Chemical Peels, Physical Abrasion or Enzymes for Exfoliating Damaged Skin?

Chemical Peeling
A chemical peel is a body treatment technique used to improve and smooth the texture of the facial skin using a chemical solution that causes the skin to blister and eventually peel off. Thus the term chemical peel.

Chemical peels are a way to accelerate normal exfoliation by causing a skin damage with a caustic agent that causes controlled damage. When the skin is damaged the immune system releases cytokines and inflammatory mediators that try to repair the area. This may result in thickening of the epidermis, deposition of collagen, reorganization of structural elements, and increases in dermal volume. This process decreases solar elastosis and replaces and reorients the new dermal connective tissue. The result is an improved clinical appearance of the skin, with fewer wrinkles and decreased uneven pigmentation.

The regenerated skin is usually smoother and less wrinkled than the old skin. Some types of chemical peels can be purchased and administered without a medical license, however it is advised you seek professional help from a plastic surgeon or dermatologist on a specific type of chemical peel before a procedure is performed.

BIOSKINCARE + MICROCRYSTALS = BIOSKINEXFOL for Ultra Exfoliation of the Skin
Natural skin exfoliation sometimes needs assistance. When the skin type is oily, the skin has difficulty exfoliating or sloughing off the dead skin cells, due to the sticky nature of oil. When the skin type is dry, dead skin accumulates quickly creating a dull appearance to the skin, in addition to, inhibiting effective natural skin exfoliation and needed moisture absorption.

Exfoliation or acceleration of skin renewal can be accomplished by physical exfoliation chemical peeling or by enzymes.

The skin renews itself completely about every 20 days when we are 15 to 25 years old. As we enter our thirties, the renewal rate begins to slow down, increasing to about 28 days to complete a full cycle. This results in thicker, duller-looking skin. During this time, the sebaceous, or oil-producing glands also become less active, making the skin slightly drier. While no skin care product will stop this natural process, a skin care regimen can help maintain the skin in its optimal conditiona and accelerate the skin renewal process.

Enzymes are molecules that catalyze chemical reactions of other substances. A proteolytic enzyme catalyzes the dissolving of proteins and parts of proteins found in dead or dying or damaged cells.

In other products the strength of the enzyme may be too low and will not function properly or to high and will cause irritation. BIOSKINCARE is not manipulated or moved on the skin to perform, and can be used daily. It is thus recommended for acne, pimples, fragile or telangiectasis (broken capillaries) skin types that can not tolerate pressure or friction on the skin.

Microdermabrasion vs Chemical Peels

Low dose enzymes, as is in BIOSKINCARE and BIOSKINEXFOL, used as a long term skin care routine is as good as short term strong chemical peels that are followed by the application of strong skin regenerating accelerators.

The key to skin renewal is a process where (1) the skin is irritated or slightly damaged by exfoliating agents (alpha hydroxy acids, beta-hydroxy acids, retinoic acid, or mildly burned by laser re-surfacing). This is followed by (2) a natural rebuilding of the skin that removes imperfections, rebuilds collagen and elastin fibers that tighten skin, and increases the amount of glycosamoinoglycans, the moisture-holding proteins that give skin its firmness. The stronger the exfoliation or skin damage, the stronger is the skin rebuilding action. Unfortunately, strong exfoliation causes strong skin irritation with itching, burning, and pain.

However, to get good results it is imperative skin healing progresses at rapid pace. The stage of skin damage must be followed by the use of skin regeneration accelerators.

Exfoliation with enzymes - BIOSKINEXFOL
Bioskinexfol exfoliates the skin with proteolytic enzymes that dissolves dead tissues without harming living healthy cells and by the use of gentle abrasives that mechanically speed the removal of the outermost dead layer of skin cells.

Metabolism is the biochemical modification of chemical compounds in living organisms and cells. This includes the biosynthesis of complex organic molecules (anabolism) and their breakdown (catabolism). Metabolism usually consists of sequences of enzymatic steps, also called metabolic pathways.

Cell metabolism is the process (or really the sum of many ongoing individual processes) by which living cells process nutrient molecules and maintain a living state. Metabolism has two distinct divisions: anabolism, in which a cell uses energy and reducing power to construct complex molecules and perform other life functions such a creating cellular structure; and catabolism, in which a cell breaks down complex molecules and uses energy and reducing power to construct complex molecules and perform other biological functions. Cell metabolism involves extremely complex sequences of controlled chemical reactions called metabolic pathways.

Protein catabolism is the breakdown of proteins into amino acids and simple derivative compounds, for transport into the cell through the plasma membrane and ultimately for the polymerisation into new proteins via the use of ribonucleic acids (RNA) and ribosomes.

Through the metabolic processes enzymes (all enzymes are proteins) are capable of quickly reducing the swelling or edema of traumatized or injured tissues by actually "digesting" or breaking down damaged tissues and ruptured cells at the site of injury, allowing these waste materials to be removed quickly from skin lesions so as to reduce inflammation and subsequent pain, speeding the healing process and encouraging regeneration of tissue to then take place more quickly.

The history of chemical peels

Since the days of ancient Egypt, people have been using chemical exfoliation methods, also known as chemical peeling, to rejuvenate skin. The original chemical exfoliant was lactic acid, an active ingredient of sour milk that was used topically by the nobles as part of an ancient skin rejuvenation regimen. In the Middle Ages, old wine with tartaric acid as its active ingredient was used for the same purpose. Today, these historical chemical exfoliants are known to contain alpha hydroxy acids, which are the active ingredients responsible for the skin exfoliation.

Modern day chemical peeling originally was promoted by dermatologists, such as P.G. Unna, who first described the properties of salicylic acid, resorcinol, phenol, and trichloroacetic acid (TCA).

Slowly, the early practitioners of chemical peels began to develop other peeling agents for varying depths of penetration. In the 1960s, Baker and Gordon developed a deep peeling agent, which was able to smooth deeper furrows, especially around the mouth. From the 1980s to the present, an explosion has occurred in the mass of research on this subject, with the elucidation of many different types of peels, each for a specific range of problems.

There are three types of chemical peels.

Alpha Hydroxy Acid Peels

Alpha hydroxy acids (AHA) are naturally occurring organic carboxylic acids such as glycolic acid, a natural constituent of sugar cane juice and lactic acid, found in sour milk and tomato juice. This is the mildest of the peel formulas and produce light peels for treatment of fine wrinkles, areas of dryness, uneven pigmentation and acne. Alpha hydroxy acids can also be mixed with a facial wash or cream in lesser concentrations as part of a daily skin-care regimen to improve the skin's texture.

AHA peels are used to:
reduce fine wrinkling
treat areas of dryness
reduce uneven pigmentation
aid in the control of acne
smooth rough dry skin
improve the texture of sun-damaged skin

AHA peels may:
cause stinging
cause skin redness
cause mild skin irritation
cause dryness
take multiple treatments for desired results

Trichloroacetic Acid Peels
Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) is used as an intermediate to deep peeling agent in concentrations ranging from 20-50%. Depth of penetration is increased as concentration increases, with 50% TCA penetrating into the reticular dermis. Concentrations higher than 35% are not recommended because of the high risk of scarring.

Trichloroacetic acid peels:
are referred for darker-skinned patients over Phenol
smooth out fine surface wrinkles
remove superficial blemishes
correct skin pigment problems

Trichloroacetic acid peels may:
require pre-treatment with Retin-A or AHA creams
require repeat treatment to maintain results
require the use of sunblock for several months (this is a must)
take several days to healing depending on the peel depth

Phenol Peels
Phenol is the strongest of the chemical solutions and produces a deep skin peel. Recent studies suggest that phenol is most likely only the carrier for another active component in the solution, namely croton oil. In fact, phenol alone produces only a light peel which is ineffective for restructuring the deeper dermal structures (such as wrinkles). The term Phenol/Croton oil peel has been proposed as a more accurate descriptor, but the established terminology phenol peel continues to be the dominant usage, as the role of croton oil in the mix is not as widely understood.

Effects of a phenol chemical peel are long lasting, and in some cases are still readily apparent up to 20 years following the procedure. Improvements in the patient's skin can be quite dramatic. A single treatment usually achieves the desired result.

Phenol peels are used to:
correct blotches caused by sun exposure or aging
smooth out coarse deep wrinkles
remove precancerous growths

Phenol peels may:
pose a risk for patients with heart problems
permanently remove facial freckles
cause permanent skin lightening by reducing the ability to produce pigment
take several months to heal
require increased protection from the sun for life

Glycolic Acid an other hydroxy acids dissolve or exfoliate the outer layer of skin and improve it temporarily, but can cause micro tears and an undesired thickening of the skin.
These chemicals dissolve the outer layer of your skin and are thus also commonly known as skin peelers or exfoliators. When used over and over again for a while and in the proper concentration they help to remove damaged, excessively dry skin cells and skin blemishes, and help to keep your skin softer and younger looking.

These creams can also diminish fine lines and wrinkles as they dissolve dead skin. The effect is only temporary. No matter how often or how much cream you apply there action is only superficial not permanent.

Your body's instant reaction to these wear and tear acids is to grow thicker skin, the same way a callus would form on your feet or hands from manual labor or exercise. An automatic reaction to this would be to use more cream to maintain your young fresh appearance or products with higher concentrations of the same acids.

Beware, for the next thing you will know is you are locked into a cycle of thickening skin and skin peelers. This is why cosmeceutical companies recommend that you use the product daily for the best results. Even sometimes a skin peeler is added to your daily moisturizers, but this fact is hidden within the small print of the creams formula makeup. So be cautious when buying a skin cream because the very cream you thought to be safe on your skin could be causing a thickening effect and not a permanent anti-ageing treatment.