Chemical Peel Aftercare to Protect your Skin

As you’re aware, a chemical peel performs a controlled wounding and chemical exfoliation on your skin, it’s 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. Nevertheless, you can help your results along and protect your skin with the correct aftercare. Here our top tips.

First off – leave the treatment area alone

Yes, as hard it sounds and as tempting it is to pick at or scratch the treatment area because of the peeling skin it’s best to avoid doing this. The function of a chemical is to damage the very surface level of the skin, encouraging the body to shed the damaged cells as dry skin. The dry skin can appear as dry flakes or 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 as of yet, it just means the skin beneath it is not ready to come to the surface yet. It could also mean the damaged skin isn’t ready to shed, which can sting you if you try to remove it.

Use a broad-spectrum sun protection

As your chemical peel results develop, it’s essential to protect your skin from the sun. Because your treatment forcibly exfoliates the top layer of the skin, the one residing beneath it won’t be immediately ready to come to the surface and will therefore be vulnerable. Sun damage during this crucial stage could not only lead to burning of skin sensitivity, but also develop pigmentation due to UV exposure. It is essential you use a broad-spectrum sun protection at SPF 50 to let your skin heal 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 is used to using harsher, stronger cleansers you will have to take a break from them for around a week. The skin developing beneath your immediate first layer is very sensitive, and it doesn’t need to have a harsh cleanser. It Is also advised to take a break in using exfoliating products, because your skin is already in the process of shedding dead skin cells that have been exfoliated by the chemical peel itself.

Take a break from makeup

If you’re inclined to wearing makeup, take a break from oily, perfumed, or chemical based products for a few days after your treatment. Your pores are being purged and drawn out, so introducing more oils to the skin at this stage will only cause your progress to stall.

Chemical peel aftercare is about listening to your skin and letting it breathe while healing. At first it may appear a bit pink, flaky and blemished for a few days, but this is all part of the healing process and means the chemical peel is working. Find out about a chemical peel in Manchester with Lumiere Clinic today.