My PCA Skin Sensi Peel Facial Experience

Today I want to share my PCA Sensi Skin Chemical Peel Facial Review with you. When I was diagnosed with rosacea at the Dermatologist last year, the doctor recommended that I look into facial peels to help resurface my skin from any rosacea damage, acne scarring, or hyperpigmentation. I have hyperpigmentation caused from acne flare ups from my rosacea, as well as from the sun, on my face. I have rosacea damage on my cheek and my forehead is bumpy (to me).

As you know, my salon of choice is Cameo Spa & Salon in the greater Tampa, Florida area. It’s an awesome salon that offers hair cut, hair color, hair extensions, facials, peels, microdermabrasions, massages, waxing, manicures, pedicures, paraffin treatments, etc. This is where I prefer to go for anything that I need to get done that I don’t do myself. I’ve been going to Cameo for about 7 years at this point, so I truly love this salon. I normally see Lori for my hair cuts, Sara for hair extensions, and Sonya for waxing or my rare mani/pedis. I now recommend Deborah for facials and peels.

The last time I went to get my brows waxed at Cameo, I asked Sonya about getting a facial peel. She had me talk to to Deborah, who is the resident expert with peels. We discussed my skin and she said that you had to wait 5 days from when you were waxed to get a PCA Skin Peel. You’re also supposed to discontinue using any retinol products, tanning products, etc.

I explained to Deborah that in general I wanted my skin resurfaced. My face has a few spots of rosacea damage where the texture is different (dipped down, like someone took a cookie cutter into a section of my cheek), and hyperpigmentation from both acne scarring and from sun damage. In the picture of my face above, the area on my cheek that is circled I considered rosacea damage. Deborah said that she thought it was that or sun damage. The spot circled by my chin was hyperpigmentation from acne, which I later found out was an acne flare up from rosacea. Deborah informed me that we do most of the damage to our skin by the time that we’re 18, though we may not see it until later in life.

Deborah determined that the Sensi Peel would be the best fit for me with my skin type. It’s supposed to strengthen and brighten the skin, treat sun damage, hyperpigmentation, and skin discoloration. It’s an excellent choice for rosacea suffers because it provides anti-inflammatory, breakout control and anti-bacterial action. She said I would also need a PCA Skin aftercare set.

Last Friday, 6 days after my brow waxing, I went to see Deborah. First she cleansed my face with PCA facial wash, gently removing any traces of my moisturizer with SPF. She mentioned that the Supergoop! Antioxidant SPF 50 was difficult to get off of my skin because it really wanted to stick around! As I’d only had it on for about an hour at that point, I’m not surprised. She then toned my skin.  I think this is the product that smelled like pumpkin pie, but I’m not sure.

After my skin was prepped for the procedure, she slowly began the peel process. She had me rate pain on a 1 to 10 scale. Nothing went above a .5 for me. There was one spot in the middle of my forehead that would sting, and that was it. After she had gone through 4 passes on my skin, I finally felt it tingling along my jaw line and she declared that sufficient for my first experience.

After cleansing again (I think she used the pumpkin smelling stuff? the toner?), she added a serum and a vitamin mixture  to my skin. She said that my face would potentially peel some over the next 3 to 5 days. She did not want me to wash my face at all Friday night and she wanted me to use the PCA skincare products the next 3 to 5 days as I might peel.

Friday night I did experience a bit of peeling, but it was not painful. Saturday and Sunday I experienced a bit of peeling but it was not painful. I also experienced peeling on Monday and Tuesday. You’re not supposed to pick at the flaky skin, because it can lead to hyperpigmentation, which is the opposite of what I want!

The skin regimen you’re supposed to follow after the procedure:
MORNING
1. Cleanse with the PCA facial wash. Rinse with warm water. Pat dry.
2. Apply a nickel-sized mixture of Apres Peel Soothing Balm & ReBalance to help inhibit redness and inflammation.
3. Apply a nickel-sized amount of Perfecting Protection Broad Spectrum SPF 30.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 as necessary to keep skin lubricated and comfortabe.

EVENING
1. Cleanse with the PCA facial wash. Rinse with warm water. Pat dry.
2. Apply a nickel-sized mixture of Apres Peel Soothing Balm & ReBalance to help inhibit redness and inflammation.
3. Apply a nickel-sized amount of Silkcoat Balm as a nighttime moisturizer.

For 2 days after your procedure:
Make sure you stay cool. Getting too hot internally can cause hyperpigmentation!
1. don’t put your face directly into a hot showe spray
2. don’t go swimming
3. don’t use a hot tub, steam room, sauna, etc
4. don’t use anything that would be mechanical exfoliation on your face, such as a loofah
5. don’t use a hair dryer near the treated area
6. don’t apply ice
7. don’t do anything that would cause excessive perspiration

General Rules
1. Don’t pick at any loosening skin. This could lead to hyperpigmentation.
2. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT go to a tanning booth. This practice should be discontinued due to increased risk of skin cancer.
3. Don’t have electrolysis, waxing, injections or use depilatories on the treated area for a week after the procedure.
4. Do not wear makeup the same day as the procedure if at all possible.
5. Do not wash your face the first night after the peel if at all possible.

When I contacted PCA Skin on facebook to ask if they were cruelty-free, they told me that their products were 100% cruelty-free and that they did not condone animal testing of any kind.

Will I get another?
For my first peel experience, I really was pleased. Before she began the peel on my skin, she had me fill out a long questionnaire. She also asked me about my heritage as she said that could influence how my skin reacts to the peel (I’m an American mutt but my family heritage is Irish, Swiss, German, English, etc). During the entire experience, as I mentioned above, she was constantly checking in with me to see how my skin was handling the peel. For me it was painless. She gave me detailed instructions for aftercare with using the products. I then asked about booking my next appointment for my next peel, which she said could be done in 4 weeks.

Deborah said that she was very pleased with how my skin handled the peel. She said it responded more like ‘normal’ skin than ‘sensitive’ skin.

I have another appointment scheduled for my next peel to continue to remove the damage done from my rosacea, acne scarring, hyperpigmentation, uneveness in skin, etc. I feel confident that having peels done will help to resurface my skin. I’ll keep sharing my progress with you! I’m taking pictures every step of the way.

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