Chemical Skin Peels: Post-Treatment Care Instructions

What you will see after your chemical peel

• swelling will increase over the first 2 – 3 days
• your skin will feel like a sunburn when it’s touched
• after 2 or 3 days, the skin will start to peel
• skin peeling occurs in little patches, which actually makes you look worse
• skin peeling continues up to day 7
• the skin is usually healed by day 10 to 14

What you should do:

for swelling

• use an ice pack (or a bag of frozen peas)
• place on the treated area for 15 minutes, 3 or 4 times a day, for the first 2 days
• keep your head elevated on pillows when you sleep

for your skin

• try to GENTLY remove any ointment using cotton balls or a towel moistened with water
• once you have removed the old ointment, wash your face with soap and water (use a gentle soap like Dove or Ivory)
• pat dry your face with a towel
• apply regular Vaseline (the thick kind)
• do this twice on the day after the peel, then three times each day after that
• if you notice any areas getting dry, apply a little more Vaseline
• don’t pick at the peeling skin

showering

• should be OK by the third day after the procedure (eg. if peel is done on Tuesday, you can shower on Friday)
• it may feel better if you let the water hit the back of your head and let it run down onto your face

once the skin has healed (Dr. Edelstein or our Head Medical Aesthetician will let you know)

• switch from regular Vaseline to either Vaseline intensive care, or, Cetaphil lotion