Is exfoliation necessary and/or sensible for the young

[gaoli]

Hello

I was wondering if anyone knows of any research or has a view on this.

A lot of people in their early twenties suddenly seem to be into peels and microdermabrasion in a big way over on another forum.

Personally, I don't feel it's necessary or sensible considering the skin exfoliates itself quickly and naturally under the age of 25 and then still pretty effectively until 30 in most people. I think they're opening themselves up to potential UV damage plus skin barrier problems for no good reason. I would only recommend exfoliants to young people who suffer from acne to stop a build up of dead cells, but using low percentages and not too frequently.

Am I being overly cautious?

Is there any beneficial reason to use exfoliants on this age group unless they have acne and how often and what percentage should they use?

TIA Gaoli

[drtodorov]

I haven't seen any evidence that exfoliation is needed or beneficial at young age. The effects, if overused, can even be negative.

[newskinoasis]

I think anyone who has reached puberty will benefit from the right exfoliant. SkinCeuticals Serum 10 AOX is an excellent choice for people with sensitive skin, skin prone to breakouts, rosacea, or eczema. And this product contains Ferulic Acid, which gives 8 times the skin's natural protection against UVA and UVB rays. Also, Kinerase Cream and Lotion keeps skin healthy, gently exfoliating, and is suitable for sensitive skin. It comes in a day cream with SPF 15. Gentle exfoliation helps prevent acne, calms rosacea and eczema, and aids in the overall health of the skin. Once you're in your 20's, especially if you have extensive sun damage, you might want to go to something stronger, but it all depends on the individual's skin type and condition.

Brenda Pitts, Esthetician
newskinoasis.com

[jamesherried]

I think it depends on the individual. I know one guy who is only 17, but he looks like he could use a good exfolliant, because his skin looks somewhat "thick, rough and leathery" already. But then I know another guy who is 25, and he has really smooth skin that doesn't look like it needs exfolliation, even though he talks about getting a chemical peel. Dr. Denese claims that you can never exfolliate too much(regardless of age), because she claims that exfolliation actually strengthens and thickens the skin (the lower layer). On the other hand, Dr. Todorov claims that you can exfolliate too much. Another skin doctor claims that if you exfolliate too much,you 'll get an "unnaturally" smooth, shiny look to the skin due to "de-keratinization" of the skin. At your age, you might just try using a gentle cornmeal or sugar scrub and see what results you get. If that doesn't give you the results you want, you could try glycolic acid in addition to the scrub. Dr. Denese Face Firming Pads are supposd to be good for that(I think they contain 10% glycolic acid), just to name one of many brands.As far as peels go, you have to be careful. If your skin is dark for example(eg-Afro- American, Hispanic ,etc.), a deep peel will permanently damage your skin, so you should never go beyond a medium peel. And even if you're a candidate for a deep peel, if yuo have one, you will never be able to tan again. This may or not be a big issue for you, but at your age you wouldn't be going for a deep peel anyway.

[newskinoasis]

I think you can exfoliate too much, yes. Retinoid and AHA products are too much for some skin types and with continued use can cause hypopigmentation (rare, but possible). My feeling is that a daily exfoliant shouldn't make the skin feel chapped and tight. The PHAs are more gentle. Chemical peels work best, believe it or not, on fair skin but too much of a good thing is never good.

Brenda Pitts, Esthetician
newskinoasis.com

[jessica9]

i agree and disagree, much like everyone else. i think too much exfoliation is of course a negative thing. i am in my mid 20's (26 almost 27) and i use glycolic peels periodically. i also use a low strength of retin a. i stopped doing glycolic peels after i read this post actually to see the difference. since i have started them again, my skin looks 100% better in tone and texture. it helps with the mild acne i have. i also was starting to get the beginning of a fine line near my mouth, which is gone now. i am a student, and i see people almost 10 years younger than me with real signs of aging and real lines. i think they could benefit from what i do. as long as you avoid the sun and wear a good sunscreen, i don't see the problem. i think a negative effect would yield the result of too much exfoliation, but i think a positive result would yield the opinion that it was beneficial. i think a lot of people my age are starting to see the first signs of aging and are trying to avoid them. so far i have been able to. if there is any danger in it, i haven't experienced any. i have worn sunscreen everyday since i was a teenager and my results have all been positive.

[newskinoasis]

Jessica,

I think when one starts seeing signs of aging, it's time to up the ante on exfoliation. The older we get, the slower the slough off of dead skin cells. I've seen people in their 40s who have always used sun protection and still don't need more than a mild exfoliating cream. Worse thing one can do is smoke, go to tanning beds, "lay out" in the sun without protection, and not drink enough water. Plain old-fashioned good health habits offer the best preventive skin care regimen there is. Unfortunately, most of us transgress from time to time or live in extreme climates or polluted cities. For us, thank heavens for good skin care products.

Brenda Pitts, Esthetician
newskinoasis.com

[jessica9]

i don't think tanning and peeling are analogous whatsoever! and i don't think there is any evidence to prove that skin will be "worn out" as you say when you reach your 30's. younger people tanned because they thought it was attractive to have darker, bronzed skin. uv radiation causes the skin to tan and is responsible for skin damage. glycolic peels help reverse skin damage with the addition of rigorous sunscreen usage and avoidance of the sun.

your "wear and tear" theory on the skin doesn't seem to hold up either, as older people have a slower cell turnover rate and a delayed healing response and younger people have greater resiliancy to injury. there is just nothing to substanciate that there will be "damage" that will "show up in the future." skin begins to lose about 1.5% of collagen a year after year 25 generally. What is wrong with using peels to help with the restructring and rebuilding of collagen after your skin has already began to naturally start losing collagen? Just a lot of reasons you point to as evidence that use of glycolic peels use in 20 somethings is "very unwise" are just not based on generalizations and bad analogies.

though you could say 20-somethings may not "need" to exfoliate with the use of glycolic acid because their cell-turnover rate is already pretty high, i do not think that reasonable usage of glycolic acid can cause such damage as you predict. these peels have been around a very long time, and there would be plenty of examples of people who overused them or misued them by the year 2007. anyone can overexfoliate at any age - and because young people already have a high turnover rate, they don't need to do it as often and need to be careful about not overdoing it. i think the condition of your skin in the present is a pretty good measure of its general health. there is a huge difference between the skin of my friends who have tanned and my skin at the age of 27. i take very good care of my skin and my skin looks very healthy because of it. my skin looks healthy, and it is healthy.

[jessica9]

yes...people do a lot of things they think are good for you only to find out they have quite the opposite effect. but that is true for so many things in the world. now there is scientific evidence that taking supplements A and E (and they think others as well, though more research needs to be conducted) actually increases mortality because it is also "too much of a good thing" - the kiling off of free radicals. strangely enough, i had stopped taking supplements prior to reading this, and have concentrated on getting my nutritional needs from pure food sources. so...my point being...yes, we can overdo a lot of things with good intentions while not knowing their effects in the future. it is worthwhile to point out, and yes, we all should be cautious, but as it is true for many things, it will be an inaccurate model for many others.

i think we actually do know the effects of glycolic peels on those who start in their 20's. i remember 10 years ago watching a television show where a famous model was getting a glycolic peel (i think she was doing them pretty frequently)and she was then in her mid-20's. i think that 10 years ago, many models and actresses in their 20's were doing this before it was popularized in mainstream society. so i think we do have examples of people who have used these peels early on and are now about 35 or so, and they actually look great. granted they have more access to other skincare procedures, etc. but the integriy of the skin is sort of hard to disguise.

you are right that peels and microdermabrasion are wearing on the skin. that is how they work. i myself steer clear of microdermabrasion. i also think there is a distinction between those who use at home kits recommended to be used once a week, several times a week, or even everyday versus a superficial procedure performed by an aesthetician or dermatologist. at home kits will leave the skin in a constant state of repair, which can be potentially dangerous for the skin, and can age young skin that normally does not need to work as hard at repair.

i suppose my point was that you just cannot make generalizations about all younger people who are using these procedures, because some young people use them cautiously and some do not. i think that with a loss of collagen averaging -1.5% a year after age 25, using peels in moderation after this age in general makes sense as the skin is already beginning to age. our healing response is still quick however, and there may even be the potential that we are gaining more benefits from glycolic acids when we use them cautiously because of this, as g.a. works on restructuring collagen. i think that if the aging process has already began, moderate use of g.a. is a good preventative measure. i apoligize for coming off as defensive - i just disagree and am more interested in specifically understanding these processes.