Acne.org Products
Good or Excellent Response
60%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
Moderate Response
86%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
Side Effects
Medium
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist or plastic surgeon? Make an appointment to get this procedure done. Don't have a dermatologist or a plastic surgeon? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find a dermatologist or the American Society of Plastic Surgeons to find a plastic surgeon.
Used Chemical Peels (Medium-depth Peels)? Rate It:
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March 2, 2015
How to AVOID bad initial breakout
Hi guys, A lot of you are getting initial breakouts, and some of you may be nervous to give this a go for fear of a major purging. First things first, you WANT an initial breakout. All those blackheads and clogged pores need to be opened somehow to GET clear, and you definitely don't want you body absorbing those toxins backup. But yes, I get it. Breakouts suck and and we just want clear skin now now now! An initial breakout is pretty much unavoidable, but again it depends on skin types and type of clogged pore. Lets assume you are like most of us on here who will get an IB. I'll tell you how to minimize this when using a Glycolic acid peel. Start off easy. A month before I started this peel I started the Neostrata line, which has a glycolic lotion that you apply daily at 10 percent strength (or 8 percent, but i went full force right away). This is enough to keep new zits from coming, and ease you into the initial breakout. I think I had a few whiteheads the first week of use. After that, nada. Bit of redness first 2 weeks but hey, redness i better than ten whiteheads right? My skin is the best its been in so long now, the daily lotion has reduce my acne 85-90 percent. I did a 30 percent chemical peel and so far no initial breakout or anything, my skin is quite clear, I am doing these peels to get rid of scars. Thanks to taking a couple weeks of a 10 percent lotion, I believe I won't have any issue with an initial break whatsoever. That being said, if you just want to jump right into it, expect an average to big initial breakout. If you can wait long enough to do some sort of 5-10 percent glycolic cream/lotion twice a day, then you'll have no problem with the chemical peel you'll just jump straight to results (then again, I can't testify to that for everyone, just my experience). It's all up to you. Hope that helped!! (In case you are wondering I am using the Neostrata gel cleanser, and follow up with the 10 percent lotion right after... best thing I have used for my skin to date... and yes, I've tried it all) *I am not affiliated with Neostrata whatsoever
June 30, 2017
what lotion were you using?
September 12, 2009
Cons:
Down town, light burning....
ok i will write a bit more as some of you as i can see go in wrong direction. First let me tell you that i do have medical background. FIRST if you have only problem with Acne then i dont recommend to use TCA on spot. I would recommend that you do couple of times AHA Salicylic peel as AHA will go deeper in poors the TCA coz of the chemical components. i would recommend to use Salicylic peel at least twice before applying any TCA. It is a highly effective superficial peeling agent, oil reducer and pore cleanser. Oil-soluble and lipophilic, Salicylic penetrates sebum filled follicles and cleans out clogged pores, resulting in marked improvement in especially acne prone skin.
After 3 weeks applied TCA peels works really well, but be careful on straightness of the peel. Is not so important the % that you use but is better to ask what is the pH levels ranging. They are from 0.9 - 2.0. If you using at home i recommend you to use 0.9 at 25 or 30 %.
After is good to apply Hyalurinic S
October 9, 2014
Great for ice-pick, bad for active acne ...
I've bought bravula londoners 30% glycolic acid peel + neutralizer...
After 4 uses, once per week as on the instruction.. (please use SPF 30 or greater EVERY DAY and don't use exfoliants, retionoids or BP while doing peels) I've notice huge impovement for hyperpigmentation and moderate improvement for icepick/boxcar scars.
I highly recomande this for those who overcame acne..
But not for those (like myself) who are STILL FIGHTING ACNE, because the peels sensitize the skin and you cannot use it for long period of time.. And dry and irritated skin heals slower AND GETS SCARS.. So, if you are acne-free, Go for IT!
March 4, 2017
Hi Have you ever had a food intolerance test done? The number 1 cause to acne is food intolerances. Go to the doctor and get a test done then eliminate those foods and you will notice a huge difference!
February 25, 2008
Pros:
AMAZING BEST RESULTS IN 5 to 6 treatments
Cons:
dryness, simple: moisturize and use hydrating masks every day
I am an esthetician who has suffered with acne for years. I have tried everything the dermatoligist has to offer, GLYCOLIC PEELS HAVE SAVED MY SKIN. I work at a spa and I do them myself now, I use a 30% glycolic acid by Peter Thomas Roth. DO NOT WASTE MONEY ON INTERNET PEELS, GO TO A SPA, JUST one peels costs $30-$60 depending on the spa. You never know what your buying on the internet! My first treatment, I had a couple new blemishes appear, my skin felt more smooth, not as rough My second, one or two more blemishes, notice lightening in scars Third, no blemishes came out for 2 weeks, lightening of scars( which you usually dont notice the lightening until a day or two after the peel) Forth, Acne has stopped! I was amazed, pores a lot smaller, skin less oily, dry patches are gone
5th and 6th treatment, my skin looks flawless...most scaring is gone except the deeper scars TRY GLYCOLIC PEELS, PEOPLE WITH DEEPER SCARS MAY NEED MORE TREATMENTS BUT THEY
August 19, 2015
Pretty happy with the results
I've and am currently using a Glycolic acid 50% regiment (9 trials so far) and have to say am quite satisfied with the results. Not only has the product helped with my acne scars, but has improved my complexion overall. My acne isn't as prominent as it used to be, which is great.The fan brush and chemical peel only cost me $20.00 on amazon, so its quite cheap. A bottle will last at least 3-4 months. The only downside is the pain; if you have sensitive skin it really hurts. Exposure time is between 3-10 minutes so you're just looking at the clock anticipating applying the water/baking soda mixture to cool your face off. But once you've tried it a couple of times and you're skin adjusts, you'll be fine. Very important that you apply a sunscreen (I use SPF 60) after using the product, your skin is much more sensitive to UV light. Also don't pick or touch your skin.
September 4, 2009
Pros:
the only treatment to get rid of fine lines and scarring. does nothing for acne...
Cons:
none, even the downtime about 5-7 days is worth the amazing results. can make u look years younger
amazing but doesnt clear acne, the only thing for acne is antibiotics lots of water and fresh diet and duac cream... i have 1 or 2 peels per year at 15-20%. one befor winter and one just before summer....
June 29, 2009
Pros:
Easy to use at home, results seen quickly
Cons:
Down time
I purchased a 35% peel and diluted it for spot treatment to forehead wrinkles and dark skin discolorations made more prominent on my forehead, cheeks and around my chin from acne scars.
I used it on Friday and my skin frosted and stung as indicated then went numb. by Friday night the treated areas had turned dark brown and were scabbing as indicated. Now, on Monday the brown skin is sloughing off and the new pink skin underneath is free of discoloration and the deep forehead wrinkles are much less prominent. I'm very pleased with the results especially since I didn't have to pay upward of $500 for an office treatment at a dermatologist or plastic surgeon!
I'll probably use it again in three months or so on my entire face to even out tone.
Highly recommended!
February 25, 2009
Pros:
none
Cons:
Expensive. Doesn't work, Makes you get more acne than before. Leaves major scars on your face.
I had the VI Peel. Doing this peel was the WORSE thing that I ever did to my face. I just wanted my face to be brighter and get ride of a pimple scar that I had on my cheek. I did this peel twice. The first time I finished peeling, I broke out all over my cheeks and my face was an uneven color. It was suggested that I do the peel again, so 2 weeks later, I did it again and the results were 10 times worse than the first time! I got dark marks all around my mouth and my scars got worse. I emailed Dr. K about the results and he said that I should have been given bleaching cream to avoid hyperpigmentation. So I have to purchase bleaching cream on top of the extremely expensive VI Peel? He also blamed it on my saying that this was caused because I didn't use the aftercare products that were given to me. I DID use the products and I think it was just an excuse. I would NOT recommend this peel based on my experience.
May 22, 2013
Pros:
helps with freckles and scars
makes skin baby soft
Cons:
burns
the peeling process yuk
time off work
well i used this to help with my scarring and let me just say i do like it and plan on doing it again but AVOID USING NEOSPORIN!!!!!! after treatment it broke me out like crazy!! my skin had cleared up and everything was good until i put neosporin on my face.. i dont think it was the peel because i use other typer of chemical peels and i never breaks me out this second time i will be using aquaphor healing ointment as a post peel treatment. and i didnt actually start peeling til day 5 and completley peeled by day 9. i did see a reduction in my freckles and some scars but i dont think i will see a more refined result til my second peel. in which i will update
November 12, 2016
What kind of scarring did you have? Was it deep
January 23, 2009
Pros:
Removes some light scarring and brown spots
Cons:
Does nothing for large pores and potential additional scarring from scratching, self-peeling, or excessive burning from the chemicals
I just did the Vi Peel and like many people have said, you CAN end up looking pretty ugly. If a zombie can be resurected, that's what I look like for the past 4 days and I finally had to pay my dermatologist a visit. He prescribed 2 oral medications to stop the swelling and itching and a topical cream that softened the peeling as well reduce the redness so the new exposed skin wasn't burning anymore, plus he gave me a shot on the spot. I haven't read a testimonial that said you can look and feel this bad. I can survive with redness and peeling but the big burnt cheeks and everything between it that has now turned into brown scabs aren't worth the teeny results. I would have done 2-3 lighter treatments than one Vi Peel and suffer.
Pros:
Very efficient peeling method if you know how to use it. Some pre - steep are required.