Due to the exposure and thinness of facial skin, it is often the first body part that makes aging most visible. Little wonder why many skincare efforts are done on the face. Everyone wants to maintain that youthful look.
Several processes can help you protect and revitalize your skin. Each option is unique in its way. This article will carefully outline two of the top treatments for reducing wrinkles and facial lines, microneedling and chemical peel. We’ll also answer a common question we get asked, can you combine microneedling and chemical peels?
Both treatments are a great way to improve skin health, and they heal the skin in different ways. Furthermore, they can both be used to treat similar skin conditions.
Do you want to learn about both methods and how they work? Read on
About chemical peels
Chemical peeling is a skin resurfacing procedure. As the name states, the process involves using chemical solutions on your skin. Various solutions are often used to treat different skin types.
The applied chemical solutions cause a reaction on the skin and exfoliate the top layer. This causes it to peel off and leaves room for smoother skin.
There are different types of chemical peel, depending on your desired effects. Also, there are different healing times for the different kinds of chemical peels. (no worries, we have a whole article on chemical peels if you need one). The three levels of chemical peels are;
- Light level (superficial) chemical peels treat mild lines, and milder acids are used.
- Medium level chemical peels go farther and penetrate mildly into the skin. Still, they don’t reach deeper layers of the skin. They are used to treat wrinkles, age spots, and the like.
- Deep-level chemical peels go as far as the middle layers of the skin. It removes damaged skin cells and is used to treat significant wrinkles, creases, and the like.
The procedure begins with a thorough cleansing of the skin (and protecting your eye area).
If you apply for mid-level or deeper chemical peels, you may need a numbing cream or anesthetic.
After that, a mixture of active ingredients and acids is applied to the skin.
The process is painful, depending on how deep it goes. However, the glow of your new skin will quickly help you forget.
About microneedling
Also known as collagen induction therapy, micro-needling is a treatment that stimulates collagen production.
(In case you were wondering: Collagen is the protein that primarily makes up body tissues. It is the key ingredient to the firm, elastic, and smooth texture of the skin. However, as you grow older, collagen production reduces. Hence, the reason why people resort to measures such as micro-needling to ramp up collagen production)
Microneedling is done with about a dozen tiny needles strapped to a device. These tiny needles make tiny “micro” punctures around the skin.
Microneedling works similarly as cryotherapy. It tricks the body. The procedure is done to cause the to assume that an injury has happened. Hence, it resorts to its self-healing state and significantly boosts collagen production in treated areas.
The needle pricks heal almost immediately (yes, they are that small). Microneedling is suitable for treating fine lines, large pores, scars, wrinkles, etc.
Furthermore, it is safe for all skin types. However, you may need to get multiple treatments to get the most out of it.
Microneedling is not suitable for everyone. Therefore, it is best to inform your provider of any sensitivities you may have. The process causes bleeding; therefore, it isn’t suitable for people who take medication to thin their blood. Furthermore, the process is not advisable for anyone with a weak immune system.
Microneedling isn’t so painful. However, some patients may opt for numbing medication before the process.
You can combine Microneedling and Chemical peels
Although the title says “vs.”, both processes work hand-in-hand. When combined, it can help with a total enhancement of the skin. You can definitely do microneedling and chemical peel together but make sure you give the skin time to heal before your do one treatment after the other.
There is scientific evidence that combining microneedling with chemical peels can lead to a better result. One study found that combining microneedling with a chemical peel led to a significant improvement in the appearance of scars, sun damage, and aging skin
Here’s how to combine microneedling and chemical peel
A chemical peel exfoliates the top layer of the skin and microneedling punctures the skin to help produce collagen. Both treatments are intensive on the skin if you are doing one shortly after the other. It is widely recommended that you wait for 4-6 weeks to heal properly. After that, you can start micro-needling to boost collagen production. This makes the treatment much more effective as collagen is produced in the deeper layers of your skin.
It is important to understand that no one treatment fits everyone’s needs in skincare. Therefore, you need to meet with a professional and get the unique treatments that will work for your needs.
Conclusion
Many skincare processes are designed to cause an effect on the body, and then the body responds accordingly.
This is why it is important to pay attention to your general health. Skincare is not restricted to the specialized processes alone; it is a daily habit.
What you eat, when you eat, whether/how often you smoke, the things you expose your skin to, and many more.
In taking care of your skin health, start from the basics and go up. Cosmetic procedures work better when accompanied by the right all-around habits for healthy skin.
We care about your skin health, and our goal is to help you maintain a radiant glow.
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Keep glowing!