Recovery

With a superficial peel you may get a little bit of pinkness and some mild skin peeling for a couple of days but will be able to resume normal activities straight away.

With medium depth peels there is a longer recovery period, usually a week to 10 days, although your skin can be pink for a few months. You will also get more peeling with a medium depth peel and may want to stay inside for a few days. Your face might be quite sore and swollen and feel tight after treatment. You can take painkillers to control this and use an antibiotic ointment to reduce the risk of infection. You must avoid scratching or picking off any peeling skin as you may cause your skin to bleed and be left with scars.

Recovery from a deep peel can take a couple of weeks. Some people feel quite ill after having a deep peel so you are advised to get someone to pick you up and drive you home. You are likely to experience pain and discomfort after the treatment, as your face will be tender and swollen and feel almost sun burnt. You should take recommended painkillers to manage this. You will get quite severe peeling, which can look fairly horrific and be incredibly itchy. This is usually at its worst a couple of days after treatment. You must avoid scratching or picking any scabs or bits of peeling skin as this can result in scarring. It can take up to two weeks before you start to look normal again. Redness can take even longer to disappear and may last three or four months.

With all chemical peels you should avoid sunbathing afterwards and make sure you wear a sunscreen when you go out, even if it is not sunny, as you may develop brown marks on your skin known as hyperpigmentation.