Let’s face it, some things just weren’t meant to be peeled. At least according to an article entitled “Unsafe At The Salon” in April 2011’s issue of Health.com that uncovers the hidden dangers just waiting to take a swing at you while you’re relaxing in the chair getting peeled, plucked and pampered.

We here at Project Beauty blog previously tackled the alleged dangers of involved in weighting the benefits of silk- smooth keratin treated hair against… um… breathing in our Oct. 2011 blog post “Fun With Formaldehyde: Brazilian Blowout Bummer”, and while we certainly ticked off more than one reader by passing on the news (One who had the audacity to question my scientific credentials! Tee-hee – I’m no scientist folks, I’m just a fancy reporting messenger.), we’re all set to do it again by passing on the potential dangers of the awesome chemical peel that I’m all signed up to get on Monday morning. Forewarned is forearmed.

Yes, chemical peels can certainly take a drab winter-weather, airplane-air and hot-dog/ junk food mangled complexion and turn it into the bright, shiny and lightened visage of your former goddess-self by reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and age spots. However, you still might want to think twice about those something more than a light – L-I-G-H-T – chemical peel. Less is more people. And here’s why.



Some chemical peel formulas are so crazy powerful that, the water to the Wicked Witch of the West, they can cause burns and even scarring (I’m melting!) if handled incorrectly. And while, the obvious answer is "handle them correctly, then – duh", take into account that in today’s era of the Medi-Spa, it’s more likely that you’ll be getting this peel in the more relaxed setting of a spa, as opposed to your dermatologist’s office.

Clinical professor of dermatology at Tulane University Medical Center, Nia Terzakis, MD (who would more than likely prefer you come to her private practice in New Orleans for proper handling) states that she’s actually seen patients who have white doughnut (mmm… doughnuts) shapes around their mouths after getting peels from inexperienced salon technicians who left the chemical peel solution on for too long. This is permanent damage ladies! PERMANENT. A LIFETIME COMMITMENT TO DOUGHNUTS. “There is nothing in the world that will put the color back in your skin after that,” Dr. Terezakis says.



So what do you do? You have the heavy burden of weighing the super shiny skin of your 24-year old spa tech and the airbrushed chemical peel pamphlets she’s waving in your face, against this newfound doughnut-shaped devastation revelation (so rhyme-y). If you just can’t resist the spa temptation, then stick with the “light peels” (think glycolic peels) that have an alpha-hydroxy acid content under 10 percent and a pH level above 3.5, per fancy and authoritative FDA rules.

“Medium or deep peels should only be performed by a dermatologist with experience in giving them,” our good Dr. Terezakis says. But realize that you’re still taking your face into your hands, ‘cause they too, if left on too long without proper neutralization (they must be neutralized with a solution or water after several minutes) can burn your facial zone and leave decorative blisters, ouchy scabs and Oompa-Loompa-ish permanent redness.

And yes, even self-neutralizing beta-hydroxy peels can burn if the acidic content is higher than it should be – (“There is no such thing as a free lunch.” – Dad).



'til Next Time!