Does AHA/BHA make my skin thinner over time?
Fact number 1: AHA and BHA are calibrated to loosen the bond of dead skin cells in the stratum corneum, allowing the normal shedding process to occur at a more optimum rate. Normal cell regeneration slows down as we age. It results in increasing build-up of dead cells at the stratum corneum, and the skin ends up looking dull and the pores get blocked. Photo-damaged skin also suffers from a thickening of the stratum corneum. Therefore, if AHA stands accused of thinning, then it is this dead skin cell layer that it is thinning away. Fact number 2: the use of AHA actually promotes collagen production over the long term. In that sense, it actually increases the skin thickness, giving it more volume and firmness. Our PeterThomasRoth products with AHA and/or BHA are designed to exfoliate the dead skin and unblock the pores, while delivering antioxidants and collagen boosters to the cells, making it healthier, more radiant and supple.
I have heard of AHA 40% or more. Are they better than those 30% and below?
The percentage referred to sometimes does not serve any useful purpose at best, and downright misleading at worst. First of all, the figure often quoted is only an indication of the proportion of acidic constituents within a given solution, but does not give any clue on what other constituents are inside. Neither is it a direct indication of acidity. Industry experts say that whatever the advertised percentage, there is enough base in the solution to limit the effective concentration level to about 15%. So the more accurate indication of the acidity of the solution is the pH value. Most peels authorized for over-the-counter sales are formulated at around pH 3 to 3.5. Anything lower requires much more caution and is normally reserved for the highly qualified and proficient professionals. But you’ve got to ask yourself whether you need very strong treatment or not. Our advice is to treat you face like a diamond: If your skin is acne scarred with visible blemishes, then like a raw diamond, it needs to be treated with a “coarser” tool, or in this case, a stronger AHA treatment. If, on the other hand, your skin requires more of a refinement, then, like a cut but unpolished diamond, a “finer” tool, or in this case, weaker AHA, is best suited for the job. Again, always seek professional advice from your PTR trained aestheticians as to the most suitable treatment.
Will an AHA peel burn my skin?
A qualified beautician will make sure of a few things before and during a peel. Firstly, she needs to find out whether you’ve had a peel done fairly recently, or whether you’ve been using Retin-A product just a day or two ago. These may sensitise your skin increasing the risk of adverse reaction during a peel. Next she needs to take a good look at your face, to check for signs of eczema or any other skin condition that makes it unsuitable for a peel to be performed. Even on the same face, there are different areas that need to be treated differently, in that some parts can be treated more aggressively than the others. During the peeling process, she should also be checking to see if there are any signs of intolerance, and in the unlikely case that there is intolerance, she can immediately terminate it before any damage occurs. If your beautician is trained in all these and is conversant with the use of the various PeterThomasRoth treatment products available, you don’t need to worry about being “burnt”. However, a peel being a peel, varying degrees of flaking and sloughing-off dead skin is not unusual post-treatment. In fact, you would expect it, so that your complexion will emerge clearer and fresher after that. That is NOT a “burn”. During this phase, remember to keep you skin hydrated.
Why bother with AHA when there are other ways of getting rid of dead skin, like physical, abrasive type of peels?
There are many ways of doing things to achieve seemingly similar results. But in reality, the results are not quite the same. Let’s use the stamp analogy to explain: Suppose your face is an envelope, and the dead skin cells at the stratum corneum are stamps, held in place by glue. Physical peel is like using sandpapers to remove the stamp. But AHA is like a solvent that goes beneath the stamps and loosen the glue, allowing the stamps to fall off. At the end of both treatments, if you examine the treated skin microscopically, you would expect to see quite a bit of difference. Of course, AHA also has the added advantage of helping anti-oxidants and collagen boosters to penetrate further into the skin, resulting in longer term benefits. However, in the rare cases where allergy is a problem that prevents one from using AHA peel, our recommended alternative is the Herbal Enzyme Peel.
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