Last Wednesday, I got a Rejuvenize Chemical Peel from La Papillon Spa in Baltimore. The first day after the peel my skin was basically normal. On the second and third day I began to really peel and the fourth and fifth day brought more dramatic peeling. I learned what not to do if you get this peel, which is nice for you (and wasn't so fun for me).
Having gone through the process, I think I expected the peeling to be more dramatic. In my mind, chunks of my face would fall off. In reality, that probably wouldn't be healthy and layers should peel away like an onion, which is exactly what happened. While I certainly didn't look good, the amount of peeling did not stop me from going somewhere like the grocery store, but it did stop me from going to work. So small jaunts were okay, but long stays around people you know was not something I would have wanted to do, from a vanity standpoint.
As I write this, it is now the start of the sixth day. My skin is still lizard-like in some places, where the peeling isn't quite finished. I miss my products - especially my eye cream - I like my whole skincare routine and I miss it. Depending on how sensitive my skin is, I am hopeful that I can start using my regular skincare products tomorrow (one week after having the peel). My skin isn't really tender any longer, just dry (in some areas).
I even gave myself a good (yet gentle) face massage in the shower to remove some of the dry skin in the areas that still need to peel. Overall, I am really satisfied with the amount of skin that peeled and what was revealed. I didn't know what to expect from a pain perspective when I started this process. It was not particularly painful, provided you don't go outside in the snow or wear a face mask. It did make my face tingle when the peel itself was applied and it was tender at times. I was prepared to be more uncomfortable than I actually was.
This morning, I decided to battle the snow that still hasn't been plowed from my street (or around my office) and go into work. I also wore makeup for the first time in 6 days. I still have some dryness, specifically around my nasolabial folds, but it's nothing too obvious. I opted to use Kate Sommerville Quench as a hydrator, Jan Marini's AntiOxidant SPF 30 as my sunscreen and Stila's One Step Makeup as my foundation.
I opted for the Stila foundation because it is a moisturizer, primer and beautiful foundation all in one. While you can still see some of my face flakes, no one is staring and I look pretty good, all things considered. This foundation is on the sheer side, but is doing a nice job of covering, while letting my new luminous skin shine through. I am not wearing any concealer in this photo, only the foundation, blush and eyeshadow.
My skin still needs to heal and calm down. It's a little red in patches and there is definitely a little flaking left, especially around my hair line. In a few days, I will have a better idea of the final results. As of now, I can tell that my skin is amazingly luminous and that some areas of my melasma have been reduced. Although in all honesty, I fear there are a few really annoying hyper-pigmentation spots that may have been revealed a little more. What that may mean is that some of the melasma is finally closer to the surface (where before it was deeply buried) and that it will now respond more positively to topical treatments or another round of peeling. However, Madeleine at La Papillon reassures me in that it likely means there is more peeling to come in that area, so only time will tell! Some fine lines on my cheekbone have also been slightly diminished. While I am too impatient to wait, I will have to do just that! My skin still has a lot of healing to do and I can't wait to see the results.
While I am hoping for stellar results with one peel, this peel is usually prescribed as part of a multi-peel treatment. The first peel reveals amazing skin and additional peels may be required to resurface skin, address stubborn melasma or to diminish fine lines. Later next week, I'll reveal the final results!
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