The post peel care is a very important part of the peeling process. It is important to follow all the instructions from your dermatologist. Post peel care should include a gentle moisturizing cream, sunscreen and protection from sun exposure and protecting your skin from any irritants. In addition to these steps, it is also important to have an antibiotic ointment on hand in case of any small scratches or tears that occur during the first few days after your peel.
Read on to learn more about Is Chemical Peel Post Care Safe, Difference Between Dry Skin And Dehydrated Skin
Is Chemical Peel Post Care Safe
Chemical peels can help turn sun damaged skin into fantastic, radiant skin. This type of treatment helps reduce hyper-pigmentation and improves skin tone, while leaving the skin noticeably brighter and smoother.
Once you’ve invested the time for a chemical peel, it’s equally important to have a good after-treatment plan to see the best results possible.
CHEMICAL PEEL AFTER CARE
Here are a few great tips for chemical peel after care, so you can maintain the best results from your treatment:
1. Hands Off
The main goal of a chemical peel is to pull up and slough off the damaged skin cells, revealing healthy, glowing skin underneath. When the dead skin starts to shed, avoid touching, picking or scratching it with your fingers. Let the dead skin shed off naturally, and don’t peel the skin off with your own fingers – using fingers to remove the dead skin can lead to possible scarring.
2. Pull It Back
Pulling your hair back away from the face with a hair band can help prevent you from touching, and keep breakouts at bay. It’s important to allow the skin to go through its naturally peeling process, without accidentally contacting your skin while brushing back your hair. Touching the skin with dirty fingers and hands will only aggregate the new skin and may lead to breakouts. If breakouts do occur, don’t treat them yourself! Have your aesthetician treat them for you or just leave them alone.
3. Moisturize – But Just Enough to Be Comfortable
After receiving a chemical peel, your skin will be sensitive. There may be certain products in your normal skin care routine that you’ll want to avoid, as they may have active and irritating ingredients. The only two products you will want to use on your skin during the peeling process are sunscreen and just enough of a bland (neutral) moisturizer to be comfortable. The skin feeling and looking dry is part of the peeling process, and your moisturizer won’t be able to correct that.
Our advice is to use little to no moisturizer for the first couple days after treatment. In some cases, there will be a specific post care moisturizer provided at the time of treatment, which is safe to use, and your SkinSpirit aesthetician will walk you through the details. For some people, the only thing that won’t sting the skin is Aquaphor, which is easily available over the counter.
When applying moisturizer to the skin, be careful as well not to rub or scrub it in. Gently apply a thin layer of moisturizer all over the skin multiple times throughout the day, as needed. You’ll be able to go back to your regular skincare routine once the peeling process is complete and skin no longer feels sensitive – generally within a week of receiving your chemical peel.
4. Protect Your Skin With SPF
You’ve just gone through the process of getting rid of damaged skin with a chemical peel – so it’s important to avoid damaging the new, vulnerable skin coming through by protecting it with a layer of sunscreen anytime exposure to the sun is possible.
Whether sitting by a window, spending time outside, or in front of a screen of any kind, you need to protect your newly brightened skin. Be sure to choose a physical sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher and broad spectrum high safety ratings – your skin will thank you later!
We recommend Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Brush-On Shield, which is an easy, gentle and effective way to apply sunscreen protection to overly sensitized skin.
We’ve also put together this SPF guide to help you know what to look for from a sunscreen, and can offer personalized recommendations during a complimentary product consult any of our Bay Area, Orange County, Salt Lake City, Texas or Seattle Area clinics.
5. Let It Peel
Do not remove any of the dry, dead skin with any sort of rubbing, peeling or pulling during the peeling process. Safe exfoliation can be done as soon as skin is no longer hyper sensitive.
We recommend the perfect post peel exfoliating duo: Jan Marini Skin Zyme and Clean Zyme, products containing gentle enzymes that soften and melt away dead skin. All facial scrubs, resurfacing acids, Retinols, and even Clarisonic Cleansing Brushes are off limits until the skin stops shedding – usually up to a week after treatment.
6. Lighten Up
Now is a good time to come in for a consult and get a custom home care regimen to maintain your newly brightened skin! You want to be sure to have a great antioxidant, which is your first line of defense against free radicals each and every day. Specialized melanocyte down regulators can help with tougher pigment – see your skin care professional to learn more!
7. Don’t Worry
It’s also a good idea to just read a book and don’t worry about how your skin looks for a few days. The end result is more than worth the investment!
If you have any concerns at all, please call us at (855) 383-7546. We would never want you to be home alone wondering if things are okay, and are happy to address any questions or concerns you have throughout the peeling process!
Difference Between Dry Skin And Dehydrated Skin
Dry Skin Means A Lack Of Oil
Your skin contains tiny pores, under which lie the sebaceous glands. Sebaceous glands produce an oil called sebum that is necessary for healthy and supple skin. Genes, your age and hormones can play a major role in determining the amount of oil that your skin produces.
If your sebaceous gland activity isn’t as high as it is supposed to be, your skin will produce less oil, making your skin feel dry and irritated.
Dehydrated Skin Means Lack Of Moisture
Just like your body, your skin may feel dehydrated at times. This happens due to a lack of water in the topmost layer of your skin.
Your skin is coated with a protective layer that traps in moisture and prevents loss of water. It also helps in preventing other environmental aggressors from penetrating through the layers of your skin. However, a number of factors like harsh chemicals, scrubbing and using the wrong skincare products may majorly contribute to the eradication of your skin barrier.
When this barrier gets damaged, your skin loses the moisture trapped by its protective layer. This may result in skin dehydration.
Symptoms Of Dry Skin
- May feel rough and flaky
- Appears dry
- Dry patches
Symptoms Of Dehydrated Skin
- Premature signs of aging
- Feels tight and irritated
- Appears dull
- Can be sensitive
Did You Know?
Another way of determining if you have dry or dehydrated skin is the ‘pinch test’.
- Pinch a small area of your skin at the back of your hand. You can even try this on your cheek, abdomen or chest.
- If your skin bounces back immediately, it is probably well-hydrated.
- If it takes a while to bounce back to its normal shape, it is probably dehydrated.
What Can Cause Dry Skin?
1. Age
As you age, the oil production in your skin gradually decreases. This can cause your skin to get dry and feel rough.
2. Allergies And Other Medical Conditions
3. Certain Medications
Oral and topical medications for certain skin conditions like acne can result in dry and rough skin.
4. Genes
If your immediate family members have dry skin, you’re likely to have it too.
5. Hot Showers And The Wrong Skin Care Products
Hot showers and harsh chemicals used in skincare products can strip away your skin’s natural oils, making it dry and irritated.
What Causes Dehydrated Skin?
1. Sun
Just as UV rays can dehydrate your body, they can dehydrate your skin as well. UV rays majorly contribute to the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in your skin. They can damage your skin and cause it to feel and appear dehydrated as well.
2. Hot Showers
Most of us are quite adapted to bathing in hot water. However, hot water can strip away moisture from your skin. This can cause it to feel dehydrated.
3. Less Intake Of Water
If you consume very less water, your skin also doesn’t receive the amount of hydration it requires. This can cause dehydrated skin.
4. Air Conditioning
Remaining in air conditioned rooms for too long can lead to a lack of moisture in your skin, making it dehydrated. This is due to the absence of moisture in the surrounding air.
How Can You Soothe Dry Skin?
A number of conditions are associated with dry skin, including psoriasis, eczema and dermatitis. Talk to your dermatologist about the possible treatments for these dry skin conditions. We have listed down the treatment options that can work only if you don’t have any serious skin conditions.
1. Add Essential Oils To Your Skincare Routine
Essential oils can help alleviate dryness and soothe your skin. This will keep your skin soft and supple.
2. Invest In Moisturizers
3. Avoid Taking Hot And Long Showers
Your skin may lose out on its natural oils if you take hot showers. Try bathing in lukewarm water. Avoid taking showers for too long.
How Can You Treat Dehydrated Skin?
1. Hydrate Your Skin And Body By Consuming Enough Water
You ideally must be drinking 2-3 litres of water every day. The organs of your body require an adequate amount of water to function properly. This includes your skin. Your skin is the largest organ of your body and requires a good amount of water to stay healthy and hydrated.
2. Invest In A Moisturizer With Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is found in large amounts in your skin. It has water-binding properties that help retain your skin’s moisture levels, keeping it soft and supple (1). As you age, the content of this acid decreases. Exposure to UV rays over the years may also contribute to its reduction in your skin (2).
Moisturizers and serums containing hyaluronic acid are effective in increasing the water content in your skin. This helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles and dull skin (3).
Note:
Consuming hyaluronic acid supplements may prevent the reduction of it in your skin. A study conducted on a group of adults showed that taking 120-240 mg of these supplements significantly increased skin moisture levels. (4)
3. Avoid The Use Of Harsh Skincare Products
Use a mild cleanser on your skin to prevent moisture loss. pH-balancing cleansers do a good job of keeping your skin barrier intact.
4. Avoid Scrubbing Too Hard
Exfoliating is a great way of removing dead skin cells. But this is not recommended for everyday use. Exfoliating your skin too often or too hard may eradicate your skin barrier, damaging it permanently.
5. Avoid Staying In The Shower For Too Long
We’ve all been victims of this. Taking hot showers everyday can considerably affect and damage your skin barrier. This will cause your skin to lose its moisture content and make it feel dry and irritated. Try not to stand under the hot shower for too long. Bathing in lukewarm water is recommended.
6. Apply Sunscreen Everyday
Apply sunscreen to your skin whenever you step out in the day. Purchase a broad-spectrum sunscreen to prevent UVA and UVB rays from reaching down through the layers of your skin and causing damage.
Wrapping Up
Dry skin occurs due to low oil content in your skin. While dehydrated skin is the result of low water content. Dehydrated skin can be prevented and treated by taking hyaluronic acid supplements or applying it to your skin topically. Avoid taking hot showers, using harsh skin care products and make it a point to apply sunscreen every time you step-out in the day.
Chemical Peel Aftercare: 10 Dos and Don’ts
Chemical peels are really effective treatments for getting your skin into shape, whether you’re looking to fix fine lines, breakouts, hyperpigmentation, or a whole host of other skin troubles. But, it’s important to take care of your face in the healing process to help your skin bounce back to life and to maximise the chemical peel benefits. Here are your chemical peel aftercare dos and don’ts to give your skin some love.What you should do after a chemical peel
1. Be sun savvy and smother your skin in SPF
Let’s get straight to the point: stay out of the sun and don’t be shy with the SPF. Your face is at its most sensitive post-peel – it’s literally had layers of skin removed! And the new skin that’s revealed after a peel will be particularly vulnerable to harsh sun rays. So, it needs to be looked after more than ever. When you’re not able to stick to the shady spots when out and about, compensate with a sunscreen with an SPF of 30+ to shield your skin from dangerous UV rays. Use it for a minimum of 6 weeks post-peel (though it should be a key step in your daily skincare routine, regardless!).
2. Stick to soap-free cleansers
If your cleanser isn’t soap-free, now’s the time to invest in one. Soap-free facial washes are safe on sensitive skin (and your skin will definitely be feeling sensitive following a chemical peel!) and aren’t too drying. Soap makes the skin feel tight and dry by stripping it of its natural oils – and the skin’s already been stripped enough after a peel!
3. Cleanse with cool water
Your skin might be feeling a bit tender after a chemical peel and hot water could be uncomfortable on your new skin – it can also cause inflammation. Wash your face using cool water for a gentle, soothing alternative for your healing skin. But, remember, always pat your skin dry afterwards – don’t rub!
4. Moisturise to the max
Apply a moisturiser to keep dry skin hydrated and to restore some moisture. Your moisturiser should be free of harsh chemicals and irritants (such as acids and acne treatments) which could upset your already sensitive skin. They should also be water-based as moisturisers with high water content are nice and lightweight on the skin. (Bear in mind that moisturising will prolong the peeling process because softened skin won’t flake off as quickly.)
5. Remember, practitioner knows best
This one is probably the best chemical peel aftercare tip. It’s best practice (as always) to listen to your practitioner and follow their advice after a peel. They’ll be able to give you tailored instructions on how to care for your skin post-peel, suited to your skin and the type of chemical peel you’ve had. They may even provide you with a special moisturiser or gel to help with the road to healing.
What should you avoid after a chemical peel?
1. Don’t break a sweat
This means no spa days with a sauna, no sunbathing and no extreme exercise (I can definitely get behind the last point!). Sweat can irritate the skin, so keep cool until your skin’s showing signs of recovery.
2. Step away from the exfoliator
When your skin starts to get dry and flaky, there’s probably nothing you’ll want to do more than grab the nearest exfoliator and rub it all off. But, drop the facial scrub. Lock it away if you have to. Your skin’s (probably) just had the most extreme exfoliation of its life – it doesn’t need more. Wait at least 3 days after a light chemical peel before you exfoliate to give your skin a break. For medium or deep chemical peels, the wait can be weeks – listen to the fifth ‘do’ above and follow your practitioner’s instructions!
3. No peeling, picking or prodding, please
Just like you should ditch your facial scrub, you should also refrain from picking or peeling any loose skin (I know, it’s not easy!). This will perhaps be even harder than the no exfoliator rule. But, interfering with the skin’s natural shedding process can lead to bleeding and scarring, and that’s definitely worse than any temporary flaking.
4. Resist the retinol
Retinols are great skincare products for encouraging new cell growth and turnover – but your skin is already working on this once it’s had a chemical peel. Don’t send your skin into cell turnover overload – wait until it has healed before resuming your retinols. It’s also recommended that you stop using your retinol products a week before your peel.
5. Give your skin some space
Good chemical peel aftercare is all about the healing. Give your skin some time to repair itself before rushing into another skincare treatment – wait a minimum of 1-2 weeks. But, as always, follow your practitioner’s advice on this.