Question: I’ve heard a lot of hearsay about chemical peel treatments. My friend was telling me that during the treatment my skin will be red, dry, and blotchy. Because of this, will I need to use any specific type of lotions or creams before or after my chemical peel procedure?
Answer: There are hundreds of different types and strengths of chemical peels. Even the same peel and same strength can have 2 slightly different results in two different people. Chemical peels are fantastic when done for the right reason and by trained professionals. Peeling, redness, dryness can and will occur and there are products that we use for patients to help heal the skin after a chemical peel. Prepping your skin before the chemical peel can improve the results as well. The best thing is to see a trained master aesthetician or plastic surgeon or dermatologist and discuss your options. Be careful when it comes to spas as the level of expertise if often not adequate and while complications can happen anywhere, I have seen some complications resulting from chemical peels performed at medi-spas that would be classified under “amateur mistakes.”