To peel or not to peel?
Now, this is a frequently asked question a client will ask if they do not peel after doing a PCA SKIN® peel with me.
In fact, it’s actually a great question, after all the treatment is called a “Skin Peel” So if the skin didn’t peel, well- doesn’t that mean the treatment wasn’t effective?
The answer is no.
Peel healing is a very unique process for everyone, just because you do not see peeling does not mean that the peel is not working. Visible peeling is simply a side effect of a professional peel, you can still receive all the benefits of a peel without irritation, dryness, flaking and discomfort. It’s important that clients are aware of this and that they have realistic expectations.
I love educating clients on this topic because as humans we are visual in nature, we often go by what we see in front of us and take things at face value. However, in my esthetics experience I’ve can attest that just because you don’t see something happening instantly to your skin, it does not mean that it is not working.
Consistent skin care over the long run will reveal more healthier looking skin than one or two aggressive skin peels ever could. This is why understanding the benefits of a skin peel series v’s aggressively having a one-off- super-sloughing-skin peel, is really important.
It’s important to note that it does not mean that if your skin does peel a lot during a treatment that it’s detrimental. Depending on a client’s lifestyle obligations they might even opt-in to deliberately choose a peel that shows no visible signs of peeling. This is a common request for clients with little to no room for downtime. It’s called an Entry Level NoPeel Peel by PCA SKIN®. While a NoPeel Peel may not be ideal for some skin treatment goals that require a higher strength, it does cover a range of skin concerns.
So now that I’ve debunked the myth that the skin needs to peel in order to be effective and you know that you can even choose some peels that deliberately dial down the peeling experience, Let’s look at why some clients might not peel even if their peel strength is strong.
1. Use of exfoliating at home products
Some products used frequently at home such as chemical/physical exfoliants like retinoids and vitamin C as well as other manual exfoliating treatments can result in the client’s skin already being well exfoliated. This could result in the client not peeling as heavily.
2. New to professional treatments
If a client is new to frequent substantial at home skin care and / or doesn’t have frequent professional treatments, they may peel a lot more than someone who has a robust at home regime.
3. Skin type
In a nutshell some clients just simply do not peel as much as others – what’s great about PCA SKIN® peels is that you can rest assured that the peels administered during a treatment are still working even if the skin shows no visible signs of peeling.
Professional PCA SKIN® peels administered at SK Esthetics are completed with the PCA SKIN® three step Oxygenating Trio® treatment; helping to remove toxins, purify the skin and provide antioxidant support. Additionally the 02 to Derm dome mists the clients skin with beneficial anions which accelerates the skin’s natural healing process post treatment.
If you have any questions relating to a skin peel at SK Esthetics or would like more information about how you can enjoy some of SK Esthetics Skin. Mind. Body products or services please contact us directly by emailing sales@skesthetics.com