How To Treat Burns After Microderm and 70% Glycolic on Fair Skin Black Female?

Question

I am fair skin black woman who had microderm and 70% glycolic done at the same time. The microderm was aggressive and the peel stayed on for about 5 minutes. I now have some burns in certain areas on my face. How do I treat this and will it cause a scar?

Matthew Schulman, MD · Answer

The key is too keep the area moist with aquaphor. Do not pick, peel, or poke!  Make sure to see you doctor regularly during this healing process so that any problems can be detected immediately.

F. Victor Rueckl, MD (in memoriam) · Answer

I'm sorry you had this experience, but a 70% glycolic is way too strong for your skin, no matter how long you leave it on. To treat the burn and avoid any permanent problems:

	1. Wash gently with your hands (do not exfoliate, scrub, use a sponge or loofah, etc.) with a mild soap like Dove.

	2. Apply something that will keep the area moist, like Aquaphor, for several days. You can also use hydrocortisone if you have any redness, either over-the-counter or prescription strength. Make sure you apply both of these with your skin damp.

	3. Do not pick your skin. If you have any scabs, you need to place a cool rag on those spots and gently remove them. Do not pull them off; do not allow them to stay there. Scabs in the general sense, equate to scars.

	4. If you notice hyper or hypo pigmentation as the area heals, consult a dermatologist. It's best to start treating this as quickly as it's developing, which hopefully it does not.

	5. Keep the area out of the sun and use a good sunscreen with good ingredients. Your newer skin will be more susceptible to burns so be very, very careful in the sun!

Mitchell Schwartz, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

My recommendations for treatment of burns in the skin are as follows:
	1. Keep the areas clean by washing with a mild soap twice daily.
	2. If there is blistering, relieve the pressure and hasten healing time by gently popping all blisters using a sterile needle or pin at the side of the blister. This should be a painless procedure. Do not remove the roof of the blister but allow it to settle down so it is flush with the skin. The blister roof will then form a protective cover.
	3. Apply Aquaphor Healing Ointment (available without a prescription) to all involved areas to keep them "greasy". The greasier the area is, the faster it will heal. The drier and scabbier the area gets, the slower it will heal.
	4. Permanent scarring is unlikely but you have to guard against post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation by constant protection from the sun for these areas such as using protective clothing as well as broad spectrum sunscreens.
	5. Make certain you are under a doctor's care and watch for signs of infection so that oral antibiotics can be started as soon as possible if necessary.

How To Treat Burns After Microderm and 70% Glycolic on Fair Skin Black Female?

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How To Treat Burns After Microderm and 70% Glycolic on Fair Skin Black Female?

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Everything you need to know about Glycolic Peel

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.