Everything black women need to know about chemical peels

Chemical peels are a trendy beauty treatment. Popular due to their regenerating properties, peels use acids (including: dermatologist’s preferred alternative for physical peelings) to remove dead skin. However, if you may have wealthy skin, using chemical cocktails may cause burns or discoloration should you aren’t careful.

“Deep chemical peels are generally not suitable for darker skin tones,” dermatologist and founder Rose MD skin Dr. Rosemarie Ingleton tells ESSENCE. Fortunately, peels vary depending in your skin tone and sort. That said, black women can still safely profit from treatment.

Below, Ingleton discusses all the things you need to know about chemical peels.

What is chemical peeling?

“A chemical peel is a controlled chemical exfoliation procedure,” says Ingleton. More suitable for wealthy skin tones, “superficial peels typically use more gentle acids, such as glycolic acid or salicylic acid, to gently exfoliate the outermost layer of the skin.”

According to American Academy of Plastic Surgeonsa lightweight chemical peel uses milder acids (corresponding to hydroxy acids) to treat uneven pigmentation, dryness, pimples and wrinkles. Meanwhile, “deeper peels may include stronger acids such as trichloroacetic acid (TCA) or phenol, which penetrate deeper into the skin” and will require up to 8 weeks of preparation and anesthesia.

How it’s working?

After cleansing your face, “the therapist will apply an acid solution to the skin to loosen the outer layer of skin cells and speed up cell turnover,” she says. As with microneedling, “this causes controlled damage to the epidermis.” The peeling is left on the skin for just a few minutes, which can cause a slight burning sensation, after which it’s washed off and neutralized. With controlled damage, the skin will regenerate and heal, which in turn can improve the tone, texture and overall appearance of the skin.

What are the advantages?

“Targeted chemical peels can be helpful for a variety of skin concerns,” she says, including dullness and discoloration, rough texture, energetic pimples, sun damage and visual signs of aging. You can perform a lightweight peeling every two to five weeks depending on the skin type, with higher results the more often you utilize the peels. However, watch out not to overuse them as it could damage the skin’s protective barrier.

Which peel is correct for me?

Although there are home chemical peels (e.g Shani Darden tri-acid chemical peel)“Chemical peels are best done by a trained dermatologist or experienced physician who can determine what type of peel is right for your skin and your specific skin concerns,” she says. For example, Ingleton warns that deep chemical peels are generally not suitable for darker skin tones because they may cause burns and discoloration. “In general, I always recommend starting with superficial chemical peels as they are suitable for most skin types, including sensitive skin, and do not require any downtime.”

How to prepare your skin?

Before going to your appointment, it is vital to let your skin know first. “I always recommend introducing fruit acid peels to your skin at least two weeks before starting a chemical peel,” she says, recommending RoseMD SuperFruit exfoliating tonic. This peel incorporates AHA acids that help the skin get used to chemicals. It may be used twice every week.

“You also want to stop using prescription retinoids 48 hours before peeling, and avoid anything that exfoliates the skin for at least 24 hours before treatment,” she says, including waxing, dermaplaning and scrubbing, in order not to irritate the skin. “It’s very important to communicate honestly with your provider to make them aware of any underlying issues you may have, such as a history of herpes or allergic reactions.”

What does recovery seem like?

For at-home or light in-office chemical peels, downtime shall be minimal compared to medium or deep treatments. “After a chemical peel, your skin may feel sensitive and flaky as it heals and regenerates, so it’s important to keep your routine extremely simple,” says Ingleton. “Use a gentle cleanser, basic moisturizer and SPF until your skin recovers.”