Facial peels can be a great way to address a number of skin conditions all at once. They can remove dead skin cells to ease dryness, unclog your pores to prevent blemishes, and even ease the appearance of wrinkles. However, facial peels can be a bit intense, leaving you with sore and peeling skin for a few days after treatment. As such, you might have a few questions you'd like answered before proceeding with this procedure.

How should you prepare for a facial peel?

The more moist your skin is heading into a facial peel, the less prominent your side effects will typically be. So, in the week leading up to your peel, make sure you are washing with a gentle, non-medicated cleanser and applying a nice, hydrating moisturizer morning and night. Don't use any cosmetics that you know tend to dry you out. Also, try to stay out of the sun, and if you do need to be in the sun, wear good sunscreen. Basically, take care of your skin, knowing that the peel will be a little rough on it, temporarily.

How does a chemical peel feel?

People sometimes worry that the peel itself will be uncomfortable. But it really shouldn't be. You will feel some tinging and some warmth while the ingredients work, but no outright pain or burning. Your salon care professional will apply a soothing, hydrating moisturizer to your skin after the peel, which will also help keep you comfortable. 

What is the recovery actually like?

You may have heard that recovering from a facial peel is painful, or that your face will look a mess for a while. These assessments are not entirely false, but they do tend to be exaggerated a bit. Really deep chemical peels can cause peeling or red skin for weeks, but those deep chemical peels are really rare and only used by dermatologists for pretty serious skin conditions.

What most people get is a mild to a moderate chemical peel. Afterward, you can expect to feel like you got a sunburn. Your skin will be dry and a little irritated, but nothing that you can't manage with a soothing moisturizer and over-the-counter NSAID medications. Within a week, you should be back to normal. It may even take less time than that if you took good care of your skin prior to the peel.

Facial peels can be really beneficial. If you have any questions about the procedure, reach out to your salon care professional prior to your session.