Tips to Protect Your Skin After a Chemical Peel

You can’t wait to see how your skin transforms after a chemical peel, but before we get to the big reveal, you need to support your skin through the recovery process. Here’s a comprehensive guide to post-peel skin care best practices.

Got wrinkles? Uneven skin tone? Years of sun damage? Chemical peels just might be the best way to get rid of it all. But if you know anything about chemical peels, you know your skin needs a bit of TLC afterward.

In fact, Kathleen J. Smith, MD, and our Dermatology Specialists of Atlanta know that the best results actually develop with proper post-peel skin care. That's why we’re dedicating this blog to our favorite tips for protecting and supporting your skin after a chemical peel.

Keep your hands off

The whole point of getting a chemical peel is to allow the outer layers of your skin to peel and slough off — but that has to happen naturally.

It’s tempting, but do your best to keep your fingers from touching, picking, scratching, and peeling your skin. Instead, trust the process and let the chemical peel do its work. Worst-case scenario: Your meddling can lead to scarring.

Keep your hair back

Your hair is oily and dirty (even shortly after you’ve washed it). If it touches your skin too much, you can develop breakouts all over your still-healing skin. Furthermore, your (equally oily and dirty) fingers can come into contact with your skin when you go to brush back your hair.

To avoid both of these no-nos, we recommend keeping your hair tied back firmly. If you do develop a breakout, refer to our first tip and keep your hands off. You can also schedule another visit with us to help clear up the blemishes safely.

Keep your skin moist

Your skin post-chemical peel is incredibly sensitive, so keeping it moisturized is an absolute must. However, there may be some ingredients in your favorite products that you’ll want to avoid, at least until your skin has a chance to heal. Check in with us to see which ingredients do the most harm to tender skin.

Otherwise, we recommend waiting at least a day or two before applying anything to your face. After that, you should consider moisturizing a part of your daily routine.

Keep the sun away

One of the worst things for your healing skin is sun damage. So, in addition to moisturizer, you should also apply sunscreen daily. Even sitting by an open window can expose you to high levels of UV rays. Take your skin care a step further and don a hat to keep the sun off your skin even more.

Not sure which sunscreens are best? Talk to us about our favorite brands, and we’ll point you in the right direction.

Keep calm

Chemical peels — especially deep peels — take a toll on your skin, but it’s all in the name of long-term skin health. It can be discouraging to watch your skin take a turn for the worse, but remember that fresher, healthier skin is just around the corner.

If you ever experience severe side effects or discomfort, don’t ignore it. Tell one of our experts right away so we can help your skin heal properly.

Looking for more skin care tips and tricks? We’d love to talk with you and connect you with the best information and products. Call or click to schedule an appointment with the team at our Decatur, Georgia, office today.