Trying to get my skin back to fabulous has been a journey.   We all have to remember that good skin doesn’t come overnight, things can be repaired, but the best thing for your skin is prevention.  I don’t want to try and look like I’m 20 or even 30.   I just had my 48th birthday less than two weeks ago and I just want my skin to look the best it can be.

On my first trip I told you what my dermatologist suggested I do for daily and weekly skin care.   On my second trip I talked about my IPL Laser treatment.   Three weeks after that I decided to have a Vitalize Peel done by Georgia from Uptown Dermatology and Skin Spa.   I’ll explain that procedure today.

Always make sure you have a consultation before you have any peels or procedures done.   Again, be honest about what products and medications you are using as they can affect your skin and possible reactions greatly.   I had taken a week off from work for some vacation time and decided it was a great time to have my very first peel.   I had my procedure done on a Thursday at noon, which it took about 30-45 minutes from start to finish.

I had been told that with the Vitalize Peel it is left on your skin and you will have a yellow tinge to your face.   Honestly, I was rather freaked out about how yellow I would be and how I could escape to home without being seen.  I even brought a baseball cap and extra large sunglasses with me – just in case!   I was envisioning my face being the shade of a manila envelope!   But luckily no, it’s not that discolored.   It mostly looks like a slight tan.

When I arrived Georgia went through everything again about what to expect, etc.   She also made sure I hadn’t use my Retin A product for about a week before proceeding.   I then put on a lovely surgical cap to keep my hair out of  the way and hopped up on the table to begin.

First Georgia cleansed my face with a SkinCeuticals cleanser using a Clarisonic Classic to make sure my face was very clean.  (I arrived makeup-free.)  After this, Georgia then applied some type of gel around crucial areas so no chemicals seeped into them, such as near the eyes and mouth.  Then a solution with both alpha-hydroxy and beta-hydroxy acids is applied to the skin.    This just feels like a medium weight gel which help prepare your skin for the best results on the peel.  This is left on for several minutes before applying the last layer.  They gel is kept on, too.  While waiting for the gel to work it can cause your face to “heat” up, so she was nice enough to hand me a fan to cool my face down.   Honestly, my face wasn’t that hot, but if you have more sensitive skin then I’m sure it can be bothersome.  Then the retinoic acid is applied to your face.   Once it’s on you are ready to leave – minus the oh, so fashionable head gear.

The chemicals did not irritate my skin at all, and I was pleasantly surprised when I looked in the mirror and didn’t look like that manila envelope I had expected.   I didn’t even need my incognito gear on.    I should mention, she did apply a sunscreen on top as your skin is very sun-sensitive, especially that first week.

By the time I returned home 1/2 hour later, my husband didn’t even notice I had anything on my face.  I was told not to do any exercise that day or anything that would cause me to work up a sweat and make the peel come off.   I also was advised not to wash my face till the next morning, which I did.

I guess I was expecting to see my face peel by morning, but it was a good 28 hours before my first flake showed up.   I had very minor peeling on Friday evening/night, but woke up Saturday morning shedding skin like a snake!   It was not that bad, but it was the day with the most peeling and I was concerned what I’d look like as we were supposed to go to a birthday party that evening.

Leave your skin peel without pulling any skin off.   Throughout the day I would gently brush my face to remove some of the flakes.  By evening as I got ready to go to my party, I brushed off most of the flakes and applied a heavy-duty moisturizer.   It was barely recognizable  that my face had any peeling by doing this.   I put a little moisturizer in my handbag to bring along and run to the restroom to check and make sure I wasn’t peeling everywhere, but I never needed to apply it.   Saturday was definitely the day with the most significant peeling.    By Monday when I returned to work my only peeling was around my chin and jawline area.   On Tuesday there was a tiny bit around my hairline and by Wednesday I was all done peeling.

During the peeling process you will probably have to use a heavier moisturizer than normal and apply more frequently.   My skin is smooth and my forehead is wrinkle free (for now!)   Georgia also gave me a few samples to try – SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic to use first after cleansing, (benefits explained in 1st story) then SkinCeuticals Phyto + for a little bit of hyperpigmentation and to calm redness.   For my eyes she gave me a sample of iS Clinical Youth Eye Complex to try.   These are products she recommended for my skin.   So far, I like them all.

I think my skin short term looks better, and long term the peel will help in collagen build up and with a peel it allows the products to penetrate your skin better, giving you long term benefits.    There are several benefits in doing a series of peels for things like acne and hyperpigmentation to name a few.   If you are considering a peel, consult with your dermatologist first to determine which type of peel will best benefit your skin and course of treatment.   For now, I’m pleased with my results after one peel.

Service was paid for by me.