After any treatment, your skin is in a weakened state. It’s more vulnerable to UV light, pollution, and anything irritating. Fresh post-treatment skin is like a sponge: It absorbs all the things you put on it, for better or worse. Using a potent acid, in particular, puts more stress on your skin and might make it more sensitive to new things. The cuter, gentler, and simpler you are for the days following any resurfacing treatment, the faster your skin will be able to recover. It’s honestly best to stick to a basic cleanser and moisturiser for at least a week post-peel.
THE ONLY THINGS YOUR SKIN ACTUALLY NEEDS
Simplify the routine down to three things: gentle cleanser, barrier-supporting moisturiser, and sun protection.
For cleansing, seek out pH-balanced fragrance-free. Hypochlorous acid-based cleansers have been getting buzz in post-procedural care because they’re antimicrobial minus the bite of alcohol useful for areas surrounding incisions.
For moisture, petroleum-derived products (petrolatum, mineral oil) have the longest history and the most support in wound care literature. The American Academy of Dermatology has given petrolatum its official seal of approval as an ideal post-op wound protectant. That’s because petroleum-derived products are chemically inert and have the best ability to create a very thin, impervious, unscented, colourless moisture barrier.
A structured post surgery skin care routine built around wound hygiene and moisture retention does more for long-term skin appearance than any serum. Stick with your minimal, boring, science-backed basics and save the expensive stuff for six months down the line.
WHAT SURGERY ACTUALLY DOES TO YOUR BODY
Any type of injury to your skin – whether it’s a minor cut, a cosmetic procedure, or a therapeutic laser – is going to trigger the same internal responses. Your immune system is going to react to help repair damage, which leads to an increase in blood flow to the area, redness, warmth, and swelling. Your skin is going to be more sensitive because your nerve endings are exposed when the barrier is broken. And fibroblasts in the skin will ramp up new collagen production, which is the final result of any wound healing process.
None of this is bad or a sign that you need to apply more products to make it happen. Your skin structure is working the way it should. The problem comes when we expose our skin to too many products or wrong ones. When skin is injured in any way, even just a tiny scrape of the stratum corneum, the immune response is triggered. Using anything that your skin can’t tolerate will cause inflammation that will likely end up damaging the overreacting new skin cells.
WHAT TO STOP USING IMMEDIATELY
Here’s a list that surprises some people. For a minimum of two weeks post-procedure, put all of the below on hold – sometimes longer:
- Retinoids (retinol, tretinoin, retinaldehyde)
- AHAs (glycolic acid, lactic acid)
- BHAs (salicylic acid)
- High-strength vitamin C (above 10%)
- Physical scrubs or exfoliating tools
- Alcohol-based toners or astringents
- Fragrance-heavy products
These aren’t ‘bad’ ingredients in the context of normal, healthy skin. But on skin that’s busy healing, chemical exfoliants and high-potency active ingredients can be more of an insult than a treatment. The skin can’t process or protect itself from them in the normal way, and the results can range from prolonged redness to chemical sensitivity that sets your recovery back by weeks.
SUN PROTECTION IS NON-NEGOTIABLE
Fresh scar tissue is not protected by UV rays like normal skin. Instead, it is more likely to become permanently darkened due to UV exposure, preserving evidence of the scarring for much longer.
Mineral sunscreens with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are the way to go when you’re taking care of fresh scar tissue. They are physical blockers that sit on the skin’s surface rather than being absorbed. Physical blockers are much less likely to cause any stinging or redness of the healing skin. Chemical blockers need to be absorbed and metabolized by the skin’s cells. There are enough processes for the skin cells to manage in early healing, and metabolising sunscreen isn’t something that needs to be added to the list.
But sun protection isn’t just about using the right sunscreen – it’s just as much about avoidance. If the skin that has been damaged is on your face, a broad brimmed hat and the shade are just not optional for the first couple of months. UV damage during healing is one of the most easily preventable reasons for a poor cosmetic outcome.
WHEN TO START REINTRODUCING YOUR ROUTINE
The amount of time your skin will take to heal and repair itself will vary depending on the specific treatment(s) you had. However, the general process tends to be the same; your skin will go through the inflammation phase, the repair phase, and the remodeling phase. This last phase can take as long as three to six months post-procedure, as the skin strengthens and redness fades.
Thank you so much for reading! – xo N
Connect with me on social media: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Bloglovin
this is a contributed post.
New Lune 