What’s the difference between home and clinical peels?

Facial peels have been around for a long time and are a clinically proven way of improving the appearance of a whole host of skin concerns. However, recently there has been a rise in skincare brands releasing at-home peels. Are these products really comparable to professional treatment? Here’s everything you need to know about skin peels.

What is a skin peel?

A medical-grade chemical peel is an acid peel that dissolves the connection holding dead skin cells onto our skin’s surface, exfoliating away this damaged layer. The result is a smoother, brighter and clearer complexion. There are a variety of different acids that can be used, such as glycolic, salicylic, lactic and mandelic, and your practitioner will carefully select the best match for your skincare concerns. These high strength treatment can be used to target visible signs of ageing, acne breakouts and scarring, and age spots.

On the other hand, an at-home ‘peel’ is not really a peel at all; they are generally exfoliating masks or treatments that slough away dead skin cells. Although they are great for leaving skin appearing smoother and more radiant, they are at a much milder strength than a clinical peel, so you can’t expect the same level of results. By law, there are maximum levels at which exfoliating acids can be used in home use products. Anything stronger that will deliver ultra-transformative results needs to be left to the professionals.

At home or chemical peel – which is right for me?

While at home peels and exfoliators are a nice pick-me-up for the skin, you’ll need professional treatment if you’re looking to make long-term, visible changes to a skin concern. Aestheticians spend years learning about skin, its unique needs and how to treat them, so they will be able to establish a course of treatments that work perfectly for you. Unfortunately, many of us are over-sensitising our skin by attempting to use at-home peels that are not compatible with our skin, leading to more problems than they had to start with.

At MedSkin clinics, we offer safe, highly-effective skin peels to treat breakouts, ageing, pigmentation and more. To find out how our expert team can help you, contact one of our clinics in Nottingham, Newark or Chesterfield.