A peel removes a controlled amount of skin so that what replaces it is better organised. Everything that makes a peel work also makes the skin underneath temporarily more vulnerable to ultraviolet light — which is the entire argument for doing them between October and February.
What a peel actually is
A chemical peel applies an acid at a known strength for a known time. The depth reached decides both the result and the recovery. Superficial peels work within the epidermis and give you a few days of light flaking. Medium-depth peels reach the upper dermis, which is where meaningful work on pigment, texture and fine lines happens — and where the downtime becomes real.
At Privé we work with Jessner's and TCA. Naomi is our peel provider, and depth is selected for the skin in front of her rather than picked off a menu.
Why the season matters
Fresh skin after a peel has less accumulated protection than the skin it replaced. Sun exposure in that window does two things: it slows healing, and it invites post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation — the dark patches that are far easier to prevent than to treat.
- Cooler months mean lower UV index and less incidental exposure.
- You are covered up more, which is genuine protection.
- Fewer vacations, pools and patios in the recovery window.
- The result has time to settle before spring.
None of this makes SPF optional. It just means the odds are in your favour rather than against you.
A peel is not a facial with a stronger product. It is a controlled injury with a scheduled recovery, and it deserves to be planned.Privé Aesthetics
Choosing depth
The honest version: deeper is not better, deeper is different. A medium-depth peel on someone who needed a superficial one buys unnecessary downtime and real risk. A superficial peel on someone with significant sun damage buys a nice glow and no change to the thing they came in about.
Depth gets chosen against your Fitzpatrick type, your pigment history, whether you have had post-inflammatory pigmentation before, what you are using at home, and how much downtime your actual life allows. That last one is not a soft consideration — a peel you cannot recover from properly is a peel that should not have been done.
What the week looks like
- Days 1–2 — tight, warm, noticeably pink. Most people are presentable.
- Days 3–5 — the peeling. This is the part people are unprepared for if nobody warned them. Do not pick it.
- Days 5–7 — new skin, still pink, wants gentleness and sunscreen.
- Week 2 onward — the actual result becomes visible.
We give you the aftercare in writing, and we schedule you knowing what your week looks like — not the other way round.
Who needs to tell us something first
Anyone with a history of cold sores needs antiviral cover before a medium-depth peel, arranged in advance. Anyone on isotretinoin now or recently. Anyone pregnant or breastfeeding. Anyone with active eczema, an infection in the area, or a keloid history. And anyone who has had a bad reaction to a previous peel anywhere — that history changes what we do.
All of it is on the consultation form, and all of it is asked before anything is applied.