fall or winter treatment? Book your chemical peel today!