i used a 10% mandelic acid primarily for my hyperpigmentation but also for my acne as well.
first off, do not over apply this stuff over a long period of time.
the first few times i used it i kept it on overnight with a large amount of the acid which basically formed a white crusty mask over time.
my face turned red which subsided after a day or two then my face proceeded to peel after a couple more days.
i did this about 3 times with no extreme side effects, but on the 4th time, i payed the price. i got moderately burned on 5 areas of my skin. now, i say moderate because i didn't have to go to the emergency room or anything, but the acid ate through my skin pretty good.
what proceeded to happen the next week was even worse. as my skin was healing, the areas of my face that were burned turned black. yes, black. i assumed it would peel off after a couple days, but even after my skin was fully healed, it remained black.
i panicked and proceeded to use more mandelic acid on these areas in an attempt to peel off this black layer of skin. i used the acid on those areas, then within a day or 2, forcefully peeled off the layer of skin. it did get rid of the straightforward black color, but upon healing, there remained a noticeable dark patch where i peeled it.
this is when i discovered the second rule to mandelic acid.
do not prematurely peel off the skin of areas effected with mandelic acid. wait until the acid has fully hardened the skin and it naturally starts to flake and peel off.
even if some areas of your face are burnt and looks retarted, leave it alone and let it run its course.
in my experience this took anywhere from 3-7 days. but no less.
it is the premature peeling of the skin that causes the skin to turn black.
i fully expect my face to get back to its normal state over time (already been 3 months) with the help of meladerm and proper use of mandelic acid.
i already had to endure weeks of looking like a complete retard with red and black patches all over my face (not fun).
the only reason i created an account and posted this was because i wanted others to learn from my mistakes.
be careful!!!
Thanks for the warning.
I'm not sure what you did wrong. I use a 15% serum every night, followed by moisturizer 20 minutes after the application.
the first few times i used it i kept it on overnight with a large amount of the acid which basically formed a white crusty mask over time.
That doesn't sound right at all. How much did you use exactly?
First off, you don't say what nationality you are. As a licensed Esthetician, I use Mandelic acid frequently on all skin types. And have NEVER had a client turn black on any portion of his or her face. Secondly, I'm presuming you left a Mandelic acid peel on overnight. Especially considering the amount of damage you did, DO NOT LEAVE PEELS ON OVERNIGHT! No more than 20 minutes!!! And honestly, there's a reason that there is such a thing as an esthetics license. It's because of snafus such as this.
Don't let this post scare you!!! Mandelic acid is a GREAT defense against acne. If it is applied by a licensed professional and used as directed. Next time you want a peel, go to a professional!