A gentle (superficial) chemical solution is applied which exfoliates the top dead layer of the skin. This step causes exfoliation and regeneration. Changing the pH level chemically loosens the cells that form the “glue” between dead skin and healthy skin. Hence, it loosens up the dead skin. It removes sun damage, superficial hyperpigmentation and smoothens out comedones. During the procedure, mild stinging or itching may be felt on skin.

Downtime: Superficial mild peels are generally well-tolerated and may result in some redness and mild irritation that resolves quickly. Post treatment, there can be flaking and fluffy peeling on nose or cheeks. In some patients, discolorations or imperfections may temporarily be more noticeable after the session. You may even breakout or notice skin looks slightly tanner than usual. It's completely normal and it will subside. This happens because sometimes even if your skin appears healthy on the surface you can have underlying bacteria and pigmentation that has not come up yet. Peels accelerate your cell turnover, it is normal to have a purging phase when you first start treating the skin.

Risks: It’s a generally safe treatment, but in rare case of complication, can cause minor burn. There can be longer or stronger downtime in sensitive and thin skins.

Why do we use mild superficial chemical peels that only cause fluffy flaking and not deep chemical peels that cause “thick peeling”? Using concentrated chemical peels on brown skin carries a higher risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) due to the skin's natural melanin content. Melanin is the pigment responsible for skin color, and individuals with darker skin have more active melanocytes, which can produce excess melanin in response to injury or inflammation. To minimize the risk of PIH and ensure safe treatment for our Pakistani brown skin, we recommend multiple sessions of mild chemical peel instead of high risk deep peels.

Common types of acid peels and the skin conditions they are typically used for:

• Ferulic acid antioxidant: hyperpigmentation, sun damage. Provides added protection against environmental damage, pollution, and oxidative stress.
• Glycolic acid peel (AHA): exfoliation, skin softening, sun tan, dead skin, uneven skin tone
• Salicylic acid peel (BHA): acne, clogged pores, comedones
• Lactic acid peel (AHA): mild exfoliant. Suitable for more sensitive skins. Addresses mild hyperpigmentation and age spots.
• Madelic acid (AHA): mild peel more suitable for darker skin tones as it has low risk of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH)
• TCA (Trichloroacetic Acid) peel: medium depth peel for more severe conditions like acne scars. Requires more downtime.

How many sessions are required? It depends on which skin condition we are treating. 4-8 sessions are recommended at 4 weeks gap. Maintenance sessions can be taken at 3 months gaps.