Clear Away Summer Damage With a Chemical Peel

Spending some time soaking in the summer sun can be a great way to relax and recharge. But if you don’t protect your skin beforehand, you’ll usually end up paying for it later. That’s because the sun does damage to your skin in multiple ways, all contributing to a less-than-ideal complexion.

But if the sun has taken its toll, don’t worry. Linda Swanson, MD, offers chemical peels at the SPA at Dr. Swanson. That means that at our offices in Torrance and Los Alamitos, California, you can get the peel you need to clear away summer damage. 

Before we get into the details of how a peel can help your skin, it’s first helpful to understand the sun’s effects.

Sun damage and your skin

When you expose your skin to the sun, you’re exposing it to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. And that UV light can do damage to multiple layers of your skin. For starters, it can compromise your skin’s ability to keep itself hydrated on the surface, leading to dry, flaky skin. 

It can also contribute to the development of sunspots and actinic keratosis, compromising your skin tone and giving your skin an uneven appearance. 

On top of all of this, the sun’s rays reach into your dermis (a deeper layer of your skin), affecting your collagen. Your skin relies on collagen, a protein, to keep itself smooth and supple. As the UV light affects your collagen, your skin loses this support structure, contributing to the premature development of fine lines and wrinkles. 

Ultimately, sun exposure worsens your skin in a number of ways. Fortunately, Dr. Swanson has a way to address all of these issues with a single treatment: a chemical peel.

Clearing summer damage with a chemical peel

When you choose a chemical peel, our team customizes it to you. Our goal is to apply the right chemical solution to create the depth of peel that you want. 

A deeper peel delivers more dramatic results, but it also comes with longer downtime (usually 7-10 days) while you peel. A more superficial peel can come with next-to-no downtime but still gives you a way to rejuvenate your skin after a summer of sun. 

With this treatment, we encourage the topmost layer of your skin to peel away. This gets rid of uneven skin texture and helps to reduce the appearance of sunspots and other imperfections. As your sun-damaged skin cells peel away, they reveal the new, healthy skin cells underneath. By the time you finish peeling, you’ll get a more radiant, even complexion. 

At the same time, a deeper peel can encourage the production of new collagen in your skin, helping to combat the premature aging effects of sun exposure. 

If you’re ready to get rid of summer damage so you can look your best year-round, don’t hesitate to schedule a chemical peel at either of our offices. Call the office nearest you or book your appointment online today.