The Perfect Derma Peel: Who It Is For and How the Week After Goes

Not every skin concern needs a laser. For pigment, dullness, congestion and the shallow marks acne leaves behind, a well-chosen medical peel does a great deal, with a predictable week of recovery and no heat, which matters for melasma.

The Perfect Derma Peel is the one we reach for most. It is a medium-depth peel that blends trichloroacetic acid, salicylic acid and retinoic acid with glutathione, kojic acid and vitamin C. The acids resurface; the antioxidants and brighteners work on tone while the skin turns over.

Who it suits

• Adult acne and the red or brown marks it leaves behind.
• Sun damage, dullness and uneven texture.
• Melasma and hormonal pigment, where heat-based treatments are riskier.
• Fine lines and enlarged pores, often alternated with microneedling.
• Most skin tones, with a plan set by your practitioner after assessment.

The appointment

Skin is cleansed and degreased, then the peel is applied in layers. Expect a few minutes of stinging and warmth that settles quickly; a fan helps. The whole visit is around thirty minutes, and you leave with the solution on your skin and instructions on when to wash it off.

Day by day

• Day 1 to 2: skin looks slightly tanned or tight, with little visible change. Keep it bland and moisturised.
• Day 3 to 4: peeling begins around the mouth and nose and spreads outward. It can be dramatic. Do not pull, pick or exfoliate it.
• Day 5 to 7: peeling finishes. Skin underneath is pink, smooth and noticeably brighter.
• Weeks 2 to 6: tone continues to even out as pigment that was lifted does not return, provided the sun is kept off it.

Aftercare that protects the result

Peeled skin has a temporarily weak barrier, so the routine is repair rather than correction. A gentle cleanser, a barrier repair treatment, an oil-free hydrating gel with vitamin B5 and hyaluronic acid to take the tightness out, and a lipid-rich cream at night to replace what the peel removed. In the morning, a tinted mineral sunscreen with zinc and iron oxides, because visible light drives pigment too and freshly peeled skin has no defence of its own.

This is the set we bundle as Peel Aftercare on the Continued Treatment page. Resume retinol and exfoliating acids only when your practitioner clears you, usually seven to ten days later.

How often

Most concerns respond to a series of two to three peels spaced four to six weeks apart, then one or two a year to maintain. Pigment programs often alternate a peel with a brightening home routine so the improvement compounds.