Before The Procedure
A chemical peel is usually done at a doctor’s office or a place where surgeries are done on an outpatient basis.
Before the treatment starts, your doctor will clean your face, make sure your hair is protected, and put ointment, gauze, tape, or goggles over your eyes to keep them safe.
Pain relief is not usually needed for a light chemical peel.
If you’re getting a medium peel, you may get a sedative and pain medicine. For a deep peel, you may have a sedative, something to numb the skin, and fluids given through a vein.
During The Procedure
During A Light Chemical Peel:
Your doctor will use a brush, cotton ball, gauze, or sponge to put on a chemical solution that often has glycolic acid or salicylic acid.
The skin that is treated will start to look lighter.
You may feel a slight burning or stinging while the chemical is on your skin.
Your doctor will use a neutralizing solution or wash to take the chemical off your skin.
During A Medium Chemical Peel:
Your doctor will use a cotton-tipped swab or gauze to put on a chemical solution that includes trichloroacetic acid, sometimes mixed with glycolic acid.
The treated skin will start to look lighter.
After a few minutes, your doctor will put cool compresses on the treated skin to make it feel better.
You might also be given a hand-held fan to cool down. You won’t need a neutralizing solution.
You might feel a stinging or burning feeling for up to 20 minutes.
During A Deep Chemical Peel:
You’ll get intravenous (IV) fluids, and your heart rate will be watched closely.
Your doctor will use a cotton-tipped swab to put carbolic acid (phenol) on your skin.
The treated skin will start to turn white or gray.
To keep you from being exposed to too much phenol, your doctor will do the procedure in small parts, each about 15 minutes long.
A full-face chemical peel in singapore treatment might take about 90 minutes.
After The Procedure
After any type of chemical peel, your skin will be red, tight, irritated, or swollen.
Follow your doctor’s instructions for sun protection, cleaning, moisturizing, and putting on protective ointments. Avoid picking, rubbing, or scratching your skin. It might take several months before your skin color returns to normal, and you can see the full results of the peel.
After a light chemical peel, the treated skin will be red, dry, and slightly irritated — although these effects might be less noticeable with each repeat treatment.
Your doctor may apply a protective ointment, like petroleum jelly, to help soothe your skin. You can usually wear makeup the next day if you want to.
The treated area may take about one to seven days to heal after a light chemical peel.
The new skin might be temporarily lighter or darker than usual.
After a medium chemical peel, the treated skin will be red and swollen.
You might feel burning. Your doctor may apply a protective ointment, like petroleum jelly, to help soothe the area and prevent dryness. After five to seven days, you can use cosmetics to cover any redness.
You can use ice packs for comfort.
Over-the-counter pain medicine, like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve, others), can help reduce discomfort. You will probably need to schedule a follow-up appointment so your doctor can check your healing.
As the swelling goes down, the treated skin will begin to form a crust and might turn darker or have brown spots.
The treated area will take about seven to 14 days to heal after a medium chemical peel, but redness might last for months.
After a deep chemical peel, you will experience severe redness and swelling.
You might also feel burning and throbbing, and the swelling could even make your eyelids shut.
Your doctor will put a surgical dressing on the treated skin.
They may also give you painkillers. You’ll need to soak the skin and apply ointments several times a day for about two weeks.
The treated area will have new skin about two weeks after a deep chemical peel, although redness could last for months.
The skin might become darker or lighter than usual or lose the ability to tan.
You might want to stay at home while you heal from a chemical peel.
You will likely need several follow-up visits after your treatment so your doctor can monitor your healing.
Once the new skin completely covers the treated area in about two weeks, you can use makeup to cover any redness.
Use sunscreen every day.