Are chemical peels seasonal?

As we get closer to kissing summer goodbye with the kids returning to school in a few weeks, I notice an increase in the number of clients requesting facial peel treatments. This could be for a number of reasons – perhaps they’ve been exposed to the sun on foreign holidays over the summer resulting in hyperpigmentation issues, or perhaps they’re more aware that undertaking a peel means they should stay out of the sun.  Whatever the reason, there is some myth busting to be done. 

Clients very often ask me if they should wait until the winter months to have a peel because of the extra sensitivity it causes to the skin for a short time after treatment. As practitioners, there isn’t any reason why we shouldn’t advise clients to have peels at any time of the year. Although sun is the single most important factor leading to skin damage and specifically pigmentation problems, it’s simply a case of managing expectations and advising a change in lifestyle. Hyperpigmentation is visible evidence of sun damage, if not caused by other factors such as hormones in the case of Melasma, but I advise clients that UV damage is not immediately evident and may have been caused over many years – the damage adds up. 

Life style change

Consistency is critical, small but consistent changes in attitudes to the sun and the effects it has on skin are more significant than the short-lived changes. “I wont go on holiday before and after my peel” is a short-lived change. Clients who are suffering with pigmentation issues must change ingrained habits and realise that it’s a lifetime condition that requires a radical reset of what they’ve done thus far. Any success in the removal of hyperpigmentation is short-lived if the client returns to old ways and once again sits in the sun – their condition will probably reappear and undo our good work. Although as a practitioner I can treat the condition, I can’t stop it from reoccurring if the original stimulus is reintroduced. 

I set expectations with clients at the outset of treatment and advise I can do the legwork to remove the hyperpigmentation, but they must keep their side of the bargain too if they want the results to be permanent. Unless they’re willing to commit to a lifestyle change, pretreatments may be necessary.

If clients take my advice and adjust, then there is simply no reason why a peel can’t be carried out in the summer months. Of course, there’s no issue with the sun at all if you’re on a UK ‘staycation’!