Aesthetic medicine is an evolving field. Innovators are constantly progressing forward to push the limits set by ageing, aiming to refine techniques, perfect products, and advance how we are able enhance our appearance. When considering recent technologies such as lasers and biocompatible dermal fillers, it is easy to perceive aesthetic medicine to be a modern practice. However, the roots of some non-surgical aesthetic procedures extend centuries backward in time.
Chemical peels are common, minimally invasive, skin-resurfacing procedures. They have a wide range of benefits including reducing the appearance of fine wrinkles and pigmentation. During treatment, a medical-grade chemical solution is applied to the outer surface of the skin, causing controlled damage in order to remove dead skin cells and stimulate new tissue growth. As the layers grow back, skin texture and tone can be substantially improved.
This concept of utilizing chemical peeling to attain aesthetic benefit extends far back into our human history. The Ebers Papyrus is one of the oldest preserved medical documents dating back to 1500 BC, and in it contains descriptions of skin treatments using chemical agents. Attempting to improve skin qualities such as texture, Egyptian peoples, including the famous Queen Cleopatra, bathed in sour milk.* This spoiled substance naturally contains lactic acid which is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). While we might not put sour milk on our patients today, the active ingredient of many chemical peels and exfoliants are alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA).
To learn more about the types of chemical peels we offer and how you could benefit, head over to the Non-Surgical Skin Care section of our website.
Melissa Rossi, Master Skin Therapist
*Susruthi Rajanala, B. (2017, October 01). Cleopatra and sour milk-the ancient practice of chemical peeling. Retrieved April 01, 2021, from https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/article-abstract/2657249
