Precious Peeling

PRECIOUS PEELING

It’s that time of the month when my skin mysteriously breaks out. You would think that at my age I would have gone past acne and other skin imperfections associated with puberty.  Unfortunately, that is not the case. My cheeks have a tendency to turn red due to dryness and excessive peeling leaving my skin blotchy and flushed. Sometimes, the unlikely combination of oily and dry skin results to pimple formation that leaves unsightly scars.  I have tried various remedies to address this problem. Topical ointments usually work but I don’t want to be dependent on those because those contain small traces of steroids. So I was on the hunt for the elusive cure to this persistent problem.

Unlikely Solution

The answer came up unexpectedly during a recent get-together. I had a reunion with some of my College friends whom I haven’t met for years, some even way back when I was in school. It was refreshing to see some of them looking the same as they had years ago, even with minimal make-up! I was intrigued to know what their secrets are to maintaining their youthful-looking skin and two of them gushed over their love of Diamond Peel. They swore that it was their constant visit to their dermatologist to avail of this service that helped improve the appearance of their skin (I clearly remember one of them having acne problems).  I have heard of this procedure but I never seriously considered it till that fateful reunion.

I had my concerns at the onset because my cheeks were peeling on its own and this was causing my sensitive skin to form red blotchy patches like a “Raggedy Ann” doll with silly red dots on the cheeks. So, as always, I researched online and found out more about Diamond Peel.  I learned that it was an effective, safe, painless and non-irritating procedure. There will be no unsightly redness or peeling right after the treatment. This is exactly what I was looking for to hopefully address this recurring problem.

Prepping the Skin

Body Tune has derma clinics in selected branches namely SM Megamall, Mall of Asia, Market Market, SM City The Block and Annex North Edsa, SM City Fairview and SM City Pampanga. I visited one of the nearby branches and was led to the derma clinic at the back where I was asked to lie down the bed. The derma assistant, Rebecca, wrapped my head with a soft hair band to clear my face of stray hairs. Then she prepped my face for the peeling process.

To remove stubborn dirt and make-up, she cleansed my face with a facial scrub. The feel of the small granules while she was massaging my face was totally relaxing. She explained that the exfoliating properties of the scrub sloughs off dead skin cells and deep cleans the pores. Then she gently scrubbed my face with a small brush to loosen excess dirt. Afterwards, my face was briefly covered with a warm compress to open the pores and the small towel was used to wipe my face clean.

Then she applied a mild facial cleanser which she massaged all over my face. Facial massages have a number of benefits aside from muscle relaxation, it also improves circulation which brings nutrients and oxygen to the skin. Gently kneading and scrubbing the face also increases production of collagen and elastin as well as reduce puffiness. Stimulating the facial muscles opens pores so after the massage, Rebecca used a brush to loosen the dirt particles.

Warm compress was applied to my face once again to relax my skin before beginning the peeling process.

The Magic Wand

The derma assistant gently brushed a diamond tipped wand-like device over my skin. It felt soothing and it was totally painless. I just felt a slight tugging whenever the device touched my skin. Diamond Peel is a gentle microdermabrasion treatment that rejuvenates the skin. A layer of diamond dust is released to the surface of the skin and then vacuumed away to exfoliate dead skin cells on the top most layer to reveal fresh looking skin underneath.  Stripping away the outermost layer promotes the growth of healthy new skin cells and leaves a smoother skin texture. As a result, this procedure reduces the appearance of age spots, fine lines, wrinkles and acne scars. “Vacuuming” the skin also helps in removing whiteheads and this aided the facialist in the next procedure.

Clearing the pores

I am not a fan of pricking but this routine cosmetic procedure is necessary to ensure that the face remains clean and pimple-free. Blackheads, whiteheads and other dirt particles irritate the skin and causes inflammation. Pricking is essential to reach stubborn dirt that lodges itself deep inside the pores. The saying, “No pain, no gain” comes to mind. Having reaped the benefits of this procedure, I simply brushed aside the slight stinging sensation because the end result is definitely worth it.

After pricking, a toner is applied to bring the skin’s pH (acidity) back to normal. Toners help our skin retain a certain amount of oil to stay waterproof and resistant to infection.  Too little oil will lead to dry skin resulting in wrinkles while too much oil will result to oily and acne-prone skin. Thus, toners are important to help our skin resist harmful bacteria.

Then Rebecca dabbed tiny amounts of a topical antibiotic to the pricked pimples to hasten the healing process. To smoothen out the skin even more and prevent dryness, she applied liberal amounts of facial moisturizer. Then I felt the welcome relief of a metal device called the Cold Hammer. The flat end of this hand held device was gently massaged around my face concentrating on my cheeks, forehead and even my eye area. This cold treatment closes the pores and reduce puffiness.

Final Advice

After the procedure, the derma assistant asked me not to put-on make-up. I obliged. I was used to walking in the mall ‘au naturel’ because this is also the advice I got after my 24K Gold Facial treatment. My face was squeaky clean and had a natural pinkish glow from the treatment. I definitely didn’t want to cover that up with a layer of foundation and powder that will again clog my pores.

I was also told to avoid direct sunlight and to wear sunblock since my skin was still sensitive from the procedure. When my skin starts to peel, I just had to put on moisturizer to prevent dryness. I didn’t actually notice the peeling but when my skin felt itchy and dry, I followed her advice and dabbed some moisturizer.

A week after, my skin looked and felt smoother and my pores were smaller. Remember my red, “Raggedy Ann” patch on the cheek? I don’t have it anymore. For that, I am thankful. I am very pleased with the result of Diamond Peeling. So much that me and my college friend have just booked our next appointment at the spa.