Your practitioner's advice comes first
Every treatment is different, and so is every skin. A light peel, a laser and a professional microneedling session each leave your skin needing slightly different care, so the aftercare your practitioner gives you always comes first. What follows is how I think about the days afterwards, to sit alongside that advice, never to replace it.
In our clinics, aftercare is part of the treatment, not an afterthought. Treated skin is more sensitive than usual, and how you look after it in the first week makes a real difference to how comfortable it feels and how well it settles.
Clean and calm
For the first few days, less is more. Cleanse gently with lukewarm water and a mild cleanser, using your fingertips rather than a cloth or brush, and pat dry with a clean towel.
Clinisept+ Skin is a hypochlorous spray made for exactly this moment. It keeps treated skin feeling clean and comfortable, has a skin-neutral pH, and contains no alcohol, fragrance or oils. Spray it on so the area is thoroughly wet, two to three times a day or as your practitioner advises, and let it dry naturally.
Tanisha's tipPut a fresh pillowcase on the night of your treatment and try to keep your hands away from your face. It's simple, and it matters.
Soothe and hydrate
Treated skin can feel tight, dry or warm, so comfort and hydration are the priority.
AlumierMD HydraCalm is a soothing moisturiser with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, made to comfort sensitive skin, including after professional treatments. For a quick reset, the AlumierMD HydraRescue BioCellulose Face Mask holds a hydrating serum against your skin for 10 to 15 minutes. Check with your practitioner when it's right to use it after your treatment.
If your skin feels very dry or tight, especially after a peel, a richer protective balm helps. ZO Soothing Ointment and AnteAGE Biogel are both made for this, and we offer them after a free consultation so we can match them to your treatment.
If your skin starts to flake or peel, let it come away on its own. Picking can leave marks.
Protect, and pause the strong stuff
Treated skin is more sensitive to the sun, so SPF matters more than ever. Mineral formulas are often the most comfortable choice in these first days: Heliocare 360° Mineral Tolerance Fluid is fragrance-free and uses mineral filters only. Reapply through the day, and stay out of strong sun, saunas and steam rooms for as long as your practitioner advises.
Put your retinol, retinal, exfoliating acids, scrubs and vitamin C to one side until your practitioner says your skin is ready and it feels completely comfortable. Then bring them back slowly.
Microneedling belongs in a clinic, with a trained practitioner and proper hygiene. Please don't try to recreate it at home.
Some redness, warmth or tightness can be normal after treatment. But if your skin becomes very painful, swollen, hot, weepy or crusted, or the redness is spreading, contact your clinic straight away, or your GP or NHS 111 if the clinic is closed.
