You will leave with verbal instructions and you will forget half of them by the time you get to your car. Everyone does.

So here is the whole thing in order, with the reasoning attached, because people follow rules better when they know why.

Hour zero to one

Your skin is bright red, warm and tight. Like a moderate sunburn. This is exactly right.

Leave everything alone. No touching, no rinsing, no product beyond what we applied.

Drive home with the vents off your face. Sounds fussy, and dry air on freshly needled skin is genuinely uncomfortable.

Hours one to six

The tightness peaks. Some people feel a mild burning sensation. Cool, not cold, compresses are fine if you want them. No ice directly.

Nothing goes on your face except what we sent you with. No makeup. No serum you found at home. The channels are still open and anything you apply goes deeper than it was formulated to go, which is how people get reactions to products they have used for years.

Hours six to twenty-four

You can rinse with lukewarm water and your clean hands after about six hours if we cleared you to. No cleanser, no washcloth, no scrubbing.

Sleep on a clean pillowcase. Change it that night. This is a small thing that prevents an annoying problem.

Still no makeup. Still no working out. Sweat on open channels is an infection risk and it stings badly.

Day two

Redness fades toward pink. Skin may feel tight and start to look slightly dry.

Gentle cleanser is fine now. Bland moisturizer, fragrance free. Mineral SPF if you go outside at all.

You can wear mineral makeup if you must, though skipping another day is better.

Still no gym, no sauna, no cold plunge, no hot yoga.

Days three to five

This is the flaky stage. Fine, sandpapery peeling, mostly across the cheeks and around the nose.

Do not exfoliate it. Do not pick it. Do not help it along with a washcloth. Pulling skin that is not ready to release is how people create hyperpigmentation from a treatment meant to fix it.

Moisturize and let it shed on its own.

Exercise is fine again from day three for most people.

Days five to seven

Skin looks normal to good. This is where people report the glow.

You can resume actives around day five to seven: retinol, vitamin C, acids. Reintroduce one at a time, not all at once.

Still no direct sun. Mineral SPF daily, which in Arizona should be happening anyway.

What is normal

Redness for one to three days. Tightness. Fine flaking. Mild swelling, especially under the eyes on the first morning. Small pinpoint bleeding during the treatment itself. Temporary breakouts around day three.

What warrants a call

Increasing pain after day two rather than decreasing. Spreading redness with warmth. Any pus or crusting that looks like more than a scab. Fever. Cold sore blistering if you are prone and did not pre-treat.

Call us. We would much rather hear from you at 4pm than have you wait until Monday.

Things that quietly ruin results

Sun on day two because you had to run an errand. Picking the flakes. Going back to your retinol on day three because your skin felt fine. Booking a facial four days later. Skipping sessions two and three.

The one thing that helps

Red light therapy in the days after shortens the pink phase noticeably. If you have a membership, use it.

Book your next session

Four to six weeks between sessions. Get it on the calendar before you leave.