bleach before or after facial - #17094
I am super confused about when to use bleach before or after facial treatments. Just last week, I tried a new facial – one of those deep cleansing ones that are supposed to make your skin glow and all that good stuff. But I still had some dark spots from acne, and I thought maybe I could use bleach to lighten them up. The esthetician said I should do the bleach before facial, but then I read somewhere online that it's better to bleach after facial! I'm wondering how those two interact!? Like, if you bleach before facial, does the bleach affect the facial products or something? I really don't want to end up ruining my skin or having an adverse reaction. Plus, afterward, my skin was a bit sensitive and red, and that just made things more confusing. Shouldn't bleach before or after facial be straightforward? I really didn't expect this whole dilemma about bleach before or after facial! Could using bleach before facial somehow make it less effective? Or if i did it after, would that mean my skin is more sensitive and prone to irritation? Please help me understand! Should bleach before or after facial even matter that much?
100% Anonymously
No sign-up needed.

Doctors’ responses
Bleaching and facials are both treatments that can make your skin more sensitive, so timing them correctly is important. Generally speaking, it’s usually advised to bleach your skin before a facial treatment. Here’s the reason: bleaching can sometimes irritate, create minor sensitivity, or alter the surface of your skin. Doing it before allows the facial process to help sooth and mitigate some of those effects while still targeting issues like pigmentation spots through gentle exfoliation and soothing. Plus, a facial will also help to hydrate and calm the skin, making it a good follow-up to any harsh treatment. If you bleach after a facial treatment, you might increase the risk of irritation because your skin may already be somewhat sensitive after the facial’s exfoliating or cleansing process. Layering bleach on top of that can potentially lead to redness or adverse reactions in some cases, especially if you have sensitive skin to beggin with. The biggest consideration here is skin sensitivity. If your skin felt red and sensitive after the facial, I’d suggest waiting a while before introducing any new treatments like bleaching just to allow everything to calm down. When you do introduce bleach, always do a patch test first, regardless of when you plan to apply it. This will help ensure you don’t react adversely to the product itself. In your case, trying to bleach spots from acne post-facial might have pushed your skin too far, but balancing these treatments can minimize potential harm. Remember, everyone’s skin reacts differently, and it could be beneficial to discuss ongoing skin care routines with your esthetician to customize the timing of treatments. If in doubt, consulting with a dermatologist might provide more personalized insights tailored to your skin’s needs.
100% Anonymously
Get expert answers anytime, completely confidential. No sign-up needed.
About our doctors
Only qualified doctors who have confirmed the availability of medical education and other certificates of medical practice consult on our service. You can check the qualification confirmation in the doctor's profile.