The good thing about chemical peels? There’s not that much down time. I just need to stay out of the sun for a few hours, and Eubanks tells me to take a break from my topical medication for several days. The bad thing? The peeling … OMG, the peeling.

Eubanks says my skin will be slightly yellow for 30 minutes after the peel, due to the retinoids. That’s an understatement. I walk out looking like a highlighter. After a few hours, it starts to look like a strong sunburn and my skin smells like alcohol. The next morning, my skin literally peels off in sheets.

Luckily, it’s the weekend, so I don’t have to go to work looking like this. Not-so-luckily, it’s Thanksgiving weekend. Which means I’m visiting my family for the first time in weeks. And they’re meeting Ben for the first time ever. When my mom seems me, she’s shocked. “What happened to your face?!” I give her a hug and tell her what’s going on, hoping it’ll get her to quit staring.

Well, it gets worse. That night, I’m cuddling on the couch with Ben when I get up for a drink. I come to a complete halt when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My face looks like it’s melting off. I run to the bathroom and ask Ben (through the door) why he didn’t say anything. “I didn’t want to make you feel bad,” he says. See why I love this guy? We spend the rest of the night laughing and peeling off my skin together. (Gross, I know, but he’s with me for the long haul.) Once the peeling is over, I can’t believe how good my skin looks. Guess it had to get worse before it got better?

[Editor’s note: The doctor says you should never peel your skin off after a peel, because it can lead to scarring. Something to keep in mind next time.]