Can you really save money doing your own at home acid peels? While full-service facial peels from high-end spas can make you look prettier and feel like a million bucks, they can also come with a pretty hefty price, especially when you delve into the recommended frequency of the treatments to keep your skin looking fresh, combined with the types of deep peels offered.
A gander through the listed prices of medical grade facial treatments and peels offered from various spas and dermatologists across the nation display rates anywhere from $360 up to $4,000 for a series of treatments, or for the deepest and most severe kind of chemical peels in a single, expensive treatment.
Couple those prices with the multiplying costs fact that some estheticians recommend peels every four to six weeks, and the price of beauty can quickly become a factor that rivals, or even surpasses, the cost of your car and mortgage payments.
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Do it Gentler, Do it Cheaper: Do it at Home
It’s no doubt that the doctor’s office chemical peels high price tags have driven plenty of consumers to the Internet for their DIY peel solution, where major online retailers sell chemical peel solutions for $13.99 to around $39.99 or more per bottle and kit, significantly less than the price of receiving the service in most spas around the nation.
Granted, giving yourself a DIY acid peel at home won’t always involve the types of super-strong chemicals that the well-trained spa workers and dermatologists use for the deepest types of peels — nor should they.
A simple search for the face burns that have resulted from the ineptitude of the uninitiated slathering all manner of too-strong chemicals on their faces should be enough to scare the most daring do-it-yourselfer away from jumping into chemical peels without proper research, guidance, education and testing.
Start With Low Percentages, Follow Directions
Newbies are urged to start with low percentage type of chemical peels — based on the issue at hand — in an effort to see how your skin reacts to various chemicals before proceeding.
The 15% to 20% gel peels are considered the entry level professional strength peels, so try them as a “safety test” first on a small part of your skin before moving up to the 30% and higher solutions.
After all, one person’s treasure may be another’s pain — and based on varying skin conditions, reactions to chemicals can run the gamut from no pain or negative reaction at all to those that burn to those that love the results they receive.
Know Your Acid Peels
Before even buying a DIY chemical peel kit, do a lot of research into the desired results you’re hoping to obtain based on your personal and specific health history and state of being. Many chemical peel solutions tend to carry the risk of chemical burns. In such circumstances, you could require additional treatment, such as from Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America and similar facilities. Therefore, you might want to do a thorough analysis of the products that you buy, see what chemicals are used, and try first on a portion of your skin and watch for reactions. You should only proceed with applying the peel on your skin if there are none.
Certain glycolic acid peel solutions are touted as being good to help even out skin tone, smooth out wrinkles, and aid in reducing acne, scars, age spots, and fine lines. Other conditions glycolic acid peel companies claim to treat include eczema, dermatitis, razor bumps, and stretch marks.
Salicylic acid, on the other hand, claims to also help hyperpigmentation and to reduce the appearance of large pores, along with blackheads, oily skin, and conditions such as psoriasis.
Lactic acid, BHA+ and HQ+ are additional peel solutions that aim to help some of the aforementioned ailments and more, so make sure to thoroughly verify the DIY chemical peel kit you purchase seeks to treat your specific issue.
Get Ready, Get Ready, Get Ready
Once you purchase your DIY acid peel kit, ensure you read all the directions to know what’s required of you. Some kits require the user to have liquid soap and cotton swabs at the ready in order to mop up any places that sting during the application process.
Others also urge consumers to have a baking soda and water paste pre-mixed in order to neutralize the acid in question. Most importantly, follow any directions provided to a T, and protect your eyes during the process.
Give Your Skin Time to Heal
More frequent application should yield better results, right? No, say experts, who caution against using chemical peels too often. Let your skin heal and follow the directions provided with the peel purchased for recommended frequency. If the kit contains no directions, make sure to search thoroughly for the generally recommended length of application time and frequency of use.
In the end, pay attention to your own body’s reaction to the chemical peel, and follow the general rules of post-peel aftercare – like avoiding the sun, acne creams and make-up – to help get the best results from your DIY peel.