Can I start wearing makeup a day after a chemical peel?

This is a common question with chemical peels, or any laser resurfacing procedure for wrinkle reduction. The answer largely depends on the depth of the chemical peel and the rate at which your skin heals following the cosmetic procedure. You want to minimize skin irritation after any peel or resufacing procedure.

Lunchtime peels are generally very superficial peels, such as low strength glycolic acid. One may be able to start wearing makeup the next day. With deeper peels, your cosmetic surgeon will provide and recommend a guideline to help the healing process. Makeup can be usually be worn approximately 7 to 10 days after a deeper peel. Skin is vulnerable after peels and resurfacing, and application of makeup prematurely will delay healing and risk causing infection, pigmentation changes, or scarring.

Each individual recovers at a varying rate. Keep in close communication with your plastic surgeon and dermatologist, who will tell you when you can resume makeup use.

Thank you for your question. Whether or not you can wear makeup one day after a chemical peel will depend on the depth of the peel. A light peel only affects the superficial top layer of the skin, and therefore it is probably safe to wear makeup after a light peel. Medium and deep peels penetrate deeper into the skin, dissolving away the protective outer layers and exposing healthy new skin underneath. However, that healthy new skin needs time to heal, and putting makeup on can not only irritate this delicate tissue, but also put you at a higher risk for infection. As such, I recommend that you wait at least a week before wearing makeup after a medium or deep peel. With all of that being said, you should consult with the experienced person who is performing your peel. They can give you more specific answers according to your skin and the type of peel you have chosen. Best, Dr. Verbin

It does depend on the strength of the peel. Makeup typically contains a lot of bacteria which can cause irritation and infection. Since each peel is different we suggest contacting your licensed medical aesthetican to see which peel was preformed and ask their recommendation on when you can continue using makeup. 

This is a great question, and it all depends on the type of chemical peel you get.  If you are getting a light, "superficial" chemical peel, sometimes known as the "party peel," you can wear makeup almost immediately.  Some of the stronger peels--such as medium depth and deep peels--may require you avoid makeup and your usual skin care products until you have stopped peeling. You can expect to peel for at least one week with medium-depth peels and at least two weeks with deep peels.

Depending on what type of peel was
performed, make can be applied a day after your treatment. With a light to medium peel, make up can be
applied the next day. Deep chemical
peels will have more downtime and the skin should be protected with Polysporin
or other post peel ointment. With
these peels no make up should be applied until the skin has calmed down and started
healing. This is to avoid causing an infection to the treated area.

For mild peels such as 15% glycolic or salicylic acis, mineral makeup if fine.Mineral makeup desn't have any chemicals or preservatives and won't cause any irritation to the skin. Most of the mineral makeup brands also have SPF 15-18.That will give you some extra protection but you should still have you sunscreen every day. Forr deeper and more aggressive chemical peels you should consult your doctor when is safe to apply makeup.

Medium and deep depth peels are great ways to treat skin discoloration and fine wrinkles. They work by removing the outer layers of skin.
It is important that you give your skin time to heal. In my San Francisco practice we typically wait 7-10 days before allowing make-up to minimize the risk of scars and infection.
An additional part that is VERY important especially for deeper peels is when you begin using make-up again look for make-up that has sun screen in it. (Sunscreen should always be used but is even more important post-peel or laser).
I hope this helps!

Steven Williams, MD

A chemical peel can cause varying degrees of skin exfoliation. In some cases, a peel may result in compete exfoliation of the skin to the level of the dermis.
In the recovery period, it is important to maximize the rate of reepithelialization of the skin, whereby new skin is formed.
There are two problems associated with using makeup on bare skin. The first is that they may contain heavy minerals or metals, which may deposit in the dermis prior to reepithelialization and cause permanent discoloration in the future.
Second, makeup is generally non-sterile and may expose your skin to contaminants during the critical healing period.

You can wear makeup after most chemical peels but be careful not to irritate the skin by rubbing the makeup on or taking it off too aggressively. The irritation can cause hyperpigmentation or discolorations which may need additional peels or bleaching creams to resolve it. You should always have a cortisone cream available after a chemical peel to calm down any irritated red skin and wear a sunscreen as well.
Sincerely,
David Hansen,MD

Thank you for your message! In the ideal world, you would wait until after your skin is peeling and healed to resume the use of daily makeup. Typically makeup is not sterile and can open healing skin to the possibility of infection or other complications. If you have redness you can use an over the counter hydrocortisone cream to help. We typically recommend avoiding the peel close to an important event or engagement!