There is no better feeling than having freshly peeled or lasered skin, however, not when it’s followed by ‘unwelcomed’ guests that arrive shortly after treatment on your face. Did the laser/peel cause this or have they simply come to sabotage your results? Let’s take a closer look into their sudden or maybe not so sudden grand appearance.
Why does my skin breakout?
Breakouts are typically caused by a build-up of both oil (Sebum) and dead skin that combine to create a plug within the hair follicle. This creates a breeding ground for bacteria which triggers your body to fight back by creating lots of inflammation and pus. The inflammation created is usually triggered by hormones, stress, diet filled with lots of refined sugars and dairy, causing the breakouts to be very erratic, irregular and often unpredictable.
When treatment is done on the skin whether it be a peel or a laser treatment, our aim is to create controlled injury to encourage your skin to renew itself and push up the build-up of dead skin cells to show off a fresh new coat. When the skin does this however, it can cause those small oil plugs to rise up with the new skin, leading to an unexpected breakout or purge. Sadly, the only exit available is a one-way street, through the follicle and up to the top.
What is the best way to manage my breakouts?
A post treatment breakout can happen to Absolutely anyone, even those that are not typically prone to getting them. Here are some tips to try manage any breakouts prior to your treatment and also post should any new ‘guests’ make an appearance afterwards.
Pre-Treatment: cleanse skin regularly & thoroughly. Frequently exfoliate the skin 2-3 week (No closer than 2-3 days before treatment). include salicylic acid into your skincare routine (Cleanser or serum). try using light-weight creams if you are acne prone.
Post – Treatment: Cleanse the skin regularly & thoroughly. Include Thoclor GF1/GF2 into your post treatment homecare regime for its anti-bacterial properties. avoid over touching the skin whilst it’s healing. avoid exfoliating actives for 7-10 days.
Although we put measures into place to try our best to limit or reduce the chances of developing a post treatment breakout, sometimes they still appear, with or without an invitation. There isn’t anything you could have done differently to avoid it and this is often just one of those things that we have to accept that form part of the treatment journey.
What is in our control however is how we prepare our skins before treatment and how we manage the healing afterwards to ensure we still walk away with the best results and with as few uninvited guests as possible.
