What to Expect When Getting A Light Chemical Peel

You’ve just made your first light chemical peel appointment, and you’re pumped to see the results. But what should you expect during the treatment? You’ve come to the right place! Today we’re going to walk through what a light chemical peel appointment looks like, starting with a quick refresher into what a light chemical peel actually does. Because light chemical peels are highly customizable (no two services are the same!), we’ll be basing this blog off of THIS patient’s service

What is a light chemical peel?

A light chemical peel is an aesthetic treatment that improves the appearance of the skin by gently stripping away dead skin cells on the surface of the skin. A light chemical peel can also utilize different medical-grade components to correct specific issues such as sun damage or age spots. A series can help lighten pigmentation and treat acne as well.

Let’s walk through what you can expect from a light chemical peel treatment, starting with skin preparation\

Skin Preparation

We recommend arriving to your appointment makeup-free, but if that’s not possible, no worries! Your Dermacare of Hampton Roads Expert will prep the skin by using a gentle cleanser to remove any makeup, moisturizer, oil, or debris before the chemical peel. We use a cream-based cleanser to dissolve makeup, and we may complete an extra cleanse with a glycolic facial cleanser that is gentle, hydrating, anti-aging, and mildly exfoliating.

It’s important to note that chemical peels are the most effective when the least amount of oils are present on the skin, so we take our time to ensure that all makeup, moisturizers, and debris are removed.

Layers of Light Chemical Peels

Our Experts will design a customized treatment plan for you. The plan depends on many things including the season, level of sun damage, presence of melasma, how often you work out, how hydrated you are, etc. We also ask what your skin goals and concerns are so that we can match you with the right treatment plan.

After your skin is fully cleansed and prepped, the first layer of the chemical peel is applied. In the video above, we used a 15% TCA peel, which is great for anti-aging, hyperpigmentation, scarring, and texture.

If applicable to you, we will add a second or third layer of the peel. Along the way, we’ll ask where the sensation is on a scale of 1-10 (from mild to active to super spicy). This ensures that you’re comfortable. By applying a chemical peel, we’re creating a “controlled injury” to force the skin to create new cells. We’ll never go beyond a 7 on our active scale, which could cause damage that leads to hyperpigmentation and scarring.

For many patients, we may recommend closing the chemical peel appointment with a retinol enhancer cream that travels deep into the skin to encourage cellular turnover. We also like to end the service by offering patients a nice hydrating peptide serum (helps stimulate collagen) for the lips.

What To Expect After Treatment

The light chemical peel will work on your skin for up to 8 hours after the appointment. That means you’ll want to keep it on your skin for the remainder of the day. You can apply makeup over it, but not water because that would reduce the effectiveness. You’ll also want to avoid direct sunlight and any cardiovascular activity for 24-48 hours after treatment.

Expect a little redness after treatment or a bit of skin frosting (whitish discoloration). It’s important to note that “peeling” isn’t a sign that your chemical peel is working and that reactions to light chemical peels can vary from person to person. If you do visibly slough skin, normally that begins about 48 hours after the treatment and continues for a few days. During the sloughing, it is of utmost importance that you do not scrub, pick, or peel the flaking skin, as the premature removal of it can cause hyperpigmentation.

To learn more about the facial aesthetic treatments we offer here at Dermacare of Hampton Roads call us at 757-547-7546 or make a consultation appointment HERE.