Glycolic Acid Home Peel - Precautions, Skin Care Before And After The Peel

Hi Lovelies,

Glycolic, lactic, mandelic, salicylic or even TCA are powerful acids. They exfoliate, sometimes burn, the first layer of your skin in order to stimulate skin renew. These ingredients can irritate and make your skin sensitive. So there are many precautions to take to avoid side effects and complications in peeling. 

What are the risks of a chemical peel ?

- Skin infections (if you have a peel on an irritated skin)
- Hyperpigmentation (for dark skinned people)

Never have a peel if :

- you have lymphatic system disorders

- you take oral medication againts acne (like retinoids)

- you have skin allergies 

- you are pregnant 

- you have an irritated skin (eczema, psoriasis, herpes,...)

What are the side effects ?

- Tingling

- Itching 

- Burning

- Mild pain

- Tightness

- Scaling

- Crusting

- Can worsen acne

 

Skin Care 

One week or 4 days* before the peel : 

- stop using products that contain irritating ingredients like retinoic, glycolic, lactic, kojic acids... 

- stop waxing because it makes your skin more sensitive

- do an allergy test : just apply a very timy amount of the peel on your neck, wait 2 minutes and rinse off.  Examine your skin's reaction the following days. If you notice something abnormal, then don't have a chemical peel.

* 1 week is for peels above 30 % (which I don't recommend at home) and 4 days is for peels below 30 %  

After the peel

- Moisturize your skin with an organic oil (argan, jojoba, olive,...) or a neutral cream (so it must not contain retinoic, glycolic, lactic, salicylic or even kojic acids). Dermatologists say you have to moisturize your skin up to 20 times the day after the peel... the following days, it may be 10 to 20 times a day depending on your skin's needs

- Use an antibiotic ointments like Bactroban or Polysporin. If you cannot find them, honey (especially manuka honey) is a natural antibiotic. You can have pure honey mask or you can mix a little bit of your honey to your face cream (but a little bit, otherwise your face will be sticky)

- Use a soapless cleanser

- Use a collagen or hyaluronic acid serum. It would help you skin to heal.

- Use a sunscreen everyday (at the very least spf 30 please)

- Do not pick or rub your skin !!! 

- No sauna and no jacuzzi !!!

These recommendations should be respected during 5 days after the peel (this is for peels equal or lower than 30%, for peels with higher level of % ask your dermatologist). 

Again, I am telling you having a peel at home can be risky especially if you use an inappropriate percentage of acid. Please, as I told you, make an allergy test and always start with a lower percentage of acid (15 %). If you never used glycolic acid, please start with an aha cream (8%). Let your skin get used to aha and then have a peel (but again start with a lower percentage).

But when you decice to have a peel, you do it at your own risk. I am just giving you advice and useful information.  If something went wrong I am not responsible of it.

Also make lots of researches on the internet. Please read the following links :

Source : 

http://sante-medecine.commentcamarche.net/contents/534-peeling-chez-un-dermatologue 

http://www.webmd.com/beauty/peels/chemical-peel

http://gkayskincare.com/gkay/chemical_care.html

http://www.deborahwinter.com/procedures_aftercare/superficial_peels/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3047741/