Before deciding to peel your skin, there are some important factors that you need to keep in mind to ensure safety and achieve the best results. Peeling is a cosmetic procedure that uses chemical active ingredients to regenerate the skin’s surface, making the skin brighter and smoother. However, for this procedure to be safe and effective, you need to understand the notes before peeling your skin.

Peeling is a popular cosmetic method with many uses such as skin regeneration, acne treatment, dark spot reduction, skin pigmentation improvement and oil reduction. So what are the notes before peeling your skin?

What is the peeling method?

Peeling, also known as chemical skin regeneration, is a method that uses chemical compounds with different concentrations to break the bonds between horny cells at many shallow and deep levels. Skin peel products often contain ingredients that help whiten the skin, fight inflammation and antioxidants, providing many benefits such as removing dead cells, brightening the skin, reducing follicular keratinization and controlling sebum. At the same time, this process stimulates the skin to renew and regenerate. Thanks to that, this method helps treat many aesthetic skin problems such as:

• Skin pigmentation (dark spots, melasma, freckles);
• Acne;
• Scars;
• Skin rejuvenation;
• Pore reduction.

Chemical peeling or skin resurfacing

How many levels of peeling are there?

Peeling is divided into 3 different levels:

• Superficial peel: Affects the outer layers of the epidermis (from the stratum corneum to the basal layer) and takes about 7-10 days to have clear results. This method is often used to brighten the skin, improve pigmentation and treat mild acne.
• Medium peel: Penetrates the papillary layer of the dermis, the skin recovery process lasts from 10-14 days. This peel has the ability to fade shallow wrinkles, brighten the skin and reduce dark spots.
• Deep peel: Affects the reticular dermis deeply, often used to treat problems such as deep wrinkles, pigmentation disorders, acne scars or premalignant skin tumors. However, for dark Asian skin, this method is rarely performed because of the long recovery time (about 40-60 days, sometimes up to 90 days in the elderly) and the high risk of complications such as scarring, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, depigmentation or infection.

Skin peeling is divided into 3 levels: shallow, medium and deep peel.

Things to note before peeling

Here are some things to note before peeling that you need to know. The chemical peeling method uses chemicals that penetrate deep into the skin, so to achieve optimal results, you need to note a few things before doing it:

• Stop using home exfoliating products for at least 48 hours: These products often contain retinol or salicylic acid to help exfoliate the skin, while peeling also has this effect but at a stronger intensity. Stopping use helps reduce the risk of skin damage.
• Stop using cosmetics that dry the skin: This helps protect the skin’s natural moisture before peeling.
  Inform your doctor about the medications you are taking: If you are being treated with medication, provide information to your doctor for appropriate advice.
• Moisturize well: Keeping the skin hydrated helps the skin stay healthy and promotes faster recovery after peeling.
• Avoid scratching the skin: Because peeling uses acid, scratched skin can cause discomfort and burning more than usual.
• Do not peel if you are going out: Avoid peeling 3 weeks before planning to go out, because the skin needs time to peel and recover, requiring careful care.
• Choose a reputable facility: Research and choose a place that performs peeling with expertise and reputation to ensure safety and effectiveness.

Adequate moisturizing is one of the things you need to know before peeling your skin.

How to take care of your skin after peeling?

After answering the questions before peeling, let’s learn about how to take care of your skin after peeling to recover quickly. Proper skin care after peeling will help achieve the best results and minimize the risk of complications:

• Use gentle cleansers and apply moisturizers in the form of cream or lotion to regenerate the protective barrier and promote skin recovery.
• Use sunscreen carefully, limit direct exposure to sunlight for at least 2 weeks before and after peeling.
• Avoid using products containing AHA, BHA or vitamin A derivatives (Adapalene, Retinol, Tretinoin, …) and stop using exfoliants for 3-7 days after peeling.
• Limit makeup for 1-2 weeks after each peel to give your skin time to rest and recover.
• The skin will flake after a few days, so avoid touching, scratching or removing the flakes yourself because it can cause infection, leave scars or create wounds on the skin.
• Avoid hot activities such as strenuous exercise, saunas or hot baths for at least the first 3 days after treatment.
• Avoid waxing or hair removal in the treated area for at least 2 weeks afterwards.
• It is important to follow the correct interval between peels to avoid the skin becoming thin, easily irritated or experiencing complications after treatment.

The skin will flake off after a few days, so avoid touching, scratching or removing the flakes yourself.

In short, skin peeling is an effective beauty method if performed correctly and following safety rules. Carefully preparing the notes before peeling not only helps the process go smoothly but also minimizes the risk of complications. Always listen to advice from dermatologists and take good care of your skin before, during and after peeling to achieve the healthy, radiant skin you desire.