Peel aftercare
Tightness first, flaking around day two or three. The whole job is to let it come away on its own.
A peel takes the surface away in a controlled way. Then it asks the skin underneath to replace it faster than it otherwise would. The days afterwards are the treatment continuing, not the treatment wearing off.
Two things decide how well it goes, and both are yours: sun protection, and letting the shedding happen on its own. Everything else is detail.
The short version
Expect tightness, then flaking from around day two. Let it come away by itself.
SPF 50 every morning and reapplied through the day. After a peel this is the treatment, not advice.
No actives at all until the flaking has completely finished.
Hour by hour
The first 72 hours
Skin doesn’t run to a timetable, so read these as the usual shape rather than a promise. Yours may be quieter or slower.
0 - 24
hours
First 24 hours
What you may notice
Tight, warm and slightly red, similar to mild windburn.
Pigmented areas often look darker and more defined before they lighten. Expected, and temporary.
The skin may feel waxy or stiff when you smile.
What to do
Use only the barrier moisturiser I sent you home with, as often as it feels tight.
Skip cleansing tonight if you can. If you must, lukewarm water and fingertips.
Clean pillowcase. No make-up.
24 - 48
hours
24 to 48 hours
What you may notice
Tightness peaks, then the first flaking starts. Usually around the mouth and the sides of the nose.
Some people barely flake at all. That doesn’t mean the peel hasn’t worked.
What to do
Moisturise more often than feels necessary.
SPF 50 in the morning and again at lunchtime.
Cleanse with lukewarm water and fingertips only. No flannel, no cloth.
48 - 72
hours
48 to 72 hours
What you may notice
Flaking in earnest, typically for three to five days in total.
Skin can look worse on day three than on day one. It passes.
What to do
Don’t pull, pick or help it along. Anything you lift early takes live skin with it. That’s how a peel leaves a mark.
Keep moisturising and keep SPF on.
Hold off on make-up while there’s loose skin. It catches, and it looks worse than bare.
Not yet
Leave alone
Timings are the cautious end of the range on purpose. Waiting a day longer than you needed to costs nothing. The other way round is what leaves a mark. If you’re not sure, I’m always happy to guide you.
- Picking or pulling flaking skin
- Until it’s finished
- Retinoids, acids, vitamin C, enzymes
- 7 days
- Scrubs, brushes, flannels, muslin
- 7 days
- Sauna, steam, hot yoga, hot showers
- 72 hours
- Swimming
- 72 hours
- Waxing, threading, laser, IPL, electrolysis
- 14 days
- Direct sun and any real-sun holiday
- 2 weeks either side
- Sunbeds
- Always
Safety
Contact me if
None of these are common, and none of them mean something has gone badly wrong. They mean I’d rather see it than hear about it in six weeks.
Blistering, weeping, or a raw patch anywhere.
Pain rather than tightness.
Redness spreading beyond the area I treated.
Any sign of a cold sore starting. Tell me the same day. It’s much easier to manage early.
Skin still flaking after seven days.
This page is general guidance for people I have already treated. It does not replace what I said in the room, and it is not medical advice. If you feel unwell, or something is worsening quickly, contact NHS 111 or your GP rather than waiting for me.
What happens next
Your next appointment
Peels work as a course, usually three to six, four weeks apart, with daily SPF in between. Without that last part a course of peels is money set on fire. I’d rather say so now than after six sessions. Where we’re treating melasma, we’re managing it rather than curing it. I’ll keep being honest about that.