Demystifying Chemical Peels: 5 Common Myths Debunked

Winter is a perfect time to lay the foundations for the year ahead, whether that is in your work, your personal life or your skincare routine, and many people will start a chemical peel course just after Christmas.

Part of this is that a spa day can make for a wonderful present or a way to bring people together, whilst other treatments take some time to truly shine.

A chemical peel can be done at any time of the year, but they are particularly popular during the winter. However, this popularity has brought with it a few misconceptions that it is important to examine and debunk here.

Here are the five most common and the truth behind them.

Myth One: Chemical Peels Are Really Harsh

The word 'chemical', alongside the word 'acid', brings with it a range of implications about what to expect from the treatment. Namely, a chemical peel is quite a harsh treatment that is ill-suited to sensitive skin.

The truth is that there are a lot of different types of chemical peel, and most of them are no harsher than exfoliation. Milder peels use ingredients such as alpha-hydroxy acids, which are derived from plants and are commonly used in toners.

Myth Two: All Chemical Peels Make You Peel Profusely

Similar to how the implications of “chemical” do chemical peels a disservice, there is a belief that they need to visibly make your skin peel in order to be effective.

Whilst chemical peels do remove the top layer of your skin, many of them are far more subtle than this; there is no more skin shedding than a typical exfoliation session, so in most cases, you will see very mild flaking at most.

Myth Three: Chemical Peels Are Painful

Typically, chemical peels cause tingling rather than pain, much closer to an exfoliation session or an intense skincare routine than a painful aesthetic treatment, and the tingling and stinging go away quickly after treatment.

Deeper treatments can be more intense, but aesthetic practitioners will also use numbing creams during the treatment itself.

Myth Four: Chemical Peels Have Long Recovery Times

Chemical peels are highly versatile and tailored based on your needs. Whilst you can get deep and intense clinic-driven peels designed to help with skin texture, hyperpigmentation and acne, we also offer “lunchtime peels” which have almost no downtime whatsoever.

We will let you know exactly what to expect at your consultation, but even the most intense peels have recovery times measurable in days rather than weeks.

Myth Five: Chemical Peels Are A One-Off Treatment

One peel can make a dramatic-looking difference, but they are best used as part of a consistent regimen to get the best out of your skin.

As with exfoliation, your skin’s glow will become increasingly apparent as your skin’s healthy layers regenerate. 

5 Common Chemical Peels Debunked

• Chemical peels are harsh: There are various types of peels of varying intensity, which use gentle ingredients to exfoliate.

• Peeling is dramatic and intense: The peeling of a chemical peel varies, but in most cases, it is as subtle as exfoliation.

• Chemical peels hurt: When undertaken by an aesthetic expert, they will feel more like a tingle or using a toner.

• Chemical peels have downtime: Some “lunchtime” chemical peels need little to no recovery time at all.

• Chemical peels are a one-off treatment: As with exfoliation, consistent treatments in a series will provide results that build up.