Be Careful With Home Treatments

Monday, on my way to work, I got a text from a good friend needing help.  She had tried a “home made” face peel she had seen on Dr. Oz and her face was blistered!

I like Dr. Oz just fine, but ….. not everything you see on TV or read in your fashion magazine is as good as it sounds.  Or maybe I should say “is good for you”.  She told me it was a few spices mixed in ???something, maybe olive oil and then applied on the face. She did not hear or maybe know to be gentle and not use any of her corrective products she usually applies.  She reacted to the spices themselves or to the combination of the peel and her normal skin care regimen.

My friend will be OK.  She is just getting a really big peel when she thought it would be no big deal.  Luckily she knew to call for help and we can laugh about it.  Her skin is very unlikely to have any long term issues such as hyperpigmentation or scaring, but WOW, why risk it?

People need to understand that just because something is out of the kitchen cabinet or the garden (botanical) or just seems simple,doesn’t mean it couldn’t cause a bad reaction.

When I was a derm nurse, I remember  this beautiful patient that came in with bad burns on her face because she applied a glycholic acid peel she had gotten ahold of some how and she left it on all night.  Glycolic acid does not neutralize on its own, so it just  basically “cooked” her face all night! Her face was burned to where it would more than likely scar.

Please be careful with self induced treatments without full instruction. 
Doing it yourself to save a penny or save time is not worth  the risk.

Hope this helps,
Liz

Posted in: Blog, In the News, Skin Care

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