Edward D. Buckingham, M.D.
Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Chemical-Peel Postoperative Instructions
| PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING LIST OF INSTRUCTIONS VERY CAREFULLY TO MINIMIZE ANY ADVERSE SURGICAL OUTCOMES. IF YOU SHOULD HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO ASK US. |
IF YOU HAVE BEEN ON ACCUTANE (ISOTRETINOIN) DURING THE PAST YEAR, YOU MUST INFORM DR. BUCKINGHAM BEFORE YOUR PROCEDURE. IT IS NOT ADVISED TO UNDERGO RESURFACING OF ANY KIND IF YOU HAVE BEEN RECENTLY TREATED WITH ACCUTANE.
Before your surgery:
Please follow all the preoperative instructions outlined in the Preoperative Instruction Sheet carefully. Avoid any aspirin-containing or aspirin-related products as well as herbal medications and nutritional supplements as outlined in the Preoperative Instruction Sheet.
After your surgery:
Please follow the Postoperative Instruction Sheet carefully.
Apply cold packs to treated area 20 min each hour for 48 hours.
Items needed for post-operative care: Aquaphor healing ointment, Cetaphil Cleanser, Cetaphil Facial Cream, (Provided by The Buckingham Center)
4 X 4 Gauze or clean soft wash clothes, Q-tips
General Cleaning Instructions:
1. Hydrate! Hydration of the body is essential for healing. Drink plenty of water during your recovery. Avoid caffeinated beverages including coffee, soda, and tea.
2. Wash face gently in a circular motion with cool/warm water and Cetaphil Cleanser (provided by the clinic). You may use a soft clean cloth or sterile gauze to gently remove the excess ointment.
3. Rinse off with water by gently splashing face over sink or by squeezing a soft, damp cloth over area.
4. Dry area gently by patting off the water with a soft cloth.
5. Apply Aquaphor ointment evenly over entire area including the edges with a q-tip or clean tongue depressor (provided by the clinic).
6. We recommend applying ointment at least three times daily, or more frequently, so as to avoid drying out your skin. Be generous in your application. A thick coating ensures that all your skin is well moisturized.
7. Initially for the first two days, cleansing should be done twice daily. We then encourage cleaning up to four times per day.
After the first 3 days:
After the first 3 days, you may rinse your face in the shower by letting warm water gently hit your forehead and run down your face. You should avoid any extremely hot water as this may cause a significant burn. The goal is to have your skin peel off easily. Sometimes you may see yellowish build-up or crusting. Gently remove this build-up with a wet q-tip. It is strongly advised that you apply or remove ointment, crusting, etc. with q-tips and not your fingers as you may contaminate your open wounds with bacteria. Listen to your skin. You don’t need to be aggressive.
After the first 8 to 10 days:
After the first 8 to 10 days, a new skin layer will have formed. After we have seen your progress and instructed you to do so, you may stop applying Aquaphor to your face. Cetaphil Facial Cream may then be started and applied in a generous layer to replace the aquaphor. If any areas of dryness persist, aquaphor may be added to those areas.
Do not wear any make-up or other chemicals including sunscreen until instructed to do so. Makeup and perfumes may cause significant irritation to your new skin and may lead to chronic dermatitis, where areas of the skin stay red for a prolonged period of time. Don’t take chances. After 14 days you will be given a light mineral based makeup to use on your skin which contains a physical sun block.
What to watch out for:
Your skin will remain a light-red to pink color for several weeks but may return to your normal skin tone earlier. If you notice that your skin becomes significantly redder (or bright red) or becomes irregular in contour (lumpy-bumpy), you may be experiencing a dermatitis (i.e., an irritative reaction). If you begin to notice these changes stop applying whatever agents to your skin that might be irritating it, and contact us immediately. If you begin to notice little white bumps (known as milia) in the peeled area, these will usually resolve. However, occasionally we may need to assist with there treatment.
After 3 weeks if you notice any areas that appear tan or darkened it is important that you contact us. This is a temporary and easily treatable condition known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. A prescription lightening cream will control this reaction, but the sooner it is started the more quickly it will resolve.
DON’T TAKE ANY CHANCES! If you are concerned about anything you consider significant, please do not hesitate to contact us 512-401-2500 or 866-451-2500.
Edward D. Buckingham, M.D.