Because a chemical peel performs a controlled wounding and chemical exfoliation on your skin, its important you use the right aftercare to help along your
skin’s healing and results. This isn’t a major wounding, though, but more an encouragement for the body to shed the dead skin cells it has been carrying.
Nevertheless, you can help your results along and protect your skin with chemical peel aftercare. Here are our top tips.
Leave the treatment area alone
It will be tempting to pick at or scratch the treatment area because of the peeling skin. What a chemical peel does is it works to damage the very surface level of the skin, encouraging the body to shed the damaged cells as dry skin. This dry skin can appear as large flakes of drying, darkened skin that may be itchy. Even light chemical peels will cause some skin peeling, but it’s really important you don’t pick at the flaking skin. If it hasn’t shed naturally yet, it means the skin beneath it is not ready to come to the surface yet. It could also mean that the damaged skin isn’t ready to be shed yet, which might sting if you try to remove it. You’re also risking impaired healing, infection from the oil and dirt on your fingers, and developing pigmentation if you pick at the area.
Use a broad-spectrum sun protection
As your chemical peel results develop, its important you protect your skin from the sun. Because your treatment forcibly exfoliates the top layer of skin, the one residing beneath it won’t be immediately ready to come to the surface and will therefore be young and vulnerable. Sun damage at this crucial stage could not only lead to burning because of skin sensitivity, but also to the develop of irregular pigmentation due to UV exposure. Use a broad-spectrum sun protection at SPF 50 to let your skin healed unencumbered by the elements.
Use a lighter facial cleanser
Your skincare routine needs to change for when you’re healing from a chemical peel. If you are someone who previously used harsher, stronger cleansers because of blemishes or oil production, you need to take a break from these for about a week. The skin developing beneath your immediate first layer is sensitive, and it doesn’t need this harsh cleanser. In fact, it would probably irritate the skin more. You should also take a break from using an exfoliating product, because your skin is already in the process of shedding dead cells that have been chemically exfoliated. Not only will this not help your results, but it will irritate your skin.
Take a break from makeup
If you are inclined to wearing makeup, take a break from oily, perfumed, or chemical-based products for a few days post-peel. Your pores, follicles, and oils are being purged and your impurities drawn out, so introducing more oils to the skin at this stage could hinder your cleansing. Mineral makeup or tinted sun protection might be a good choice for you if you’d still like to wear makeup, but particularly heavy makeup is wise to avoid for the first week.
Chemical peel aftercare is all about listening to your skin and letting it heal. You might appear a bit pink, flaky, and blemished for a few days, but this is a sign that your skin peel is drawing out spots and impurities. Find out about a chemical peel in Essex with Aesthetic MediSpa today on 0203 302 8558 or the Rickmansworth clinic on 0203 302 1530.