As the esthetics industry evolves, so does our understanding of various acid combinations to treat the most problematic skin conditions plaguing our clients. Every day, we are discovering new acids, formulations and tricks to push the results further in the treatment room. After all, many of our customers expect a miracle after just one treatment. Even though this constant discovery is a positive commodity, it can also prove difficult as an esthetician to stay up to date with all the latest information and understand which acids work best in combination for each skin condition. Let’s explore some studied combinations of acids in peels to increase their efficacy, as well as some novel, new acids in skin care that can provide the most effective and safe treatments for all our clients.
Hyperpigmentation
Peels offer fantastic ways of treating hyperpigmentation in the treatment room. The tricky part about using a peel to treat hyperpigmentation is that the same peel you’re using to lift, lighten and suppress pigment in one client might prove problematic for another. For example, many chemical peels hold the risk of causing more hyperpigmentation for Fitzpatrick 4+ skin tones due to the rebound inflammatory effect aggressive acids can create. Deeper skin tones possess more melanin and have more reactive melanocytes, which means that aggressive acids can create a protective melanin reaction in the skin, potentially causing post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you destroy too much pigment unintentionally with a peel, you may cause hypopigmentation or a complete loss of pigment in areas of the skin, which is often untreatable.
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Learn all about the different types of natural peels, where to find them and how they can treat the skin in our digital edition!
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Brian Goodwin is a licensed esthetician and an international educator for Éminence Organic Skin Care with over 10 years in the industry. He is also a master herbalist, a master esthetician and a consultant. Goodwin has educated over 2,000 spas and specializes in boosting retail sales.
