Chemical peels can be great for the skin when done properly and appropriately (not everyone needs a chemical) but they can also go horribly wrong. The most important step in making sure your chemical peel goes fine is finding an experienced practitioner to perform it and doing your own research too.
If done improperly, a chemical peel can have serious negative effects on your skin. Chemical peels are not one-size-fits-all and need to match your skin needs specifically. After any chemical peel, you can expect your skin to be red, tight, irritated, and slightly swollen; that doesn’t necessarily mean the chemical peel went wrong.
Here are some signs of a bad chemical peel:
- Bad burn
- Scarring
- Blisters
- Extreme redness and soreness
- Infection leading to bad breakouts
A few things to do when you get a bad chemical peel:
- Stop using any product with strong active ingredients like AHAs, BHAs, Retinoids, Azelaic Acid e.t.c
- If you have extreme redness/soreness, apply Hydrocotisone 1% cream twice a day for 3 – 7 days, depending how bad the soreness is. Start from 3 days and increase if necessary; if still sore after 7 days, seek the help of a professional.
- Your routine should include – Hydrating product, barrier repair moisturizer, soothing cream and sunscreen.
- When the soreness starts to subside, you can then include a vitamin c serum to help repair and strengthen the skin.
Products that can help after a bad peel
