If your skin has felt like it needed a fresh start since August, your instincts are right on time. Estheticians call this stretch of the calendar peel season for a reason. From September through November, the conditions for corrective treatments are as close to ideal as they get, and the clients who understand the timing are the ones who walk into December with visibly different skin.
When to Start a Chemical Peel Series
September. Truly, that is the answer (also based on your location). Sun exposure after a peel raises the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and fall lowers that risk naturally. The UV index drops, outdoor hours shrink, and your skin gets a calm season to heal between treatments. A series started in early fall has the full corrective window, three months of prime conditions, before the holidays arrive.
How to Prepare Your Skin Before a Peel
Adding a retinol to your routine is the jumpstart it needs. If you don't currently have one, we can help you choose the right one so you don't experience irritation.
For a minimum of 2-3 weeks prior, you should be on a tyrosinase inhibitor (this helps prevent unwanted pigment from developing during or after treatment).
Then, 3-7 days before your appointment should be simple. Skip retinol, exfoliating acids, and scrubs, and arrive with clean skin.
What to Expect During and After
During the treatment you may feel warmth, tingling, or a mild sting depending on the peel type and your skin's sensitivity. In the days after, flaking and sensitivity are normal and expected. Wear SPF every single day, keep your hands off the peeling skin, and let the process finish. Don't scrub, scratch or pull at peeling skin. The result on the other side is worth the week of patience!
What a Full Series Achieves
A peel series at RMSC is a planned sequence of treatments spaced across the fall and winer, and each session builds on the one before it. Your esthetician adjusts the depth and product at every appointment based on how your skin responds. By the end of the series, your skin is visibly brighter, smoother, and more even than when you started.
Start with a consultation and let us build the right fall plan for your skin!