Chemical Peels in Sydney

A measured exfoliation. An acid solution goes on the skin for a few minutes, then is neutralised or rinsed off. It loosens the bonds between old surface cells so they shed evenly, and fresher skin shows through. Every peel at Cleon is a superficial peel from the SkinCeuticals professional range, so it works in the outer layer of the skin, with little downtime.

Depth. A superficial peel works in the epidermis, the outer layer, and takes a few days to settle. A medium peel reaches the upper dermis and usually means a week or so of visible peeling. A deep peel goes further still, with weeks of recovery and real risk, and is rarely done today. Every peel at Cleon is superficial. The Pigment Balancing Peel is the deepest of them, at the base of the epidermis.

Glycolic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It dissolves in water and works on the skin’s surface, for dullness, texture, fine lines and tone. Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid (BHA). It dissolves in oil, so it travels into the pore, for congestion, blackheads and breakouts. Lactic and mandelic acids are gentler AHAs, often used for sensitive or deeper skin tones. Your skin decides which one, and sometimes both over a course.

Most people feel tingling, warmth or a mild itch for a few minutes while the peel is on. It eases once the peel is neutralised or rinsed off. The stronger glycolic peels are more noticeable than the gentle ones. Your skin is watched throughout, and the peel comes off early if it needs to.

Allow about an hour. The peel itself is on your skin for only a few minutes. The rest of the time goes on cleansing and preparing your skin, then a calming masque, serums and SPF. You can go straight back to your day.

Very little. Skin can look pink for a few hours. Mild flaking may follow over the next few days, more often after the stronger peels and the Pigment Balancing Peel. Most people go straight back to work. A guided seven-day recovery protocol is provided.

No. These are superficial peels. Most people see fine, light flaking, and some see none at all. Visible peeling isn’t a sign the peel worked better. The change shows in how your skin looks over the following weeks.

Most peels are recommended as a course of six, spaced four to six weeks apart. Skin often looks brighter after the first. Tone, texture and pigment change gradually, with each peel building on the last. Occasional maintenance peels help keep the result.

Superficial peels are usually spaced four to six weeks apart, which is about one skin cycle. That gives the skin time to recover fully before the next one. After a course, a maintenance peel every one to three months keeps the result. More often isn’t better. Over-peeled skin becomes sensitive and can pigment.

Skin usually looks brighter and smoother within a week. Changes to pigmentation, congestion and fine lines build over a course. Daily SPF protects what each peel achieves.

Usually the Pigment Balancing Peel: glycolic and citric acids with vitamin C and emblica. Melasma can be improved but not cured, so peels sit inside a wider plan with strict sun protection and prescribed skincare. For some skin, a gentler peel is the safer start. Deeper skin tones are assessed carefully, because pigment can darken after irritation.

Gel Peel SM, with salicylic and mandelic acids. Salicylic acid dissolves in oil, so it works inside the pore. Micropeel Plus 20 and 30 are stronger salicylic peels, for congestion that needs more. Active, inflamed or scarring acne may also need medical treatment, and Dr Brandon can advise on that.

Many are. Skin type is described on the Fitzpatrick scale, from I (very fair, always burns) to VI (deeply pigmented, rarely burns). Micropeel Sensitive, Gel Peel GL and Gel Peel SM suit all six types. The stronger glycolic peels and the Pigment Balancing Peel are used for types I to IV, because deeper skin can darken after irritation. Your peel is chosen with that in mind.

Superficial peels have a long safety record when the right peel is matched to the right skin and used at the right strength. The common effects are mild: pinkness, tightness and light flaking for a few days. The risks worth knowing are irritation, a cold sore flare, and darkening of the skin after inflammation, which is more likely in deeper skin tones, after sun exposure, or if the peel is too strong. That’s why your skin is assessed first, the peel is timed and watched, and sun protection is non-negotiable.

Usually we wait. Pregnancy makes skin more reactive and more prone to pigmentation, and salicylic acid peels are avoided. If you’re pregnant, trying, or breastfeeding, tell us before you book and we’ll talk through what’s sensible and when.

They help the colour more than the shape. The red or brown marks left after breakouts respond well to a course of peels. Pitted, rolling or ice-pick scars are structural, in the dermis, and need something deeper: skin needling, laser, or both. Many people have a mix, which is why the scars are looked at one by one.

Often, yes. Micropeel Sensitive was made for reactive, sensitive or first-time skin, with gentler acids and sage. If rosacea or eczema is flaring, or the skin is broken, the peel waits until it settles.

A two-week pre-treatment regimen with SkinCeuticals professional homecare is recommended before your first peel, so the skin is ready and the peel works evenly. Retinoids, exfoliating acids, waxing and other resurfacing treatments stop a few days before. Avoid tanning and sunburn in the lead-up. Tell us about any medicines, cold sores or recent treatments.

Follow the seven-day recovery protocol you’re given: a gentle cleanser, the recommended serums and moisturiser, and SPF 50+ every morning. Let flaking skin shed on its own. Skip retinoids, scrubs, saunas and hard exercise until your skin settles.

Ideally not on the day of your peel, so your skin can settle. From the next day, gentle make-up is usually fine.

Yes, with care. Fresh skin burns and marks more easily, so daily SPF 50+, a hat and shade matter more than ever. Some people save the stronger pigment peels for the cooler months.

At Cleon, single peels are $200 to $400. Micropeel Sensitive is $200. Gel Peel GL, Gel Peel SM, Micropeel 20, Micropeel 30, Micropeel Plus 20 and Micropeel Plus 30 are $250 each. The Pigment Balancing Peel is $400. A course of six is $1,020 for Micropeel Sensitive, $1,200 for the $250 peels and $1,900 for the Pigment Balancing Peel.

They do different jobs. A chemical peel uses acids on the surface, for tone, clarity, congestion and early texture, with little downtime. Laser resurfacing works deeper, on scarring, lines and sun damage, with more downtime. Despite the name, our PixelPeel is a fractional CO2 laser, not a chemical peel. Some people have both, at different times.

Often. LED light therapy can help skin settle after a peel. Skin needling suits deeper texture and scarring, on a different visit. Prescribed skincare between peels makes a real difference for melasma and acne. What belongs together depends on your skin.

Peels work on the surface: tone, clarity, congestion, early texture, and they suit a lunch break. Skin needling works in the dermis, building collagen for scarring, pores and firmer texture, with a day or three of redness. If your concern is colour and glow, start with peels. If it’s scarring or texture you can feel, needling. Often the plan uses both, on different visits.

No. Home acids are kept at low strengths and a mild pH, so they exfoliate gently over weeks. Professional peels use higher concentrations and a lower pH, which is why they need preparation, timing and someone watching the skin. Both have a place. A home acid between peels, if prescribed, keeps the result ticking over. A strong acid used at home is how people end up with burns and pigmentation.

Yes, and many do, for congestion, sun damage and dull, uneven skin. Thicker, oilier skin often suits the salicylic peels. See Male by Cleon.

SkinCeuticals professional peels are for clinic use only, in a graded range from gentle to pigment-focused, so the peel can change as your skin does. The same brand’s homecare prepares your skin before and supports it after, so the whole programme works together.

Cleon is a doctor-led clinic. Dr Brandon sets the approach, and peels are performed by our clinical team under his medical supervision.

Cleon by Dr Brandon is at Ground 02, 46a Macleay Street, Potts Point, a short walk from Kings Cross station and close to Darlinghurst, Elizabeth Bay, Rushcutters Bay, Woolloomooloo and the eastern suburbs. Open six days, including Saturday mornings and until 8 pm on Thursdays. Peels are booked online.

No. Most people don’t. Your skin, sensitivities and goals decide the peel, the strength and the order. Many people start with a gentler peel and build from there.