Chemical Exfoliation
Acne.org’s Real World Take
Common sense might tell us that chemical peels seem like such a great idea for acne, but in the real world, acid alone just doesn’t seem to completely take care of acne. They can also be expensive and leave the skin red and peeling for a few days every time you get one.
Chemical Exfoliation
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this procedure done. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one. Do not try this at home!
Used Chemical Peels? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
May 3, 2011
Product used: Glycolic Acid Peel
Cons:
- Didn't take away all my bacne, so I started using AHA cream daily too.
- The stronger concentrations sting quite a bit.
- No permanent effect. The acne will return if you stop with the treatments
- Not suitable for summer sun and bathing
- Takes a while to work, but so does pretty much all effective acne treatments
- I always break out slightly after each peel
I have just finished a 7-treatment glycolic peel cycle using first 40% glycolic acid and then 50% (my back skin is not very sensitive). First a little background: I have moderate to somewhat severe bacne. I have tried retin-a, antibiotics and bp, the first two where rather useless and though bp worked rather well it bleaches everything so I had to stop. Also I've tried some "home remedies" like Head and shoulders and a non dairy diet, which again, didn't work. The only time I've been acne free is during my pregnancies. I get better during the summer months and worse in the winter. For the first three weeks I did just peels, plus a routine of salicylic acid toner and a mild lactic acid cream. My back got better, but I could kinda tell from experience that is wasn't going to work completely. So I added an aha-cream as per Dan's bacne regime. Now I'm on my 4th week of that combo and my back is considerably better. Just a few small pimples. Of course the back still looks like a mess due to all the scars and crusts, but when I touch my skin it feels much smoother. For me this is a very big deal since I've struggled with bacne for almost 20 years, and it has gotten worse and worse. After starting aha-treatments my skin looks the best it has in years. And I feel confident that if I can keep up with this regime I will have pretty decent looking back for the most parts. But it will take some dedication
December 10, 2010
Product used: Glycolic Acid Peel
Pros:
Great results!
Cons:
Tingle a little...
I had lot of large pores, my skin is oily and I get pimples. I tried the Glycolic acid peel 30 from ANAIS SKIN CARE about 3 weeks ago now and I am very pleased with the results. I also use their TCA cleanser first. Which help the glycolic to go deeper! I am very happy with this Glycolic peel. I paid about 30 buck for the bottle.
November 2, 2010
Product used: Glycolic Acid Peel
Pros:
30% Gylocic Acidf for 4 weeks - Smaller ice pick scars, smaller pores, fine lines, improved complection, lines under eyes gone, brown spots on skin from sun damage gone
Cons:
It does burn and will cause stubborn acne to flare up that is stuck under skin at first but that will fade within 3-4 days. There is a 3-4 day reddness and peeling period but this is normal and yes sometimes it does appear to scab but this is usually in areas that has severe pore clogging.
I have before and after photos and the results are amazing. I had huge pores and terrible acne before and now nothing, my skin is FINALLY beautiful. It tightened my skin, ridded me of lines (even under my eyes) During my first application I did have alot of flare up and peeling but it was normal due to all of the clogged pores that had been that way for awhile. I do reccommend getting some Emu oil or vit e and using nothing but that afterwards. It helped the healing time tremendously! I bought my peel from ebay through a very reputable seller. I cant tell you enough though you must be patient with this because your face WILL turn red and peel if you do it correctly. Follow ALL directions or it might not work properly!
October 26, 2010
Product used: Glycolic Acid Peel
Pros:
Smooth skin, lightening of dark spots, tightening of pores, wrinkles look less noticible
Cons:
Acne will flare up for a few days
I am 45 and have had acne since I was 25. It is hormonal 100% for women. Birth Control pills helped. Taking Accutane for a yr kept me free of acne for 5 yrs. Then it returned. Antibotics were useless. Those who use these glycolic peels without there hormonal problems under control will be unhappy because the acne will keep surfacing over and over again because the hormones keeps making the acne every month. This is how I felt about the peels in my 20's and 30's. The peels turned my face into a giant zit farm. I couldnt leave the house. (The exception was when Accutane got rid of the acne entirely) Now at 45, when I do the peels, small clusters of acne surface as my face clears out. But this is nothing like my 20's or 30's. This is manageable and the acid is doing its work. It will take time for the skin to rid itself of the clogged pores as I still have weak hormones still wreaking a bit of havoc. For those of you who are leaving it on for 10-15 minutes and not noticing anything at all, you have very sun damaged skin. You will need to keep doing the peels for a very very long time. You have a lot of dead skin to work through. You may wish to see a professional and ask there advice. These acids work wonders when applyed properly to the right canidates. Never apply to broken skin or onto wounds. Good luck and to beautiful skin!
October 15, 2010
Pros:
Shows good results pretty fast. Better skin. Doesn't take long to get and not painful.
Cons:
None
This works people need to really read up on it. Find a person who knows what they are doing, a person who cares about your skin. It maybe be spendy but you are taking care of your face, which is well worth it. 3 peels make a huge difference for acne or sun damage and even wrinkles.
September 10, 2010
Pros:
skin is getting better
Cons:
none
i had VI peel yesterday, my skin looks good, a little bit dry and red, but not bad! (vi peel was mild). I used Obagi for 4 month and tretinoin made my skin break out a lot, but 5 days before peel I stopped using it and after vi peel my skin is much better. I'm not peeling yet. I'll post my next review next week
August 22, 2010
Product used: Glycolic Acid Peel
Pros:
evens skin tone and texture
Cons:
20-30% can cause serious irratation and flare ups
it gets rid of dark scars and helps with acne by exfoliating, BUT if you think a stronger concentration of glycolic acid will give you better results BEWARE it can cause major irritation and flare ups.
July 28, 2010
Pros:
I did my own peel and the results were good. Some sloughing but after 3-4 days it was gone.
Cons:
None really other than going w/o makeup for 4 days.
Denise, if you have pimples all over your face from the laser three mo. ago why have you already had 4 peels since then? You should always wait after you have a procedure done to give your face time to settle down. Also, peels are not suppose to be done more than 1-2 times per mo. so I do not see how you've had 4 if you would have needed to give your face at least two months to calm down. If it was me, I would have given my face a good six mo. before trying anything else. Most things with the skin will clear up on their own.
July 18, 2010
Product used: Jessner Peel
Pros:
-Smoother skin
-Pimples go flat so when makeup is applied, skin looks flawless
-Dries out existing pimples
-evens out skintone
Cons:
-Need to stay at home, away from public eye for about 4 days.
-Peeling, skin feels tight from days 2-4
-Skin looks awful during day 2-4
Works well, my skin is so smooth, it is the 6th day of my Jessner peel and I love it,
I actually got the Ultraceuticals Vitapeel which is a modified version of the Jessner's peel.
Highly recommended!
July 7, 2010
Pros:
Results in gorgeous skin. Fades scars and hyperpigmentation significantly, removes acne, smoothens skin, etc.
Cons:
Intense uncomfortable burning during the procedure. Very tight, leathery, dry skin afterwards. Takes 5-7 days for peeling to stop.
I had a salicylic acid peel and lactic acid peel done about a week ago, and I love the results. I had horrible scarring and hyperpigmentation from hormonal acne. Now, my skin looks so much better, and I feel very confident going out in public now. Be sure to apply plenty of moisture to your face, and use a gentle cleanser like cetaphil. You can still see some slight imperfections on my skin, but its nowhere near as noticeable. I'm going to get 2 or 3 more peels done to maximize the results.
Pros:
- Has decreased my bacne
- Relatively inexpensive if you do it yourself
- Few side effects if you follow the protocol and start carefully
- Easy to apply (but for bacne you'll probably need some help with the brushing)
- Has paled my scars somewhat