Question: I am thinking about getting the deepest strength chemical peel that you provide. I am 55 years old, male, and have acne scars on my cheeks and wrinkling in all the usual places. I also have a few age spots that I would like removed. How will my face look during the recovery period? How long is the recovery period?
Answer: During the recovery period your face will literally look like a second-degree burn as that is essentially what the chemicals or lasers do. It will therefore be weeping and red and certain areas will start to turn a bit brown, but it is very important that during this time period you keep it covered in a balm so that these areas do not dry and tend to scab. Essentially during that healing phase which can take about 1 week you are not going to want to go anywhere where you would be seen in public. After 1 week your skin is very pink but cover makeup can be used to camouflage this and when I perform these peels using an erbium laser most pinkness is gone within the first few weeks; however, if very deep chemicals are used literally redness can persist for weeks and a rather significant pinkness can persist for months.