A chemical peel uses acids to destroy the epidermis and parts of the dermis. During the initial recovery period, the skin undergoes a process of 'epithelialization,' whereby new skin is created to cover the treated areas.
During the initial healing phase, it is wise to avoid any harsh chemicals to the skin. The appropriate length of time is more an academic issue but the practical aspects of chemical peeling mandate that you err on the side of being conservative.
Common chemical peels are glycolic acid, salicylic acid, retinoic acid, and trichloroacetic acid.
I agree with my colleagues. To minimize the risk of pigmentary skin problems or possible scarring, I would wait at least 10 days after a light chemical peel (sal acid, Jessner's, glycolic or light TCA) before attempting to bleach facial hairs. If a more aggressive peel was done, I recommend waiting until the appearance of the skin has returned to normal (i.e. peeling, redness, darkening of the skin from inflammation). This may take a month but often much longer.
Furthermore, the bleaching of facial hairs itself can cause pigmentary skin problems (darkening or lightening) which can be made worse by recent application of chemical peel solutions.
Bleaching facial hairs can be done after chemical peels but you should wait at least 2 weeks first if the peel was a weak peel such as glycolic or jessners solution or 10% TCA. I recommend waiting 4 weeks if a medium peel was done such as 25-35% TCA. Facial hair bleaches are very irritating and can cause inflamation which leads to discolorations of the skin-most commonly dark blotchy patches.
David Hansen, MD
