Chemical peels are the ultimate treatment for resurfacing the skin. There is a vast variety of peels that are designed to focus on specific concerns. These include active acne, acne scarring, wrinkles or premature ageing, sun damage and dry dehydrated skin. Hyperpigmentation is actually one of the biggest reasons people may lean towards doing a chemical peel.

In the past, it was always the thing to do one peel for one concern, but these days – combination chemical peels are a great option.

A quick look at how chemical peels work

A chemical peel is the process of using an acid that has a very small molecular structure and with a very low PH to safely penetrate the skin and stimulate cell turnover. This speeding up of the desquamation process removes the layer of dead cells that gets stuck to the surface of the skin and makes the skin appear dull and uneven.

Try out a combination chemical peel

Acids that work well alone are Salicylic, Glycolic, Azelaic and Mandelic, to name a few. However, we are in 2022 and research has shown that combination chemical peels are a game changer.

Mesoestetic is one of the leading brands in chemical peels. They have combination peels that can target a few concerns in one go. The most popular is the Modified Jessner, which contains Salicylic, Lactic and Citric acids. This combination gives you a deep pore cleaning – removing blackheads and whiteheads – hydrates the skin, and brightens dull, uneven skin complexion.

We can even go one step further these days and do a double combination peel. This one should definitely only be performed by qualified skincare specialists because you’re doing two peels in one session. For this treatment, we do a consultation to assess which prep peel is the ideal option for your skin. The two options are either Modified Jessner and Melanostop or Azelan and Melanostop.

My personal favourite is the second one because this double combination chemical peel is great for treating underlying congestion, post inflammatory scarring and the occasional breakout. Doing this chemical peel first allows for even better product penetration of the Melanostop peel.  The Melanostop peel is a combination of Tranexamic, Resorcinol, Azelaic and Phytic acids, which is best suited to treat hyperpigmentation.

Ps. Remember, chemical peels are safe to do throughout the year on the condition that you use your homecare as recommended and apply SPF daily.

– By Yoscha Uren