I was just 13 years old when my “life orientation” teacher explained to all the girls how imperative it was to keep our skin washed, toned and moisturised.

Although at the time the information made my eyes glaze over, it wasn’t long before that information subconsciously found its way to the forefront of my daily routine.

However, beyond your daily routine, every now and then your skin needs a little refresher – like, say, a peel – and chemical peels can be used for almost all skin conditions.

Although the stories you may have heard put a dampener on everything you thought a chemical peel was, here are a few points on demystifying the treatment, from Health24,

• The words “chemical” and “peel” are probably the main reason some people are afraid, possibly because they envision industrial-strength chemicals being used on their skin. The reality is that most chemical peels are derived from natural sources – glycolic acid from sugar cane, lactic acid from sour milk and salicylic acid from willow, while enzymatic peels are derived from papaya and pumpkin, for instance. And their action depends on the strength and type of agent used.
• Peels make the skin thinner. This is a common misconception, but in fact, the opposite is true. While they remove layers of skin from the surface, the inflammatory response that this action creates actually stimulates healing and the regeneration of newer, plumper healthier skin.
• Peels hurt. Superficial peels may result in a slight tingling or mild stinging sensation during treatment. TCA peels are deeper peels and they are much more aggressive than the superficial peels, and can, therefore, be painful. These deep peels may require pain relief but are done under a doctor’s supervision.
• You can’t go out in public for weeks while your skin heals. It depends on the depth of your peel. The crusty skin that falls off in sheets normally only result from very deep chemical peels (usually TCA) performed by physicians, but these are not so common anymore because laser treatments can do similar resurfacing without significant downtime.

Although deciding on what type of peel to get can be a hard call, there’s one place where you can learn about what to do with your skin – and that place is the Renewal Institute. They always follow a specific treatment journey to ensure you, the patient, gets the most out of your treatment.

To find out what treatment you need simply book a consultation with one of their medical doctors for a detailed consultation, needs analysis and treatment prescription.

Once that has been done, you will have a course of treatments with a therapist, as advised by the doctor, after which you will be re-assessed based on your results from the end of the course.

Unlike other places that focus on treating your skin, Renewal Institute takes a holistic approach, because while superficial treatments will make a difference, internal factors need to be addressed to ensure the longevity of treatment results.

[source: health24]