Why Do I Need Sun Protection After Chemical Peels and Laser?
If you’ve just had a procedure such as a chemical peel or laser treatment, it’s natural to ask: how can I best protect my skin and optimize healing in the post-procedure period? The answer is important. You want and need to use sunscreen in order to continue to protect your skin.
What can a Chemical Peel or Laser Treatment do for me?
Chemical peels and laser treatments are ideal for a variety of skin conditions. “These treatments are great for treating age spots, certain types of acne, sun spots, liver spots, freckles,” says Dr. Miriam Hanson, board certified dermatologist and cosmetic skincare expert in Austin, Texas. “In fact, many of these treatments can even treat precancerous keratoses on the face and body.”
Often categorized as resurfacing procedures, these treatments work by removing the top layer of skin, which houses most damaged cells, or by targeting specific pigmented structures within the skin. By doing so, they reveal smoother, younger, and rejuvenated skin.
Why use Sun Protection?
After your treatment, it’s important to use sun protection because now, you have a newly exposed layer of skin cells on your face. These cells are very sensitive and being exposed unprotected to sunlight can lead to complications. “You’ve just gone through the process of helping your skin to look better,” explains Dr. Hanson. “You wouldn’t want to undermine all that work by leaving your skin unprotected and at the mercy of the sun’s damaging UV rays.” Among other things, sun exposure can cause dark marks to form on the skin in the post procedure period – often one of the issues you were trying to get rid of int he first place.
Your skin is sensitive, and when you are trying to take care of it, especially by having a chemical peel or a laser treatment, you want to make sure to follow all the steps given to you by your doctor, which includes protecting your skin.
In fact, you shouldn’t only wear sunscreen right after having these procedures done; instead, try to incorporate it into your daily routine. “Dermatologists are known to recommend sunscreen on a daily basis, even in wintertime,” says Dr. Hanson.”And why not? it’s one of the best anti-aging and cancer prevention strategies for your skin!”
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Dr. Hanson sees and treats patients at Sanova Dermatology. To learn more about how we can help your skin to look its best, please contact us.
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