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Permalink Reply by coldsalineplexus on December 25, 2014 at 12:53pm

It all depends what you mean when you say "chemical peels."  Are you talking about a Lactic or AHA blend under 20%, pH around 2?  In that case, sure, go ahead and peel this way with every facial, you'll get a nice mild refinement and improvement on deeper conditions over a period of time.  I have a number of clients who love this approach since they never have to have the downtime from deeper peeling.

Are you talking about self-neutralizing acids like TCA, Salicylic, and Jessner's, and generally pH's under 2?  If so, here are the things to remember: 1) these peels don't fit so well into most facial protocols since you can't really do any other treatments in conjunction (sometimes I do a few extractions before and some HF after if indicated, but that's about it); 2) for these peels, every 3-4 weeks would be excessive and could lead to some lingering irritation or loss of hydration.

My exception would be if a client met my criteria for temporary fast-tracking - i.e., a stronger peel every 2.5-3 weeks for a limited period of time, like 3 peels total and then we get back on track with facials.  This would be someone with specific pigment, acne scarring, or PIH issues for whom the initial aggravator is no longer present (i.e., melasma but they are done with the pregnancy/breastfeeding; acne but we have cleared the active breakouts; solar lentigines on someone with a lower Fitzpatrick number and without continued sun exposure).  BE CAREFUL because the client who wants this is often the client who is expecting miracles.  It's really important to refer back to all your peel training, be able to give a very clear estimate of what to expect which days (i.e., we're applying the peel Thursday evening, you'll expect to crack around your mouth on Saturday morning, and you'll be peely all day Saturday, Sunday, and Monday), a VERY clear instruction sheet on what they are and are not to do (picking, sun, etc.), and be ready to follow up by text, too.

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Permalink Reply by Madalene MaGee on December 26, 2014 at 12:55pm

Thanks so much for your reply. I use skinscript, and it's mostly lactic and glycolic peels. All of my clients are fine doing these monthly. It's the TCA I was really concerned about, but cleared that up with Skinscript as far as frequency. I have done several clients on a weekly regimen for six weeks with skinscript, which is their protocol as well, then I go back to monthly facials. So far, so good also. Just really wanted also to know what the signs would be on the skin if it were too often. Thanks so much for clarifying some things. Very much appreciated!

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Permalink Reply by Marty Glenn on December 28, 2014 at 9:50pm

This image is straight medical and what I use when training and talking to clients.  Hope this helps and gives a visual.  I have this in PDF if you want it.

Marty

SkinCareScience.com

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Permalink Reply by coldsalineplexus on December 29, 2014 at 5:37am

Marty, I'm confused about the X axis in your graph. Why does the space of one bubble equal 2 weeks during the peeling phase but only one week during the resting phase? I know time flies whem you're having fun, but does it also pass more quickly when you're getting peeled? This is significant because the time frame suggested in your image actually suggests more weeks "on" peeling than off, while the inconsistency on the X axis makes it appear to represent more time resting than peeling.

Still, since we don't have a consistent definition of "chemical peel" for the purposes of this discussion, any such attempt at a time frame is still guesswork. Marty maybe you'd like to give us a sense of what peels you intend your trainees to use on this schedule?

Thanks,
Christine
Skinstudioneworleans.com

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