Unfortunately there's no way of knowing how your skin will look once the scabs fall off as everyone's skin reacts differently. You are right, the use of Retin-A or for that matter, any exfoliating product for 1-2 weeks prior to a microdermabrasion, chemical peel, micro peel, or even waxing, is a big no no. Retin-A thins the skin and makes it sensitive and fragile. Its great as an anti-aging product, however before undergoing any of these procedures the use of it can cause mild to severe damage, depending on the procedure being done. Keep applying aloe as that will help calm and soothe. Your nurse, dr, or esthetician should have had you complete a consent form and questionnaire prior to the procedure. This isn't just for their legal purposes, its for your safety in situations such as this. It doesn't sound like they're practicing safe skin care! I wouldn't be a repeat customer if I were you, this was their mistake. You aren't expected to know these things, but they are.
I am a licensed esthetician, and very experienced with chemical peels. After receiving a chemical peel, as I'm sure your esthetician explained, peeling skin is expected. However, don't peel it off prematurely. This could inflict scarring or permanent pigmentation loss. Keep applying a heavy moisturizer frequently and this should reduce appearance of the peeling skin, and reduce the urge to prematurely peel it off. Your skin will naturally shed off the dead skin cells on its own in a few days. Hope this helps!
Recent comments
Posted to Retin-A, Microdermabrasion & Salicyclic Peel on 23 Oct 2009
Posted to Peeling Skin After Salicylic Acid Peel on 23 Oct 2009