If your anti-ageing wellness isn’t as good as it could be, you might be considering a skin peel. However, before you put your wellbeing on the line, you need to know everything you can about getting ready for – and recovering from – a skin peel.
According to R. Merrel Olesen, MD, and Marie B.V. Olesen, authors of Cosmetic Surgery For Dummies, ‘Preparation for a skin peel depends mainly on the type of skin you have and will ultimately be decided by your doctor. Fair-skinned people may not need to be treated before peeling. If you have skin of colour, however, then you’re at increased risk of developing dark spots following your peel. In this case, a pre-treatment regimen including glycolic acid, hydroquinone, and Retin-A (retinoic acid) is frequently suggested to help minimize the possibility of postoperative hyperpigmentation, make your peel more uniform, and decrease your downtime. As a general rule, you should follow the pre-treatment regimen for three to four weeks.’
So that’s preparation, but what about recovery? Olesen and Olesen have five tips you should absolutely follow:
1. Getting through the Pain: Olesen and Olesen soothe, ‘In general, anyone who undergoes a trichloracetic acid (TCA) peel will have a relatively painless post-treatment course. The injured skin stays on the wound and acts as a dressing. This skin doesn’t peel off until the underlying skin is healed. Your skin will feel tight and you will feel like you can’t apply enough moisturiser. Pain, however, isn’t the major symptom. Laser peels and croton oil peels are deeper than most other peels, and for a few days, you’ll experience discomfort from the open wound created by the peel. You’ll receive pain medication and detailed dressing instructions to follow until you’re healed. You’ll also start taking an anti-inflammatory medication before the peel and continue it until you’ve healed. If pain becomes intolerable, call your doctor’s office.’
2. Taking it Easy: ‘After a skin peel, you need to stop all vigorous physical activity,’ Olesen and Olesen assert. ‘If you’re taking any pain medication, you won’t be able to drive because the medication may slow your reaction time or make you drowsy. You’ll be swollen as well, so if you have trouble opening your eyes, you shouldn’t drive. In addition, you should avoid any activity or environment that causes you to sweat because sweating will make your ointment or cream runny and more likely to get into your eyes, causing irritation and blurriness.’
3. Laying Low: Olesen and Olesen point out, ‘Moderate and deep skin peels do have associated downtimes. You’ll want to hide out for seven to ten days, depending on the depth of the peel, because you’ll have excessive peeling during this time or the need to apply heavy coats of petroleum jelly to keep the wound moist. After your wound has completely epithelialized (grown new skin), you can apply cover up makeup and resume normal life activities.’
4. Knowing What’s Normal: ‘Deep skin peels, either with the laser or chemicals, require more labour-intensive care than other peels in the first few days,’ Olesen and Olesen explain. ‘You’ll experience irregular healing based upon skin thickness, and the wound won’t look good to you. You’ll need reassurance from your surgeon that your appearance is normal. Somewhere between two and seven days, you’ll probably wonder if it was all worth it. Be reassured, however, that you’re experiencing normal healing.’
5. Judging the Result: Olesen and Olesen detail, ‘Deep skin peels, either laser or chemical, take several months to heal. Redness means that your skin is still inflamed and still generating collagen. The final result won’t be evident until the redness is gone. The timing of a second peel, if you need one, is up to your doctor. At a minimum, you have to wait until you’re completely healed from the previous procedure, which in most cases takes several months. Many doctors wouldn’t even consider doing a second peel for six to nine months.’