Last Thursday, right before snagging those babies at Shopwise, I went on a south roadtrip to Festival Mall to undergo my second skin peeling session at the Ageless Center, care of Dr. Socouer Oblepias, who had intensive training in the line of chemical peels and treatments in San Francisco, USA.
Now, I was told by my dermatologist when I was in college, that the only solution to my acne scars were chemical peeling ( I’m guessing, should be TCA ), and I was told that it would hurt, feel itchy, and I would look very sunburned right after the peeling session. Downtime. Ack. She also gave me a scenario that she would be using a fan to cool my face from the stinging sensation expected. I never went back because I got scared of the downtime and the pain.
Fastforward, two weeks ago, I had my first peeling session, right after a facial from my dermatologist. It was called gel peel that promised to slowly get rid of acne. It stang a bit, and well, I saw flaking. My skin was a bit brown afterwards. I’ve also done diamond peels before, but well, last Thursday was a new experience, still!
Super fastforward, back to my peeling session last Thursday, I was most curious on what difference progressive peels would make. I was told that the peels that would be performed on me , which was Sensi Peel and Esthetique Peel have very very minimal, to no downtime. I was most curious about this. My skin is acne prone, have really problematic open pores, and have some acne scars, so being out without makeup was really not a comfortable thing for me to do, but hey, one has to brave the wild to be able to get results. I would want to get good skin one day that I won’t need to wear makeup.
Peels are performed for the purposes of anti-acne, anti-aging, and getting rid of dull skin, and blocked pores, to make skin care successfully seep into skin and make treatments more effective. Surprisingly, the chemical peel scare from my dermatologist experience was no more. The peels ( yes, not just one! ) did not irritate my skin at all.
First, after a no-pricking facial, toner was applied on my skin, and one layer of Sensi Peel was applied on me. Very minimal stinging sensation. Next , A & C Synergy Serum was applied on me, that was a treatment to make pores smaller, hydrate and improve skin condition, specially acne. I understood it as peeling one layer off the skin ( microscopic, and not even noticeable AT ALL ), then applying treatment to seep into the skin for skin to maximize benefits of the specific treatment. After that, I was applied another peel which was an Esthetique Peel that had brightening and whitening effects on the skin for my acne scars. To top that off, Pigment Gel ( Hydroquinone Free ) was applied on my skin after the peel, as well as Skin Hydrator with SPF 25. High Frequency was the final touch to the treatment as it helped closed the pores and seal in the treatments and the peels. As compared to the peel I had from my dermatologist, my dermatologist, roughly a month ago, performed a peel on me that she removed after with a warm cloth, but this peel that was performed on me was a leave-on peel that did not need washing off.
Note : Here are notes for the peels :
Sensi Peel ® Exfoliating Treatment Sensi Peel exfoliating treatment was formulated primarily for Asian skin as well as all other extremely sensitive skin types. The solution contains a blend of L-lactic acid and trichloroacetic acid (TCA). Plant-derived progesterone leaves the skin feeling plump and hydrated. The Sensi ® Peel exfoliating treatment is fromulated with L-ascorbic acid for strengthening and brightening while L-arbutin and Kojic acid help treat hyperpigmentation and sun damage. The kojic acid, as well as azelaic acid provide anti-acne and antibacterial properties to the solution. The Sensi Peel ® exfoliating treatment is excellent for calming rosacea, as redness and inflammation subside substantially after treatment.
Esthetique Peel™ is an excellent choice for smoothing, firming and brightening all skin types even extra-sensitive skin, including rosacea. Its advanced formulation of L-lactic acid, L-retinol, and a host of polyphenols, antioxidants, vitamins, brightening ingredients and humectants, smoothes, tightens and improves the texture of skin. It also helps correct many types of skin discoloration.
To be honest, I don’t expect immediate effects on my skin because I think it would need more than one peel to see effects on my skin, as told by my dermatologist. My pores are still there, and I don’t really expect them to be gone overnight. I think I need a more aggressive peel. Bring it on, if peels are this mild! I seriously felt no pain. I’m more interested to continue this treatment further and see the effects gradually. But so far, this is day two, and I see some very small flaking on my chin and cheeks area, and I’ve been itching to pull them out, but it’s a huge no-no to do that, and I think I’ve been a very good girl!
For those of you who are interested to have your skin undergo a peeling session, or for those who have their skins undergo peeling, here are Post-Procedure Skin Treatment Tips :
For the next two days -
- Do not apply ice or iced water to the treated area
- Do not put face directly into a hot shower. ( ouch! )
- Do not use hot rubs, steam rooms, or saunas.
- No swimming!
- Do not indulge in activities that will make you perspire alot.
- Do not exfoliate your skin.
- Do not direct a hair dryer into the area.
More Post-Procedure Treatment Tips
- No pulling the flaky areas, because they might cause hyperpigmentation prematurely!
- Skin would be better without makeup as much as possible, but you can always apply 15 minutes after treatment ( I’m thinking, mineral makeup! )
- No tanning in tanning booths, or direct exposure to sunlight. SPF please!
- It is better not to apply AHA based products on the skin as it may irritate the skin.
- It is discouraged to apply Reti-A, Renova, Tazorac or Avage for seven days, at least.
- If skin is tight, apply a generous amount of moisturizer on the face.
Well, I would recommend skin peeling for acne patients, that can be done for maintenance every two weeks, melasma sufferers, and those who are into anti-aging. It’s all about keeping skin in its good state, if not treating certain skin conditions. Good thing that we live in such a modern world right now that technology moves in such a rapid pace that I don’t feel the sting in my peels anymore!
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I live near this mall and now I’m thinking to have a peeling session too.
Dyanie : Go!
It’s totally worth it 
Hi Sophie, guess what? I’m also an Ageless baby. Been their client for 2 years already. Every month diamond peel, facial. I love their services. I also tried their radiofrequency. I wanted to try Esthetique Peel. Is that new?
Goodluck girl!!! tell me how it goes, at least it doesn’t hurt (that’s a good thing)
Skin’s peeling right now. Looks like I have really tons of bad skin to shed off. Hahahaha! No sting, ma!
Anna : Yep! Go ask Dr. Oblepias about PCA Peels. So good
Hi Soph! Im also a peel addict. My derma has been using Neostrata’s Booster Peel with Glycolic Peel on me. Seems to work naman but i noticed na i burn easily on the beach eversince i used it
Hey Joey! Have you asked your derma about PCA prods?
BTW, my derma also uses Neostrata 
Now Im asking her to try PCA for me 
Hi Anna!
Thanks for being our client for 2 years. PCA is availble in Ageless center and a dermatologist will do it on you after a facial. A customize PCA peel will be done depending on your skin condition. We also do a lot of these PCA peels for dark underarms, uneven skin tone for the body and chicken skin. Peels like all of our other services are reasonably priced. Hope to see you at Ageless soon!
I’ve found that my skin does better with the stronger peels. I thinks spas are so scared of being sued, they use the mildest peels available.
Dr. O Wow that’s great to hear! I have mild rosacea and very sensitive skin so I’m happy to hear that there are peels available for super sensitive skin like me
Thanks Dr Oblepias! 
[...] brand. And yes, she was the one to demo on my skin! As previously introduced to PCA Skin peels by Dr. Oblepias, I kind of already knew what to expect on my facial skin peeling. Olga applied the Sensipeel on me, [...]