Preparation is the part you control
Most of what happens at an appointment is our job. Preparation is the part that is yours, and it makes a real difference to how comfortable the appointment is and how your skin behaves afterwards.
Your own pre-care instructions are given to you when you book, because they depend on your skin and on what is planned. What follows is the general shape of them.
In the week before
Keep your skin hydrated. Drink normally and keep using a gentle moisturiser morning and night. Skin that is not dehydrated is more comfortable to treat.
Stop the actives. For roughly five to seven days beforehand, pause:
- Retinoids and other vitamin A products
- Acids — glycolic, salicylic, lactic
- Scrubs, enzyme peels and other exfoliants
These make skin more reactive. Pausing them is about comfort and about not starting from an already irritated barrier.
Simplify rather than add. A gentle cleanser and a moisturiser is enough. This is not the week to start something new.
On the day
Come with a clean face — no makeup, no sunscreen, no heavy skincare. Cleanse with something mild and leave it at that.
If anything has changed since your consultation — a new medication, a cold sore, sunburn, a recent treatment somewhere else, feeling unwell — tell us before we start. Some of those mean rescheduling, and that is a better outcome than proceeding.
Afterwards
Plan a quiet day or two. Skin is commonly pink or slightly sensitive immediately afterwards, and that generally settles within 24 to 48 hours.
Skip intense exercise, saunas, swimming and deliberate sun exposure for a day or two, and keep sunscreen on.
You will be given specific aftercare when you leave, including what to look out for and how to reach us if something does not seem right.
When to contact us
Contact the clinic if you have increasing pain, spreading redness, swelling that is getting worse rather than better, any sign of infection, or anything that worries you. That is what the phone number is for.