Article Overview
- Preparing the skin before professional in-office treatments (like microneedling or chemical peels) is essential for maximizing efficacy and achieving optimal results.
- Key goals of pre-procedure skin prep include strengthening the skin barrier and increasing cellular turnover, which helps eliminate dead cells and improves skin receptivity.
- Products such as Cell Cycle Catalyst, Glycolic 10 Renew Overnight, Discoloration Defense Serum, Phyto A+ Brightening Treatment, and Simply Clean cleanser are recommended for pre-treatment routines.
- It is generally advised to begin preparation about 15 days prior, alongside lifestyle adjustments like hydration, diet, and sun avoidance, to enhance overall skin health.
When deciding to undergo a professional office-based treatment for any skin concern, your responsibilities include more than simply showing up on time for your appointment—especially if you want the best possible results.Once you’ve scheduled your skin procedure, it’s important to prepare—and your skincare professional will likely provide pre-treatment tips and skincare suggestions. Following these skin treatment prep recommendations can significantly improve the ultimate outcome. We sat down with Dr. Ted Lain to get his/her advice for the proper skin procedure prep.
What are the most important steps that a patient should take before a skincare procedure?
When the skin is unprepared, a professional skin procedure such as a chemical peel or laser treatment can have up to 100 microns of epidermal debris standing between the treatment and its target zone. This is why one of the most important aspects of skin treatment prep is eliminating dead cells. We’ve also come to learn that stimulating the skin’s rate of renewal before a skin procedure helps maximize its receptivity—which helps boost results and prolong their longevity.
Are there any particular treatments one might be able to do on their own at home that will help their skin stay healthy before and after the procedure?
Following the skincare recommendations that are provided by your skincare professional are key for optimizing the health of the skin before your skin procedure, and giving it the opportunity to recover optimally afterwards. As an added bonus, proper skin procedure prep can also help boost the results achieved with your at-home anti-aging routine and improve texture, skin tone, and fine lines.
This is why I recommend Cell Cycle Catalyst for skin treatment prep and getting the most out of any daily skincare regimen. This groundbreaking treatment boosts the skin’s rate of renewal, and when used before a professional treatment, it has been proven to amplify results. Its multi-acid formulation accelerates cell turnover and harnesses the power of taurine to give skin cells extra energy and vitality. It also helps reinforce the skin’s barrier, which plays a key role in optimal recovery and healing.
Whether used for skin procedure prep or to enhance at-home skincare results, Cell Cycle Catalyst has demonstrated statistically and clinically significant improvement after just one week.
- 18.7% reduction in global fine lines
- 11.2% reduction in the appearance of pores
- 8.3% reduction is visible skin roughness
- 11.9% improvement in skin radiance, luminosity, and brightness
- 10.5% improvement in skin clarity
- 9.8% overall reduction in discoloration and hyperpigmentation
For those who are preparing for a chemical peel, Glycolic 10 Renew Overnight can help the skin become acclimated to alpha-hydroxy acids. If a patient’s skin is melanin-rich or prone to pigment, skin treatment prep with Discoloration Defense Serum and Phyto A+ Brightening Treatment can help suppress a hyperpigmentation response.
Are there any types of products or ingredients that you should avoid using or that you should be using on my skin before the procedure?
Regardless of the modality (whether a chemical peel, microneedling, IPL, dermaplaning, or any other office-based skin treatment), the goals when preparing the skin are strengthening the skin barrier and increasing cellular turnover.The beauty of Cell Cycle Catalyst is that is can be used as part of any daily skincare regimen to enhance the results of at-home skincare products, as well as preparing the skin for professional treatments. Since many professional skin treatment protocols involve multiple sessions, ongoing use of this product helps ensure that the skin is ready for your next appointment while optimizing the results of your daily skincare in between office visits.
Can you still use your daily skincare routine prior to the procedure, or should you skip it that day?
Although you should always follow the guidance of your skincare professional, it should be OK to follow your usual skincare regimen leading up to your professional skin treatment—as long as you’ve shared the products and active ingredients that you use regularly. To err on the side of caution, I would suggest skipping your full skincare regimen the morning of your skin procedure and focus on simply cleansing, hydrating and applying sunscreen.
How should you cleanse your skin prior to the procedure to make sure it’s as prepared as possible?
Once you arrive at the office, thoroughly cleansing the skin is an integral step immediately before your professional treatment. If you’d like to get a jump-start at home, I recommend SkinCeuticals Simply Clean. This powerful gel cleanser has been tested for pre-procedure use and helps prime the skin for in-office treatments.
How long in advance should you start prepping your skin for the procedure?
In general, the ideal time to start preparing for professional skin treatment is 15 days beforehand. This includes using an exfoliating cleanser such as Simply Clean, Cell Cycle Catalyst, and any other products that are recommended by your skincare professional. When your skin treatment involves a series of sessions, following their suggested at-home skincare routine can help optimize and prolong results.
Sample Pre-Procedure Skincare Regimen
Although your skincare professional will give you specific instructions to prepare for your treatment, here is an example of a comprehensive daily procedure prep routine.
A.M. Routine
P.M. Routine
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Are there any lifestyle changes that you should make in order to help your skin properly prepare for the procedure?
Overall health and skin health are intrinsically connected. You want every system in your body to be prepared and ready to recover optimally after a professional skin treatment. This includes following a healthy diet, drinking plenty of water, minimizing alcohol consumption, and avoiding sun exposure.
What would you recommend one does to soothe skin after the procedure?
Again, it’s imperative to follow all post-procedure instructions provided by your skincare professional. I often recommend SkinCeuticals Epidermal Repair to my post-procedure patients because this therapeutic cream helps replenish moisture while soothing and protecting compromised skin. I also suggest Triple Lipid Repair 2:4:2 because it provides the hydration post-procedure skin needs and helps reinforce the skin’s barrier with ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids, which are lipids that occur naturally in the skin. Consider including C E Ferulic post-procedure to help maximize anti-aging results.
How can an in-office procedure help improve the quality of your skin?
In many cases, professional treatments create controlled injuries that prompt the skin’s healing response, which boosts the skin’s performance and ultimately leads to visible skin improvement. With proper maintenance, the skin quality improvementsassociated with a professional treatment can be long-lasting.
Are there any risks associated with the pre-procedure skincare regimen that one should be aware of?
It’s worth repeating (again) that as long as you follow the skin treatment prep advice provided by your skincare professional, there shouldn’t be any risks to worry about. In the event that you experience any side effects from your pre-procedure skincare regimen, be sure to let your skincare professional know right away. They may suggest a few changes to your routine—or recommend postponing your treatment until the skin is stable and prepared to heal well afterwards.
To learn more about preparing the skin for a professional treatment or procedure, use our online Regimen Finder, visit one of our SkinCeuticals SkinLab locations, or schedule an appointment with a SkinCeuticals Skincare Professional for a one-on-one consultation.
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About Dr. Ted Lain
Dr. Lain is a board-certified Dermatologist and Chief Medical Officer specializing in diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the hair, skin and nails. He also specializes in minimally-invasive cosmetic and procedures. At Sanova Dermatology, Dr. Lain specializes in a variety of medical and cosmetic treatments for the skin, hair, and nails. This includes advanced laser procedures and cosmetic injectables
