WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER THE PEEL

When you leave the office: you will look like you have a light pink “film” or frosting on your skin, and you will have a thin layer of ointment on the treated areas. The light pink look will fade leaving a mild redness like a sunburn, typically within an hour or two.
The first day following the peel: expect some redness like a sunburn and possibly some swelling of the eyelids if they were treated.
The second and 3rd days following the peel: your skin will start to feel dry and a little tight; it will typically turn brown on the surface before it peels. The “new” skin underneath is usually fairly pink. You may notice that many of your freckles or sun spots peel right off.
The 4th day and beyond: the last areas will finish peeling; some areas may peel more than once. Any subsequent peeling is usually fine dry desquamation, not the dramatic peel like the first one. Be sure to protect your fresh skin with sunscreen!

POSTOPERATIVE CARE

DAILY: Keep all treated areas covered with a thin layer of Aquaphor or petroleum ointment (Vaseline). The ointment application will need to be repeated several times a day as necessary to keep the area from feeling dry. Your treatment area must not be allowed to dry out (with hard scabs and crusts); doing so will increase your risk of scarring.
AT NIGHT: Apply a thicker coat of ointment prior to going to bed. You may want to place a towel or an old T-shirt over your pillow.
You may decrease the amount and frequency of ointment each day as your skin heals, eventually just spot treating any residual peeling or crusty areas.

TO REMOVE LOOSE PEELING SKIN: GENTLY wipe with a wet or damp washcloth. Do not use tweezers or your fingernails to remove anything that is not literally hanging off your face. If ithe peeling skin isdifficult to remove, your skin is not ready to peel.

As soon as the skin has peeled (you no longer have “raw” spots), begin applying sunscreen EVERY DAY. Some people will experience stinging and sensitivity to regular sunscreen lotions for a few weeks following the peel. If this is a problem, use a chemical-free sunscreen such as Neutrogena Chemical Free SPF 17, or PreSun Chemical Free. 

MAKE-UP: and cosmetics may be used when most of the peeling has finished, typically 4-5 days after the procedure.

Continue the antiviral prescription for its entire course. Call the office immediately if you have signs of infection such as fever, a new increase in pain, blisters, pustules, or thick yellow or green drainage (not clear yellow- that is normal). 

Acne may flare up the week following peeling. Spot application of an over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide product such as Clearasil for sensitive skin will typically do the trick.

1-2 weeks after the procedure: 
1. Begin Retin-A or Renova cream every night or every other night. This will stimulate your skin to make new collagen.
2. Use a bleaching agent (Lustra or other brand) twice daily to minimize the risk of blotchy dark pigmentation in the treated areas. This is not used on every patient, but if it is part of your treatment, expect to use it for about 3 months.
3. Return to regular sunscreen every day as tolerated. Sunscreen will need to be used for at least six months following the procedure! We recommend that you plan to use sunscreen forever!