10/03/2025
Did you know that a superficial peel can take off the whole epidermis down to the dermal epidermal junction (DEJ)? 😳
How deep, chemical peels (acids) will pe*****te, depends on which acid is used, its concentration, pH, and the time it is left on the skin.
Superficial peels are able to remove ALL or part of the epidermis, medium-depth peels can remove layers of the epidermis and small portions of the dermis which means they pass through the DEJ, and a deep peel reaches the reticular dermis which is the lower layer of the dermis.
This is essentially tearing the roof off of your house! In the winter, when cold weather sucks the moisture right out of your skin!
Let's think about this. Your epidermis contains your immune system cells, the langerhans cells. It contains your protective layer, the lipid bilayer/lamellar layer. These two things work together to keep your skin healthy and functioning optimally.
When you peel the skin down to the DEJ, or even just to the granular layer, you are peeling off the protective bilayer that holds in moisture that fuels the enzymes of the skin.
When the corneal layer and the lipid bilayer/lamellar layer are peeled off this is like tearing the shingles off your roof in the middle of winter. These layers are your skin's protection against moisture loss.
Without these protective layers your langerhans cells, your skin's immune system cells, the scouts on the lookout for invaders, get scared and dive down into the dermis looking for protection.
Not only that but you've lost cell to cell communication between the keratinocyte and the langerhans cells, as well as the basal cells. Now, not only won't the langerhans cells know if there are any dangerous germs landing on the "roofless" skin, but the basal layer won't know how many new keratinocytes to make.
Everybody goes into red alert and the aging dermis has to step up and start repairing the damage.
It's troubling to see everyone jump on the peel wagon the minute the weather turns cold. Winter is absolutely not the time to peel off the skin's only protection.
Peels should not be considered a seasonal treatment, but a treatment by need only.