Medical grade chemical peels work.
They increase the turnover of cells, making the skin smoother and more dewy. They reduce pigment in the skin. Certain peels hydrate. They can smooth out wrinkles. If you have acne, peels are great for reducing blemishes and improving the appearance of your skin.
However, to tell you the truth, I don’t like to do peels on my face.
Here’s why: I have sensitive, rosacea-prone skin so I tend to get redder and flakier in response to peels than the average person.
We’ve been doing peels on the body, to treat aging and sun damage on hands, chests and backs and to treat acne on backs, and Wow! they’re great!
The thing about body peels is that you generally don’t peel very much — certainly much less than the face. Also, they tend not to sting or prickle much on the body so you don’t have to worry about discomfort or downtime.
A peel that might feel like a 6 to an 8 out of 10 on the pain scale when applied to the face, feels like less than a 1 out of 10 on the body.
We’ve been doing serial treatments every two weeks with medium depth peels on the body — something that could be an ordeal on the face — and watched the skin get better and better over time.
For back acne, the redness and swelling recede in acne blemishes within 24 hours. I wish I’d known about that when I had to wear a strappy bridesmaid dress for my brother’s wedding.
If you’re looking for an easy way to address pigment, aging skin or acne on your body, I highly recommend a series of chemical peels.