I have never tried a chemical peel and I’m very apprehensive. I’ve had my lips plumped, my cellulite pummelled and injections in the soles of my feet, but a skin peel is well, on my face. I may not be going for an all out clinical peel, but as far as DIY peels go, this is as serious as it gets. So after a couple of weeks of ‘should I or shouldn’t I?’ I take the plunge.
Day one: I feel nervous yet excited as I apply the first day’s pot of peel onto my face. It smells medicinal but looks like something you would spread on your toast. And it stings like hell. I grit my teeth and after ten minutes or so the burning sensation subsides. After 90 minutes I scrape it off and rinse my face the following morning.
Day two: My face is slightly red, and when I apply the paste today the pain is so unbearable I want to cry. Fortunately I know that this is normal and it only lasts for ten minutes or so.
Day three: Looking rather tanned today which is all part of the process apparently. I can still leave the house without scaring anybody although my skin is starting to feel rather tight. The paste is less painful today and it’s the last application.
Day four: Not only am I looking tanned but my skin is starting to look like a two-week-old apple which has put about 30 years on me!
Day five: My skin as started to PEEL! If I thought the stinging was bad, that was nothing compared to the temptation to pick at my skin. I’m told that if I do I can cause infection and scarring, so I resort to snipping the loose skin off with nail scissors.
Day six: My face looks like a prune and I’ve decided not to leave the house until I look a bit more human. I shocked the postman this morning when I answered the door.
Day seven: Part of my face is still flaking, especially on my forehead and cheeks, but the new skin on my nose and chin is particularly fresh and glowing. I’m not allowed to apply any products until all the peeling has finished.
Day eight: I have new skin! It feels so soft and plump and I have that fresh-faced look you get from a long walk in the countryside. I have to make sure I wear a sun cream with at least SPF30 for a month, but I put on SPF50 just to be on the safe side. My mother tells me I look positively glowing and even my husband notices a difference. Now that’s what I call a result.
