Post-peel care

Immediate post-peel care is described in detail in the chapters dealing with each type of peel. As a general rule, tretinoin and creams with an alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) concentration of over 10% should be avoided before the exfoliation phase is completely finished. 

An SPF of 50 protects the skin against 98% of UV. A higher protection factor is not necessary. 

Diagram of the peripheral thermal damage after ablative laser treatment. The number of lethal lesions is proportional to the degree of shading. The skin is repaired from peripheral keratinocytes some have suffered sublethal damage. Heat-shock protein (HSP) inducers help improve keratinocyte resistance to heat shock. 

Where there is sublethal damage, or very light damage, the cells must eliminate or repair the damaged and ineffective proteins, increase protection of the proteins that did 

With age, HSP function deteriorates in human skin, and aging cells are increasingly more prone to protein destruction. 

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Post-peeling Care 35 6.8 Post-peeling Care ... 

Phenol does not usually require any specific preparation, but needs careful post-peel care. 

For patients who accept it, preparation gives them a foretaste of between- and post-peel care. 

Resorcinol in paste form is used in a very specific manner the paste is usually applied three times, once a day for 3 days in a row. Post-peel care is very important diuing the following week the skin should not be hydrated at all, as it has to dry out completely for the peel to be effective and, above all, the patient must not pull off or pick at the flaking skin. Only the doctor can safely cut off any strips of flaking skin with sterile scissors. Cosmeceutical creams for age spots, acne, aging or sagging skin, etc. should only be applied after the skin has flaked. Effective sun protection (UVA + UVB + HSP inducers) is absolutely essential for approximately 6 weeks after the peel. 

Trichloroacetic acid in simple aqueous solution (TCA-SAS) involves pre-peel preparation, application of the TCA-SAS solution to the required depth (usually the papillary dermis), flaking, natural skin regeneration and post-peel care. 

Phenol entails the most complex post-peel care occlusive masks, healing masks and cosmetic care during the months following the peel. Chapters 25-36 are devoted to this technique. The expected downtime is between 7 and 15 days, depending on the formula used. The patient will have to wear camouflage make-up to hide any redness, which can last for several weeks or months. 

These are more common when patients have to undertake complex post-peel care themselves. The basic principles of sterility are not widely known by the public and require special training in order to be effective. The more patients have to take part in the post-peel care, the higher the risk of infection. 

Either the applicator provided with the product or the point of a 30G1/2 needle should be used to limit the action precisely to the head of the comedone. In 95% of cases, comedolysis is achieved. Very large macrocomedones (>2 mm in diameter) can benefit from careful infiltration of Easy TCA or Easy Phytic solution into the center of the comedone. Post-peel care, which is very important, consists in avoiding comedogenic cosmetics, having the skin cleansed professionally once a month, and applying an antiacne cream containing AHAs, tretinoin or precursors, disinfectants, anti-inflammatories, tea-tree oil, etc." once or twice a day. For details of this treatment, see Chapter 15. 

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