How Soon Can I Attend Social Gatherings After a Chemical Peel?

The cold, dry Colorado winter air can be tough on your facial skin, making wrinkles, fine lines, and textural issues stand out. With the holidays coming up, you might be considering a chemical peel to rejuvenate your skin, but aren’t sure how long the recovery will take. 

At Aesthetic Surgery and Dermatology of Cherry Creek in Denver, Colorado, our team provides a full range of services to meet your aesthetic goals. We want you to know all the details of chemical peels before getting one during this busy season. 

The good news is that we offer peels of varying strengths to accommodate your timeline. We’ve put together this guide so you can learn what you need to know.

About chemical peels

Chemical peels use chemical solutions and the power of your body’s natural healing processes to rejuvenate the surface of your skin. The chemical solution peels away a portion of the top layer of skin, revealing the smoother, regenerated skin underneath. 

Meanwhile, your body perceives the chemical peel as a wound and sends more collagen to repair the damage. Collagen is a naturally occurring protein that creates fresh, new skin cells and improves your skin’s tone and texture. 

Chemical peels increase collagen production, giving you amazing results.

Types of chemical peels

There are different types of chemical peels that affect your skin in different ways. We work with you to recommend the best type of chemical peel for your situation. 

There are three main types of chemical peels. 

Light (superficial) peels use a mild acid and provide a quick refresh for your skin. Recovery typically takes a few days. 

Medium peels treat more damage, such as deep wrinkles or dark age spots, that light peels don’t target as well. Recovery takes up to 10 days. 

Deep peels remove the most damage and treat the most skin concerns, but require bandaging and usually up to two weeks of initial recovery. 

Benefits of chemical peels

Removing old skin cells to make room for healthy, new skin provides dramatic results without the need for surgery or more invasive procedures. Some benefits of chemical peels include:

• Reducing fine lines and wrinkles
• Improving the appearance and texture of scars 
• Evening out skin tone
• Eliminating dry, flaky skin
• Refreshing tired-looking skin
• Minimizing dark spots and freckles

Another benefit of chemical peels is that they take very little time, usually 30-60 minutes. You can go home right after treatment and can expect to see results within days, depending on the type of peel.

Scheduling social events after a chemical peel

If you’re getting a chemical peel to look your best for an upcoming event, you’re definitely wondering what to expect after the procedure. Recovery depends on your treatment, but most patients get good results with a light or medium peel without a long recovery time. 

Expect your skin to appear red during the first 24 hours after your treatment, which is completely normal. You can use a moisturizer liberally to soothe your skin. Your skin starts to flake and peel away after a few days. 

When your skin starts to flake, allow it to occur naturally. Don’t pick or peel it before it is ready to fall away. Most of the peeling should be finished after three to four days. 

It can take up to a week for your fresh, new skin to develop after the flaking is over. A full recovery for light peels is about one week and up to two weeks for a medium peel. 

Recovery for a deep peel takes a bit longer — about two weeks for the peeling to stop, but your face may remain red for months.

You should plan your chemical peel accordingly to allow yourself to recover before attending events since applying makeup or exposing your skin to the sun can be detrimental if it hasn’t fully healed. 

Your results continue to improve over the weeks as new skin grows and your body’s natural healing process continues. Scheduling another light or medium peel in a few months can help boost your results. Deep peels can only be done once every two to three years.

If you want to learn more about how chemical peels can rejuvenate your skin, we’re here to help. Schedule an appointment online or over the phone at Aesthetic Surgery and Dermatology of Cherry Creek in Denver, Colorado, today.