When you really should've asked more questions ...My Chemical Peel Experience

This has nothing to do with music, but it does have to do with me and it has been such an ordeal I felt that I must share it to possibly spare someone else from the trauma and hilarious misery I have endured over the past week. This is more like a mini book/ journal of my week, it is long and thorough, but things I feel you must know so you can decide for yourself if it is right for you .... Thursday: I'm talking to the dermatologist/skin dude and we are discussing some skin issues I have -scars from years of acne, large pores, lots of sun exposure with a family history of skin cancer, and the fine lines that begin to show as a mid 30 something. All normal issues just talking about some preventative/healing stuff I can do to help it. He says have you ever had a chemical peel? I said I think so a really long time ago when I was younger and we were trying to help my acne. He said I really think you would benefit from one, maybe several. It would remove the superficial layers of damaged skin and allow new, fresh healthy, glorious, luminous skin, the kind you haven't had since childhood come through....ok I added the extra stuff ...but he really sold me on it that it was going to be great and what I needed!

One would have thought the words "remove" and "layers" and "chemical" and "peel" would have triggered some common sense that this might not be pleasant but it didn't. All I heard was healthy, glowing, scar and cancer free skin will come thru!! Appointment gets made for the very next day. I was ready. Let's do this! It happened to be a kid free day already so timing couldn't have been better for my "mommy spa time" moment right?! Yeah- no. Rude awakening was coming. Friday: Appt was at 3:00 I was happy all day and ready to do this. Let's get that great skin! I go and they ask me again have you ever had a chemical peel before? I gave the same answer "I think I did a long time ago. I had a lot of acne, I was told it can help so I got it done." Hind sight I was seriously mistaken. I may have went for a chemical peel, but I got an acne treating facial of some sort that did not resemble what I will soon face. That was not clear at the moment. She's thinking I have a little bit of a clue what this will be like and I'm thinking this will be some kinda intense exfoliating facial where I will leave there looking a little pink but fabulous.

CLUELESS. She asks me which one do I want. There is a very intense peel that will turn your face Smurf blue for a week until it peels off or there's another one that's great and not quite as intense, but very effective. I said I got a lot of stuff to do this week so I think I will say no to Smurf. She starts to apply the solution. She said this can get kind of painful the burning is very strong. I'm pretty tolerant to pain and it wasn't bad at all. I was like "shoot, that ain't a burn that's a tingle! I got this." She starts telling me more ...it takes a full 7 days to completely heal from this. You will be red for a while then it will start to peel. Don't pick at it just let it happen. I'm like whoa wait like how red? She said people react differently, but it'll just look like a sunburn and usually like you are peeling from a sunburn. It's not that bad she says. It can get a little intense but we send you home with a soothing cream that helps. I say I have a big party to go to on Sunday will I still look ok? She hesitated and said ummmm you'll probably have started peeling around then but just like around your mouth and stuff so it shouldn't be too noticeable. Just make sure you stay out of the sun and apply the sunscreen provided.

About 20 minutes and she's done. Sent me home with a packet and instructions for the next 7 days. Friday evening: I followed the instructions. Washed it, applied the junk and went to bed. Still looked normal, still happy....well a little disappointed my "fancy facial" called a "chemical peel" was so short and not super relaxing, but hey I'm gonna be luminous right?! Saturday morning: I wake up look in the mirror and my face and neck are red. Bright red. Like a tourist at the beach -lobster red and a little stingy. Followed the instructions. Applied the junk and went about my day realizing I probably should've asked more questions before scheduling this .... Saturday afternoon: I begin burning more. It's Florida in July. It's hot as a furnace outside. I wasn't even out there long just walking to my truck but the heat radiating from the pavement toward my delicate apple red face was like standing too close too long next to a campfire. I had band rehearsal that day and plans with my mom and sister that night. I couldn't let this little skin procedure keep me down. I had to suck it up and move on....it got worse and worse and worse. Saturday evening: Until I saw my mom and sister no one had spoken about my new look I had going. I guess strangers really did think I was a tourist who forgot what sunscreen was for. But leave it to Mama and Sister to say "Oh my gosh what did you do??? Why do you look like that?!" There was no getting around telling the truth that I was an idiot who just wanted glowing scar and cancer free skin! Our evening progressed. My face had now gone from campfire burning to standing in the midst of hell burning. I wanted to cry but I had to laugh because I was so clueless and I had done it to myself. I paid money for this to happen to me - way more money than I even thought it was going to be!! What was I thinking?!?! ...oh yeah great skin. By then I'm still holding out that this will be worth it in the end. No pain. No gain. Saturday night to Sunday morning: I start itching. I HATE itching. There is nothing I can think of at this moment that I hate more than itching. I'm also still on fire. Hell fire. Center of the hottest part of hell fire.....and the peeling has begun. It's Sunday morning. I lead worship at my church. You don't just call and say sorry can't come in today I got this face thing done and I look yucky and feel like death....I guess some people would call in because that's kind of a good reason ...but I don't. I solider on. I'm not a quitter I can do this. I can barely open my mouth cuz it hurts so bad and the more I move the more it cracks and peels and the more noticeable it is. As long as I keep slapping cream on it keeping it kinda wet the dead skin is not hanging too bad so I can at least say "hey!" as I quickly try to get out of