What is the peeling and downtime like?

It depends entirely on depth. A superficial peel gives light flaking for 1 to 3 days. A medium-depth peel produces visible peeling for several days and redness that can last up to a week.

"Chemical peel" covers a wide range, and lumping them together is where confusion starts. The peel's depth determines the recovery, so your downtime is a choice made in the consultation, not a fixed number.

Superficial peels (glycolic, lactic, salicylic, mandelic) work on the outermost layer. Many produce little to no visible peeling, just mild flaking and a day or two of subtle dryness. These suit maintenance, mild texture, and congestion.

Medium-depth peels (TCA, Jessner) reach deeper. Expect the skin to darken slightly and then visibly peel between days two and five, with redness that can persist up to a week. These address pigmentation, sun damage, and moderate lines more decisively.

Deep peels are a different commitment with substantially longer recovery and are less commonly done in a spa setting.

The rules are the same across depths and they are non-negotiable: do not pick the peeling skin, and protect from the sun rigorously. Picking causes scarring, and sun exposure on new skin causes the exact pigmentation you were trying to treat. Darker skin tones need particular care in peel selection to avoid rebound pigment.

This is general information, not medical advice. Whether a treatment is right for you is determined by a licensed provider after an evaluation.