Chemical Exfoliation
October 29, 2008
Skin exfoliation is a process of removing the dead skin cells from the surface of the skin so as to reveal the new healthy cells. It makes your skin glow since it removes the uppermost layer of the skin and if you have any blemishes or scars/marks they become lighter because a thin film of the blemished skin is removed.
Exfoliation also works on pits which are caused by pimples or boils, it makes them shallow. Chemical exfoliation though safe should be carried out by an expert, it should not be done at home, professional assistance would be required incase of any irritation. It is very important to take care of your skin after this treatment since it makes the skin sensitive to sun, so do not forget to wear your sunscreen. Also note that though exfoliation suggests scrubbing off the dead skin cells but the process of chemical exfoliation doesn’t require any scrubbing the chemical needs to be applied on clean, dry skin, scrubbing is done if you adopt manual exfoliation methods.
The products used for chemical exfoliation are AHA’s and BHA’s and they are in the form of cream, lotion or gel. AHA stands for Alpha Hydroxy Acids, these are fruit acids and are soluble in water and BHA stands for Beta Hydroxy Acid and they are salicylic acids and are soluble in oil. AHA’s are generally used for skin problems like sun damage, dry/flaky skin and thick built up of dead skin cells. BHA’s are used for scars/marks and blemishes caused due to acne or boils.
At times your therapist or dermatologist can take a combination of both AHA and BHA product for a specific skin condition and it is safe to do so. Apart from these 2 types of exfoliation Glycolic acid peel is also a form of exfoliation but it is a little stronger in nature.
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