After a chemical peel, you can expect for your skin to look red and angry. As the healing process continues, your skin will start to peel off, revealing the younger-looking skin underneath. The healing process is not pretty, and you may want to cover up while you're not looking your best.

However tempting it may be, you can't reach for makeup immediately after having a chemical peel. Makeup often contains bacteria, which can cause irritation, discoloration, infection and scarring if applied to vulnerable skin. What's more, your skin needs a chance to breathe and heal, and makeup just won't let it do that. How long should you wait to apply makeup? It depends on the type of peel you get. 

Superficial Peel

Called superficial, mild or lunchtime peels, the lightest of all chemical peels has the least restrictions. In most cases, you can wear makeup the very next day following a treatment. However, everyone's skin is different. Yours may be more or less irritated than usual after a treatment. Therefore, you should always follow your dermatologist's personalized instructions after your peel. Keep in mind that your skin will be more sensitive after a chemical peel. Always use products that contain sunscreen to prevent further irritation and complications. 

Medium Peel

Medium and deeper depth peels are and should be treated like any other skin wound. It's important to keep the area clean and dry during the healing process. You should also avoid wearing makeup for at least a week, perhaps longer if your dermatologist says so. Before you apply foundation or any other type of cosmetics, you have to make sure your skin is completely healed. And you should use only new, unopened products once you get the go ahead, as these products are less likely to harbor bacteria.

Deep Peel

You may have to wait up to two weeks after a deep chemical peel to start wearing makeup. The deepest peels can take quite a while to heal. For this reason, many women decide to take some time off from work while they're healing from a significant peel. 

As you can see, the amount of time it takes to heal after a chemical peel depends primarily on the depth of the peel. Deeper peels take longer to heal. Be sure to avoid any type of makeup during the healing process. Once you're healed, you can wear new, unopened products that contain sunscreen.