So, you’ve had your chemical peel in Harley Street, Mayfair. You’re looking forwards to your oils rebalancing, your skin healing, and your fresh glow being reintroduced. Goodbye tired skin, hello fresh and dewy complexion! After your chemical peel though, you may be wondering where to turn for your nightly face wash or morning moisturiser. As your faithful companion in skin health, L’Atelier Aesthetics on Harley Street are here to help with our post-chemical peel skincare tips.
As some of those who suffer from congested, combination, or problematic skin will tell you, harsher cleansers are absolutely necessary at the appropriate times. These more aggressive face washes help to rebalance skin oil and scrub away blemishes, but when your skin is already sensitive during winter or after a treatment like a chemical peel it’s best that we give our skin a break. Use a lighter foaming daily wash, ideally with minimal chemicals and perfume, to keep your skin clean without irritating its healing and sensitive layers.
A chemical peel is a chemical exfoliation, so you don’t need to perform any exfoliation in your skincare routine for the foreseeable future, at least until your healing skin has settled down. A topical exfoliator like a face scrub should only be used 2-3 times a week, because too frequent use can lead to irritating the skin and scratch away at healthy skin cells. Your skin has already been exfoliated through a chemical peel, much deeper than usual in fact, and it is too sensitive to be exfoliated again even at the bathroom sink during the healing process.
A chemical peel will help shed dead and damaged skin cells in the form of dry skin, which will flake and peel. This could become itchy and irritating, and the vulnerable new skin beneath it could also be compromised by its early exposure to the elements. Relieve these symptoms and help protect your skin with medium-to-rich moisturisers. It will help your dry and dead skin not to feel too itchy, help your new skin not feel so tight, and in general provide some protection and relief for freshly treated skin.
Because your older layer of skin is in the process of flaking and shedding, a fresher layer is being forced to take its place. This is how a peel works and part of how it helps your skin to appear younger, but the fresh layer of skin is also vulnerable. Sun protection is a must for the week following a chemical peel as you allow your skin to heal. This is so you don’t risk uneven hyperpigmentation developing, sunburn, and compromised results.
Although the list of don’ts can feel exhaustive, however, you should really try not to pick at your skin, even when it begins to peel and flake off. If you follow L’Atelier Aesthetics on social media (or have seen our chemical peel diaries) you’ve seen our flaking skin and can rest assured that we didn’t pick ours. Picking it can damage the fresh skin underneath, causing it to turn red and inflamed and sensitive. This not only stings and looks blotchy, but as it tries to heal you can also trigger uneven hyperpigmentation in the area.
Follow our chemical peel aftercare skincare advice, and you’ll receive the optimum results from your skin treatments at out skin clinic in Harley Street & Mayfair. Transform your complexion today by booking your initial consultation with us! Enquire online or get in touch on 0207 637 3208.
