Oops, I'm Peeling!

Successful acne-clearing and anti-aging routines revolve around exfoliants, as we've discussed in previous posts here, here, and here. For the most part, exfoliating treatments are super-predictable, often down to the day and time of day that you are likely to start peeling. But what happens when your skin doesn't stick to a schedule? And what can you do to minimize peeling when you weren't expecting it?

Peeling on purpose, but you get the picture

Lunchtime peels are not intended to produce visible peeling. The acids are light enough to break apart only the most superficial dead skin cells, allowing them to release cell by cell, without perceptible peeling. Occasionally, lunchtime peels (including microdermabrasion and dermaplaning) may produce some unexpected peeling, especially in the following cases:

• Dry weather
• Increased absorption from pretreatment
• Vigorous exfoliation after treatment

Medium peels are designed to slough off the whole top layer of the skin, while sparing the pink, juicy "live" skin underneath. The exfoliated skin generally peels in small, flaky bits, which are easily removed with gentle cleansing and a washcloth. With medium peels, a few unusual responses sometimes observed are:

• Darkening of the skin, especially over areas of hyperpigmentation
• Starting to peel early, or continuing to peel beyond the usual five days

Intensive and double peels are intended to exfoliate the entire top layer of the skin, while allowing some acid to stimulate collagen production in the underlying dermis. Skin is expected to darken, harden, and peel in large sheets, like a sun or wind burn would(although blistering, scabbing, and oozing, which would indicate a medical-strength peel, are not expected). As with medium peels, skin sometimes peels outside of the usual range of five to seven days, which may be inconvenient for work or social reasons.

In any of these cases, it's a great idea to contact your esthetician if you think you may be experiencing something out of the ordinary. Generally, as long as you are at least two days post-treatment, it is safe to use an ointment. We like Vivant's Recovery Ointment, available at the Skin Studio*, which blends aloe vera juice with the standard occlusive petrolatum. Other good options are Aquaphor and Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream (the original balm formula, not one of the spinoff cremes). When you find yourself peeling unexpectedly, avoid scrubbing with all your might! Scrubbing at this juncture will leave you with raw, red skin that is almost impossible to conceal. Instead, slather on one of these occlusive preparations. You are essentially gluing down the peely skin. Go as long as you can in the day with just balm on your skin before you need to apply makeup. Then, tissue down the occlusive ointment to the bare minimum needed to keep the peely skin glued down, and apply makeup with a minimum of friction (this is not the time to perfect your blending technique). If prior to applying makeup, the peely skin is reeeaally obvious under the ointment, then you have my permission to wipe your face gently, one time, with a warm washcloth, but proceed with caution - peely skin is always easier to cover than raw skin!

Hopefully these instructions will help in the event that you experience "bonus peeling." Do you have any post-peel photos? Share a link in the comments section below!

*This ointment is available in our online store to existing studio clients when logged in.

Hormonal Acne: Myth vs Fact

I am surprised how often I am asked, "does your studio help people with hormonal acne?"  And my answer is a resounding "Yes!"

The question reflects a widely-held but scientifically inaccurate assumption that somehow "hormonal acne" is different, and that there is nothing topical or nutritional that can be done to clear it up.

In reality, all acne is influenced by hormones.  Acne is the proliferation of comedones (blackheads or whiteheads) leading to pustules, papules, and sometimes cysts or nodules.    Comedone formation is subject to many factors, among them sebum thickness.  A predominance of androgens or male hormones thickens the sebum, while lower proportions of those hormones result in less viscous sebum.  For some women who are both struggling with acne and who wish to be on oral contraceptives, simply using a pill that is higher in estrogen and lower in androgens* can go a long way towards clear skin.  Likewise, certain hormonal birth control, especially those advertised as being low in estrogen**, can be responsible for thickening sebum enough to cause a problem for women who may not otherwise consider themselves acne-prone.  If acne breakouts begin while taking these hormonal contraceptives, in my opinion it's worth a phone call to the prescriber to find out if there might be a more suitable choice of hormonal contraceptive.

Despite what you may have heard about "hormonal acne," though, hormones are not the only factor.  Furthermore, I often see clients who do not want to or cannot take hormonal medications for a variety of personal and medical reasons, and clients for whom the main androgenic hormones acting on the thickness of their sebum are likely to be stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.  Unfortunately, I have observed instances in which dermatologists and gynecologists lump these people into a "hormonal acne" header and tell them they have to take birth control pills if they want their acne to clear up.  I know from experience that this does not have to be true, so I think it's important to shrug off the notion of hormonal acne and work on the causes of acne that we can control.  While hormones exert a very important influence on the thickness of the sebum, hormone levels are never the whole store behind an individual's acne.  A comedone forms in a pore when there is a combination of factors present, of which thickened sebum is only one.  The other factors in the development of a comedone (and progression from comedone to pustule or cyst) are:

• the rate at which stratum corneum (dead skin cell layer) cells detach and shed off the skin surface as a whole and the pore lining in particular (determined by genetic and nutritional factors but primarily topical skincare routine)
• the presence of acne-causing bacteria (which can sometimes proliferate excessively as a result of overscrubbing) 
• the overall health of the skin (which can be compromised by exposure to comedogenic substances, UV light, oxidation from sources like cigarette smoke and pollution, and nutritional factors)

The reason that we don't treat "hormonal acne" differently from any other acne at the Skin Studio is that for our purposes, they aren't different!  Our treatment approach does include some minor nutritional adjustments, but is primarily topical, and it's been our observation that even skin that is breaking out under an onslaught of hormonal aggrivators (for example, when corticosteroids have been prescribed after an injury or for an episode of a chronic illness) can remain clear with pro exfoliating treatments and skincare.

*Some examples of birth control pills in this category are Yaz and Yasmin, Ortho TriCyclen, Diane35, and Desogen (Apri).
**These include the Nuva Ring, DepoProvera, Loestrin, and Estrostep FE.

The Skin Studio Now Offering Luxury Body Treatments!

Services Include Mineral Wraps, Scrubs, Cellulite Treatments and Therapeutic Massage

The Skin Studio, located at 725 Joseph St at the corner of Magazine and Joseph in uptown New Orleans, is proud to announce the expansion of its body services menu. The same team of experts you have trusted to give you smooth, glowing skin now brings you deluxe spa body treatments in our beautiful Uptown loft. In the serenity of our indoor garden, you or a loved one can experience blissful relaxation while receiving New Orleans’ most customized care.

Having offered traditional and classic massage therapy in the past, the Skin Studio now offers a range of indulgent body treatments, such as the Body Glow with Relaxation Massage. With this treatment, clients choose one of three professionally formulated scrubs for gentle exfoliation, stimulation and custom results: the Tumeric Neem Glow (for brightening and clarifying); the Lavender Sugar Glow (for deluxe hydration); or the Coffee Salt Body Polish (for brightening and slimming). The treatment includes up to a full hour of relaxing therapeutic massage.

Results-oriented treatments include the exclusive Cellulite Buster with Ultrasonic and Infrared therapy, which targets problem areas with a special kneading massage technique and a cellulite-busting formulation of powerful active ingredients (including caffeine, guarana, carnatine and amino acids). These ingredients penetrate deep into the skin using ultrasonic technology, firming skin and reducing the appearance of cellulite; in addition, clients enjoy a relaxing scalp massage during infrared light therapy.

The Skin Studio’s licensed massage therapists are trained in a wide range of modalities, which are used in combination to best address client needs during each session. Massages can be upgraded to include deep tissue and hot stone therapy.

The Skin Studio’s services also include clinical skincare and cosmeceutical treatments, facials, waxing, lash and brow tinting, and more. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, please call or text 504-717-4466, or email reservations@skinstudioneworleans.com.