Chemical Peel FAQs
What is a Chemical Peel?
A chemical peel is an advanced facial that targets all skin concerns from post acne scarring to anti-aging concerns. It uses a blend of acids to visibly slough off the dead skin cells allowing healthy, new skin to come through. This treatment requires 5-7 days of downtime.
That being said, chemical peeling is more than just removing the dead skin- it is an art that involves a cocktail of ingredients, and with the right recipe you can achieve beautifully targeted results.
Chemical peels are extremely versatile and can help correct a wide range of skin concerns, such as:
- Skin Tone & Texture
- Improving appearance of enlarged pores
- Fine Lines & Wrinkles
- Loss of Elasticity
- Increasing blood circulation & nutrient absorption
- Reducing sebum
- Softening scar tissue
- Addressing post acne scarring
- Stimulating fibroblast production, resulting in new cell development
- Strengthening the integrity of skin
- Addressing Hyperpigmentation and PIH concerns
Who is it best for?
We have peel options safe for all skin types, fitzpatrick types, and most skin conditions. We WILL NOT peel a first time client because getting the results you are looking for requires some level of preconditioning the skin for this treatment. If you are interested in receiving a chemical peel, we recommend you start with a custom facial to discuss a treatment plan that is Taylor’d specifically to your skin’s unique needs.
- This service does have some contraindications:
- Those who are pregnant or nursing
- Those with active eczema on the face
- Those with active Psoriasis on the face
- Those prone to dermatitis
- Those taking immunosuppressants
- Those with active acne
- Those using prescription topical creams or serums will be asked to stop using them 7-14 days prior to their peel depending on the type and strength of the cream or serum.
How Often Should I Receive this service?
Chemical peels deeply resurface the skin, and they continue working, even once the peeling and flaking has stopped. Because of this, we recommend 2-3 chemical peels a year if you are actively working on correction, and 1-2 chemical peels a year for general maintenance and prevention.
We recommend doing chemical peels in our advertised peel season (generally October-April for our climate) and avoiding them in the warmer months.
If you love the way your skin looks and feels after a peel, or if you need less downtime, talk to your esthetician about our Vitaglow series. It is a lighter peel with mild flaking (1-3 days) and they are safe to receive more frequently throughout the year!
What Can I Expect After Receiving This Service?
You can expect moderate peeling of the skin that will start 1-3 days after your chemical peel and will continue for an additional 3-5 days.
After your chemical peel, you will be required to only use the products provided in your post peel kit as directed by your esthetician, and attend a post peel appointment after 10-14 days in order to make sure your skin is healing properly and the peeling has stopped.
You will be asked to avoid the following until the peeling completely stops:
- Direct sun exposure (beach, pool, hiking)
- Extreme heat
- Sweating (exercise, sauna, spa, steam, hot yoga)
- Sweat trapped between the layers of peeling skin can cause blistering and infection
- Facial services, permanent makeup, & facial hair removal
- Botox or fillers
- Spray tan or tanning bed
- Dye or coloring hair (facial hair, brows, or hair on head)
- Makeup (mineral is okay)
- Swimming
- Acids, enzymes, scrubs or intensive active ingredients (mandelic, retinol, glycolic, lactic, salicylic acids, vitamin c, etc.)
- Peeling, picking, scraping or rubbing the shedding skin; this can cause new damage and scarring
- You may use clean brow scissors to cut away any patches of detached skin
Which Peel Treatment is best for me?
VitaGlow: a lighter peel with mild flaking (1-3 days); safe to receive more frequently throughout the year!
Chemical Peel: medium depth peel that you can receive 1-3 times a year in 'peel season'; requires preconditioning (prior treatments with us and specific prep at home to get best results)





