Planning To Get A Chemical Peel? Here's Everything You Need To Know About It

Treatments like chemical peels should always be done with some pre-procedure precautions in mind. Such treatments aren't as gentle as the other regular facials and hence, there is no surety as to how your skin will react. Prepping up your skin properly before the treatment will not only enhance avoid any unnecessary skin irritations like burning but will also help in achieving amazing results.

Here's how you can best prepare yourself for a chemical peel:

What is a chemical peel?

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Chemical peels use intense exfoliating skin acid to recreate the top layer of your skin. Different chemicals such as lactic acid, glycolic acid, retinoic or salicylic acid are used depending on the type of your skin. The skin-friendly acids, keeping in mind, the sensitivity of your skin can be used to treat acne, get rid of scars and pigmentation, improve skin texture and leave you with younger-looking skin. The chemical peel will basically peel off the top layer of your skin to reveal a brighter complexion underneath.

Things to do before you prepare for a chemical peel 

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Now that you know what a chemical peel is, here's what you can do before you plan on getting one:

• Do your research on what kind of peel your skin requires. For instance, I treated my pigmentation and dry skin by getting lactic & glycolic acid peels and it did wonders for my face. Have a chat with your dermatologist on the options that are best suited for your skin.
• Stop using any other anti-ageing, acne or pigmentation topical creams for your face. You should also take a break from your skin medications but only after you consult your dermatologist.
• It is important that you do not exfoliate your skin for at least a week prior to your peeling session since the acid will already do that for you. Remember to keep your distance from facial scrubs or anything that has an exfoliating effect on your skin. This also includes your retinol and hyaluronic acid night treatments.
• Stay hydrated so that you can deal with the over-drying effect of the peel on your skin. The dryness & peeling usually lasts for a couple of days so make sure you keep your skin hydrated by drinking enough glasses of water.
• Last but not the least is a  major reminder to never go in for a peeling session close to an event as you need to let your skin breathe naturally. Even the tiniest amount of makeup application will ruin the results of the peel.

How do chemical peels feel on your skin?

Wondering what chemical peel feels like on your face, here are things you can look out for:

• A chemical peel will leave your skin with a mild tingling and itching sensation. While it's totally normal to happen, inform you, dermatologist, immediately if you are not able to handle it
• You may also experience some temperature change in your skin, both hot or cold. This is another normal reaction of the skin depending upon the type of acid used in the peel.
• You may also feel some tightness for a couple of minutes after the peel is left on your face because the peel extracts impurities from your skin.

Feature Image: GlamDerm

Text By: GirlStyle IN