Chemical Peels (Medium-depth Peels)
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Medium-depth peels penetrate deeper into the skin than superficial peels, damaging the whole epidermis (outermost layer of skin) as well as the papillary...

Medium-depth peels penetrate deeper into the skin than superficial peels, damaging the whole epidermis (outermost layer of skin) as well as the papillary dermis (the top part of the dermis, just below the epidermis). When chemical peels are applied on the skin, a controlled wound healing process occurs that may stimulate the skin to produce more collagen and elastin, thus improving the appearance of acne scars.

This procedure is normally repeated multiple times (3 or more) in 3-week intervals, and you should see gradual results with each session. And after your last session, your skin should continue to improve.

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October 14, 2017
Excellent for my skin!
38 year old female and I've been using aha's for a few years now. I first started out on retin a because I had acne for years into my 30's. That worked for me but I wanted something gentler I hated the peeling! I had tons of scarring and dark spots from my acne. So I started doing glycolic Acid peels. I've used lactic, mandelic, tca, and my favorite for my skin the glycolic Acid peel. I use a 40% peel or I take a drop and mix it with my moisturizer as a serum. When I use this as a peel I layer it since my skin is very used to acids and I leave it on for 5 minutes neutralize with a mix of baking soda and water. Then I wash with a PH adjusting foam cleanser. After that I use Cerave PM and snail mucin believe it or not. That calms my skin and I've had few to no breakouts since I switched to only using aha's. I purchased my 40% on eBay for 12$ by beauty essentials is the company on the bottle. I believe this is a Korean made product. My skin is finally clear and I can go without makeup now. The few spots I get are hormonal once a month spots but they are tiny and go away very fast. All and all I'm super pleased with using glycolic acid peels. It's worked in my case I hope it does for others too!
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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
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TLynnT
June 30, 2017
what lotion were you using?
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September 29, 2011

Pros:

Cleared up scarring 100%

Cons:

Painful
Lots of peeling
Irritating / itchy

I am only 21 and have *hated* the scarring on my back, a result of acne. Every treatment which I looked in to was expensive and didn't guarantee results for such a large surface area. After undergoing 4 TCA skin peels (and currently doing some further jessner peels) I would recommend it to everyone, no questions asked!! I have absolutely no scarring whatsoever, you would never even know I suffered in the first place! Not no mention i'm not embarrassed anymore. The treatment wasn't a lovely experience, but overall it was worth it and i would do it all over again!
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May 4, 2011

Pros:

Helps with ance dents, black spots and pores. Inexpensive and you can do at home. Paid about $80 for a whole year.

Cons:

2 week downtime with each treatment. You have scabs all over your face. If you're not too vain, you can still go to work, it does nt hurt or anything. It takes numerous treatments depending on severity of problems. Can be dangerous if you dont follow directions.

I took accutane to eliminate my acne all together and was left with scarring.I started out with 12.5%. for 3 months, moved up to 20% for 6 months and now Im doing 30% at home with no problem. My skin looks great. Not perfect, but a far cry from where I started. I haddark spots, dents from cystic acne on my cheeks. Its definately worth the time vested. Take your time though. Start with a low %. Everyones skin is different and Ive had friends who couldnt take the 20%. If you have scars, its the least expensive option and if you start with a low percentage than you have nothing to lose. And sense it helps with wrinkles too, I happend to look 10 years younger as well. good luck
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Juniorsharma_
November 12, 2016
Did all of your scarring go away? How much did you pay for each peel
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December 20, 2010

Pros:

smoothes skin
reduces scars
reduces stretch marks
helps acne
very cheap!

Cons:

can irritate or burn if not careful. redness only lasts 1-3 days.

I have been dealing with gross, dark acne scars in unpleasant places my whole life. i have tried everything. id soak my skin in vinegar DAILY, untill i learned about acid peels. I decided not to take any chances with it being too week, so on ebay i purchased a pack, two 1oz bottles, 50% and 70%, for only about 15-16 dollars free shipping(check out the seller, sharefair) anyway, i went straight for the strongest stuff. i HAVE been over using it(full peels once every few days, and spot treating my scars with the 70) and yeah it gets pretty irritated when you do it so often.i actually burnt a hole in my belly(its oing away though) but if you follow directions(once a week, leave on for 2-6 minutes depending on tolerance) you shouldn't have any problems. so far im noticing my scars are definately a lot lighter, im not getting my usual pimply razor burn(im italian. i have to shave), im not getting new pimples, and my skin feels AMAZING. i am addicted! do not let doctors fool you, they are after your $$. you can do acid peels by yourself no problem, for cheap! none of that silly $50+ per peel. you can get a whole 1 oz bottle for around 8 bucks on ebay, which is about 15 peels worth. just follow the instructions, if you need help elect a trusted friend. please don't waste your money needlessly! this works just as good! also, don't be fooled into buying a neutralizer. just mix some baking soda and water and pat it on if you really need it. wish you all luck in your quests for good skin! and a side note, if you get one thats too strong, just dilute it with water! no need to go back and buy a weeker one. you'l get more for your money if you buy the 70 and dilute it. and do NOT use undiluted 70 on your face!
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January 21, 2010

Pros:

Reduces hyperpigmentation, helps unclog pores, more even skin tone.

Cons:

Doesn't help that much with deep acne scars.

I started using low strengths of Salicylic and Glycolic Acid because your skin needs to get used to it first. You don't want to damage your skin so always start with low strengths first. I currently use 40% Glycolic and 30% Salicylic Acid. I use them once every other month just to keep my skin clear. What did work for my acne is the combination of regular exfoliation and Spironolactone.
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September 12, 2009

Pros:

Very efficient peeling method if you know how to use it. Some pre - steep are required.

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
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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....
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April 8, 2009

Pros:

DECREASES FINE LINES,ACNE SCARRING AND AGE SPOTS.HELPS WITH ACNE PRONE SKIN. GREAT EXFOLIATER OF DRY DEAD SKIN CELLS.ALSO HELPS INCREASE COLLAGEN.

Cons:

MIGHT BURN A BIT AND SLIGHT REDNESS

IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE TRAINED IN THIS FIELD YOU WILL ABSOLUTLEY GET RESULTS!! STAY AWAY FROM STORE BOUGHT GLYCOLICS AND SALON BECAUSE THEY ARE BUFFERED. GO DIRECTLY TO A DERMATOLOGIST,PLASTIC SURGEON OR MEDICAL ESTHTICIAN, THEN YOU WILL SEE THE RESULTS PROMISED!!
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August 13, 2008

Pros:

IT'S A CHEAP PRODUCT THAT DELIVERS VERY GOOD RESULTS TO THE OVERALL TEXTURE OF THE SKIN I MAINLY DID IT FOR ACNE SCARS WHICH I DID SEE IMPROVED.

Cons:

THERE IS A DOWNTIME OF APPROXIMATELY A WEEK DEPENDING ON SKIN TYPE.

I REALLY LIKED THE RESULTS MY SUN SPOTS GOT LIGHTER AND I'M PLEASED WITH THE OUTCOME ALTHOUGH IT MIGHT BE SCARY TO DO IT YOURSELF BECAUSE OF THE UNCERTAINTY BUT FOR ME IT WAS WORTHWHILE.
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Finding a Doctor

The right dermatologist can make a big difference to your patient experience and the success of your acne treatment plan. Here are the steps to find a dermatologist who is a good fit:

  1. Use the search feature on the American Academy of Dermatology website to look for board-certified dermatologists in your area, and filter the search results for doctors with a special interest in treating acne.
  2. Read online patient reviews of any dermatologists you are considering and ask people you know whether they have any experience with these dermatologists.
  3. Do your research and go to your first appointment with questions prepared.
  4. Listen to what your gut feeling tells you once you see a dermatologist in person. If you are not completely comfortable, try a different dermatologist.
Find a Doctor Using The American Acacemy of Dermatology Website

Finding a Doctor

Only a select few plastic surgeons specialize in acne scar revision surgery. Be certain to find a provider who specializes in acne scar repair and who is passionate and experienced in this area.

Be sure to:

  • Look at before and after photos, the more the better, especially patients with similar scarring to your own.
  • Be realistic about results. Look for improvement, not a cure.

Questions to ask a potential scar revision specialist:

  • Are you board certified? Be certain that they are board certified.
  • How long have you been performing these procedures? Normally, the more experience the better, however, some younger surgeons may be more on top of the latest procedures.
  • Can I speak to some of your other patients? Ask for references for several patients who had similar scarring and speak to them about the process and their satisfaction with results.

Red flags:

  • Their story changes: As you discuss different treatment options, if they tend to change their mind easily, or agree with whatever you say, consider this a red flag. A confident, experienced surgeon will possess strong, unwavering opinions.
  • Your gut tells you "no": Trust your gut. If you just don't feel that the doctor is the right fit, trust that and move on. On the other hand, if you feel they are the perfect specialist for you, trust that feeling.
Find a Doctor Using the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Website