Spa Chemical Peel: Is It Worth It?

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- When you think of a chemical peel, estheticians want you to instead think of fast results in terms of putting your best face forward, not what you've seen in movies.

This week we're looking at three non-invasive treatments under $400 and this one fits the description.

We headed to Skin Savvy at Wayzata Medical Spa to get answers about how long it takes, how much it costs and if it's all worth it?

Kristin Pladson is a 38-year-old writer for the Twin Cities Moms blog. As she gets closer to 40, she's not feeling as fresh.

"I'm really starting to see the beginning of aging. So, fine lines, the pigmentation, pore size," Pladson said. "Those things that we fixate on when we look into the mirror."

Licensed Esthetician Jill Schierholz picks the perfect peel to fix things like pigmentation problems, sun damage and pore size. She says it will help reverse what's bugging Pladson.

"Essentially it's going to exfoliate the skin in a manner that's going to be a little more than a facial treatment. It's going to be a longer term result. It's going to have more cell turnover," Schierholz said.

It can leave the patient tight, dry and red at first, then skin peels off for 6-10 days.

"I'm a little nervous for the peeling part," Pladson said.

She says she hopes it's worth it for a better glow.

"I want to look like how I feel inside, and that's energetic. And that's happy and young," Pladson said.

The skin is cleaned, Vaseline is applied to sensitive skin near the nose and eyes. The application takes 20 minutes to a half an hour.

"It feels like my skin is pleasantly tight," Pladson said.

It does leave the skin a little orange and during the process is a little smelly. She'll have to wear sunscreen and hats because she'll be sensitive to the sun for two to three weeks, and she'll have to move her date with her husband.

She said it will be worth it, if in two weeks she can take a selfie with her three year old and not notice the lines around her eyes.

Pladson did use a retinal for a few weeks before the peel and stopped a few days before. She could not keep her normal skin care routine for two days.

• Spa experience - 8
• Results - 6 (though she thinks her expectations were too high)
• Best friend reactions - 7
• Price - 5 (Perfect Peel $375)