Is It Ok to Have a 25% Glyolic Acid Peel on my Face, Avoiding my Nose, 1 Month After Rhinoplasty?

Most patients can resume their pre-operative skin care regimen 2 weeks after rhinoplasty surgery.  It is wise to avoid abrasive peels and creams over the nose area for the first month.   If you had osteotomies with your rhinoplasty the bones will not be healed until at least 6-8 weeks.   It is therefore wise to avoid any manual pressure applying creams and lotions during this time.   A peel does not require pressure to apply.  In addition a 25% glycolic acid peel is a gentle peel and should not pose a problem if your skin is back to its normal state.

 You should ask your Rhinoplasty Surgeon for his/her advice as you are still under his/her care 1 month post Rhinoplasty.  If the nose is avoided,  a 25% glycolic face peel (which is a rather mild chemical peel) should not affect the Rhinoplasty healing.

Yes, a glycolic peel after rhinoplasty is OK. In fact it is probably OK to include the nose as well in the peel. However, if you had any problems during your early healing phase I would suggest you run this question by your surgeon to be sure.

Diana L. Elias MD