Traditional skincare advice tells you not to get a peel during the summertime. But is it really necessary to avoid these youthful treatments during the sunshine season? After all, this is when we most want to show off our beautiful, healthy skin.
Newsflash: Peels are OK for summer!
Bellagena offers peels, facials, dermaplaning and other exfoliation options to get your skin ready for Bradenton summer.
Here’s how to get the most from your peel and still keep your skin safe and supple this summer.
What is a Peel?
A peel is a cosmetic procedure that gives you a kind of heightened exfoliation. Chemical peels are performed with precision-formulated acids that target oils and dead skin.
A peel typically removes the outermost layer (epidermis) of old, damaged skin.
What Skin Conditions Can Peels Treat?
As an exfoliation procedure, peels are great for skin conditions caused by bacteria and clogged pores, including acne. Peels also provide cosmetic solutions for dull tone, uneven texture, and fine lines and wrinkles caused by age and/or sun damage.
Why Do They Tell You Not to Get Peels in Summer?
Peels remove the damaged outer skin layer, revealing supple, untouched skin underneath.
This newly revealed layer of skin is especially sensitive to sun damage. In the past, aestheticians would tell you to protect the skin post-peel by avoiding the sun completely for at least two weeks.
This healing period can be hard to achieve, especially for people up North who have limited time to enjoy the sunshine. In those climates, summer is when skin is most likely to be exposed to the sun.
Additionally, wherever you are, summertime is when the sun’s rays are most intense and damaging.
Thus, summer peels meant a high risk of damaging sun exposure on the sensitive skin. Freshly peeled skin burns easily, which means you’re immediately damaging the layer of skin that you were hoping to show off. Plus, you’re setting yourself up for more serious health risks down the line.
But Actually, Peels Are OK for Summer (If You’re Smart)!
We now know that today’s sunscreen and sunblock options are great for protecting your skin—even if you’ve just had a peel. You just need to make sure you’re using the right sunscreen product, and you’re using it correctly.
Additionally, today’s peels come with a lot of options depending on their type, depth and severity. Mild and medium peels can be OK in the summertime because they aren’t exposing the riskiest and most sensitive layers of skin.
ViPeels, for instance, are generally medium-depth and use a mix of exfoliating chemicals.
In fact, some peel chemicals (like salicylic acid) are great oil-fighting exfoliants. If your face gets oily this time of year, a summer peel can actually be a healthy option.
However, if an aesthetician tries to sell you a deep peel in the summertime, ask them why.
How to Protect a Mild or Medium Peel in Florida Summer
Still nervous about getting a peel this summer? Honestly, that’s good, because it means you’ll take your post-peel protection seriously. So go ahead and schedule your peel, and then prep yourself for these safety tips.
- Take your healing seriously. Even though you can get a summer peel, your skin still needs time to heal. Don’t expose your newly peeled skin to the sun if you can avoid it.
- Get a brimmed hat that shades your whole face, ears and neck.
- WEAR YOUR BRIMMED HAT.
- If you are going to go outside (even with your hat), start with a quality sunscreen or sunblock of SPF 30 or higher. (Talk to your Bellagena aesthetician for product recommendations that suit your skin.)
- USE YOUR SUNBLOCK. Apply your sunscreen product 30 minutes before going out in the sun. Take the time to apply thoroughly.
- Reapply your sunblock. Set a timer for 30 minutes. Every time it goes off, it’s sunblock time.
- Read this list again.
The point is, it’s not enough that you know these safety tips. If you get a peel this summer, you have to take these precautions, all the time.
What Your Bradenton Aestheticians Say
The truth is, Bradenton puts your skin in the sunshine year-round. If you want a Bradenton peel, you need to be prepared to keep it safe, no matter what month it is.
And you need to get your precision peel from the certified and experienced Bradenton skincare experts at Bellagena. Anything else is playing with fire.