Peel Fresh with Pizzazz

[By Nicole Harper]

As skin rejuvenating techniques become more and more complicated over the years with medical advancement, chemical peels remain a tried and tested age-old staple for those in the know. However, it’s not uncommon for the average uninformed consumer to view this dermatological gem with suspicion, for its name alone often conjure up horrifying images of burned red cheeks and peeling skin. By removing the damaged outer layers of your skin with the application of fruit acids, chemical peeling allows the healthier skin cells beneath to come through, improving its texture and allowing your skin to glow with absolute radiance.Over a period of time, new collagen is laid down in the deeper skin levels, resulting in firmer skin tone with fewer lines and wrinkles.

In the pre-Botox, pre-laser days of yore, women had used a variety and at times bizarre and harmful substances such as alabaster, oils, nightingale’s poo, lead and even mercury on themselves, in the perpetual quest for fair, flawless skin— a universal benchmark of Beauty. Many of us are probably familiar with the story of Cleopatra, whose sour milk baths are as famous as the pyramids of Ginza. Possibly the forerunner of chemical peels dating back to 1500 B.C., acid formulas have come a long way since their first debut. Not only are we tapping into the myriad of potential benefits of topical application; more results are being achieved with the discovery of potent, safe new peeling agents, with little to no tell-tale signs and downtime.

Beauty starter’s kit

For the uninitiated or those with sensitive skins, you can’t go wrong with lactic aka milk acids. If it’s good enough for the legendary Egyptian diva to bring not one but two Roman boys to the yard, one shouldn’t underestimate the prowess of this simple treatment. The Milk Peel utilizes an ultrasonic peeling system on top of the gentler lactic acid formulations to brighten dull, sallow skins and lighten surface pigmentation and blemishes for cleaner and clearer complexions. With the assault of air pollutants in the recent bouts of haze, this is an excellent spa treat for a mild, all-over exfoliation, melting away debris clogging up your pores without excessive peeling nor skin irritation. It’s so gentle it’s like mama holding your hand on your first ballet lesson, instead of shoving you with hands bound into the deep end of a traditional chemical peel.

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Weekend perk-me-up

The Glamour Peel specially concocted and available exclusively at the SW1 Spa is an understated treatment that’s true to its moniker, playing the role of a celebrity stylish as a fuss-free 6 in 1 weekend peel that brings forth a red carpet difference. Aimed to add glow and sparkle to lackluster complexions, it uses not one, but a combination of three different types of pharmaceutical grade fruit acids that have been carefully selected to deliver a quick all-round complexion improvement. By effectively getting rid of dead skin cells and replenishing essential antioxidants into your skin, this star-worthy treatment addresses six key skin concerns for a thorough perk-me-up at one go. With skin brightening, spot fading, line smoothening, pore reduction, sebum balance and hydration boost under its belt, the Glamour Peel serves as an excellent primer for a fresh face of makeup, be it bare minimum or full-on sultry, you’ll definitely make heads turn with equal parts admiration and envy.

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Professional beauty treats

How much skin they remove and how deep they penetrate will depend on the type of chemical peel used, its strength and how long it’s allowed to sit on the skin. The percentage of a peel just indicates how much of the peeling agent is contained in the peel and is not entirely indicative of its strength. For example, a 30% glycolic acid peel has more glycolic acid and is stronger than a 25% glycolic acid peel, but is way weaker compared to a 25% TCA or trichloroacetic acid peel. What matters most is the PH level as this indicates how deep the peel will penetrate into your skin, and how much skin irritation is expected. Bear in mind that the lower the PH, the deeper the peel.To sum it up, chemical peels work best by striking a fine balance between harvesting the goodness and keeping the untoward side effects at bay.

In the hands of a skilled physician, Professional Chemical Peels are cost effective, minimally invasive beauty treats with a slew of skin benefits. Customized individually to suit your particular skin type, color and needs, a singular or blend of AHAs and BHAs can be employed to return your peau to its soft, supple state.You’ll begin to see improvements after just one session but a series of treatments will lead to more significant and visible changes to the appearance of your skin. By stimulating collagen and elastin renewal, improving fine lines, reducing pore size, lightening superficial acne marks and blending out uneven skin tone, Professional Chemical Peels may be your perfect answer to frills free, low key skincare maintenance.

Apart from the face, peels work equally well on other body parts such as the back and décolletage. A perfect foil for stubborn acne and dastardly back blemishes that tend to sabotage the bride-to-be looking to play a little peek-a-boo, acid peels will restore her confidence to work a backless number or plunging neckline with panache.If you happen to fall into said category, make sure you secure your appointments way in advance, for a series of 6 to 8 sessions done regularly at monthly interval is necessary for best outcome, to peel fresh with pizzazz!

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