Be Whole

If you’ve watched my Instagram stories, you’d have seen snippets of what my first facial peel experience was like.

I had high expectations.

This mission to regain clear skin has been going on for years – before I even big chopped in 2014. By modifying my diet, taking natural supplements, exercise and trying to get more sleep (the last one is still quite difficult), I’ve managed to massively reduce the number of breakouts I experience.

No more painful red bumps that make my face feel like a grater.

I usually only experience minor breakouts when I’m due to start my period now or if I’ve had a lot of sugar. You’d never believe how much sugar there is in fruit. Despite what traditional dermatologists will tell you, it’s possible to treat acne by modifying your diet. At least three doctors who practice functional medicine – which is to treat the cause of a problem rather than just treating the symptom – have recommended that I modify my diet to treat my acne and it has really worked.

It’s the scarring that I’m battling with. Well, up until I found out about facial peels.

Watch the entire process below:

How much does it cost?

It depends on what you’re having done, where you go, and who is doing the treatment. I paid a total of R575 for my facial at the Skin Renewal Institute in Claremont/Newlands, Cape Town. One would normally have to pay a separate fee for a dermatologist’s consultation at the spa but if you book a treatment for the same day as your consultation, you only pay for the treatment. This was a nice surprise.

I’d researched many salons in Cape Town but opted for Skin Renewal when it was recommended by a friend who experienced great results.

Is it painful?

The duration of the entire treatment is one hour but the chemical peel only sits on your skin for 3 minutes before being rinsed off. Once the chemical peel is applied it does sting but it’s not unbearable. I think that this also depends on the intensity of the treatment and I was fine with the heat of the Azelan peel on my face.

Does it clear acne scarring completely?

Yes and no. My skin is considerably smoother and clearer than it was before but not all of my scarring is gone. The doctor advised that it was going to be a process and that I would need a few more treatments before my skin would clear completely.

What is the maintenance involved?

After getting the treatment done, my skin began to flake so that it could shed my old layer of skin and invite new, clearer skin to the surface. I was advised to wear sunscreen of at least SPF 40, to avoid unnecessary sun exposure, no harsh cleansing, and no moisturising until my skin had peeled completely.

My skin flaked for about 4 days which seems to be unusual since I was told that it wouldn’t really peel but perhaps mine is a special case. The flaking wasn’t really noticeable unless someone stood 5 finger spaces away.

When Is the best time to get a peel?

When you have a skin concern, the on-duty doctor will advise whether a peel is suitable for you. As everyone’s skin is unique, you may not receive the same acne treatment as I did.

Would I consider getting another peel?

I’ve already booked my next treatment. Needless to say that I was happy with the service at Skin Renewal.

Did you enjoy reading this blog post? I’d love to know your thoughts. Post your comment in the section below 🙂