Chemical Peels
Results
Side Effects

Chemical peels are strong acids applied by a professional in high percentages to the skin for a few minutes at a time. They...

Chemical peels are strong acids applied by a professional in high percentages to the skin for a few minutes at a time. They remove the top layer of skin cells and are thought to help promote the growth of fresh new skin cells.

Chemical peels are usually performed 4 to 10 times in 2-week intervals. Results are usually temporary, therefore it is not normally recommended for chronic acne.

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Read All About Chemical Peels
Compare To Other Treatments
5
24.9%
4
24.2%
3
20.1%
2
14.3%
1
16.5%

Used Chemical Peels? Rate It:

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April 22, 2008

Pros:

reduces wrinkles undereyes and sun spots.

Cons:

you look worse before you get better

I highly recommend getting this procedure done for the first time by a professional. it looks like in the reviews the people that used the higher % had bad results. now that I know how to apply it and the steps the surgeon took and what to do during the healing time I will use a at home soltution . it is important to prep the skin before you do the area . the after care is very important. if you do not keep moist it will not heal properly. you can not be on any type of hormone or birth control becuse this could cause darkening of the skin. I went to a plastic surgeon and had a peel under my eyes. I applied crisco vegetable oil under my eyes 24 hours after the procedure and had to spray with water every 2 hours and reapply the crisco oil. it took a full week to peel and my eyes look awesome. it is fresh new skin that is flawless. it is ver very important to do the prep and psot care or you will have a terrible result .
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March 29, 2007
I had a TCA peel for acne scars, indents, and dark spots. I purshased 50% Tca on e-bay. Diluted it to 35%. It worked great for me the dark spots are gone my skin looks smoother and I actually look younger. My acne scars look smaller now. I feel so much better about my self now. I dont have to hide a home. I will be doing another in about 6 months.
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February 2, 2007

Pros:

Vanished acne marks

Cons:

2 day Redness

Chemical peels can be very effective if done properly by licensed estatitions, they can also be very detrimental if they are not. I have had a number of chemical peels but my estatition started me with mild products and slowly advanced me into the medicated peels while preping my skin inbetween peels as well. Improvements can't been see in a couple of days with one harsh peel. Obagi espically is a very strong product, I used obagi products for the treatment of acne for less than a month rather than the 3 months I was directed to because it was far to harsh on my skin. For me GlyMed products work better. I know acne and acne marks are EXTREMELY frustrating, I developed cystic acne in my 20's that left scars. Stay positive there are mixes for everything but your conditions didn't appear over night and they won't dissapear over night either. Find licensed professionals that will consult with you and talk to you about your concers and what options you have. Best of Luck to All
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July 21, 2009

Pros:

Left my skin beautiful after healing. Diminishes small lines after 3 treatments.

Cons:

Months after the treatments was exposed to sun ( with sunscreen) and had severe hyperpigmentation on upper lip and forehead where I had additional TCA places for small lines. Has taken months to begin to fade.

Great product if used properly! Does what it's supposed to , however, I don't recommend doing it at home unless you have thoroughly researched how to use because it can very easily burn. Use a hat and sunscreen after using this product. While you may enjoy the benefits of your TCA peel it does leave your skin more succeptible to sun damage that is hard to reverse.
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March 27, 2009

Pros:

the texture of skin becomes smoother after just one peel.
kinda lighten some scarrings

Cons:

once you get the peel u'd better get prepare to stay at home for a week!!Your face will look scary for a week n u gotta control your hands to not tear off the flaking skin!

I got the LUNCHTIME PEEL at the dermatologist office and the lady told me that there would be little or no downtime and this treatment wont peel like what the Vitalize peel does, it will be slight flaking but not actually peeling like a onion...my face turned super red in a hour after the treatment, n the redness last until the third day morning, eventually the redness became dark brown n glassy, some spots around the corner of my eyes even became the scabs! The whole face was so tight n dry..at the third day's night the skin actually started peeling around the mouth...it was not FLAKING, it was peeling like the onions!!! (I'm so glad that I didn't get Vitalize peel) I couldn't go out for 4 days because the serious peeling.I have 2,3 small breakouts after the peel but they cure fast..it's my fourth day after the peel, I'm glad to see the result after just one peel!
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March 6, 2009

Pros:

None.

Cons:

Downtime, cost, and break outs.

I got a chemical peel done to my face and it burned like hell! Not to mention that I looked like a burned victim for 3 days afterward. After my leather feeling red skin peeled off I was fine for about 2 more days and then BAM, I started to break out and as each day came I got more acne. I was getting 1-2 zits a week at the time before this treatment, now I have 2 cystic knotts under my skin and other small ones. It's been a week and I'm waiting for my skin to clear. Unless you like wasting money and enjoy painful procedures that just make you worse, I wouldn't recommend chemical peel. Oh and look up hyper pigmentation cause that has happened to some people from doing this.
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April 17, 2008

Pros:

Initial firming of the skin, which makes scars less noticeable.

Cons:

Flaking skin, lightening of skin, enlarged pores, and additional scarring.

I did 1 glycolic and 4 SA 20% peels at a plastic surgeons office every other week over a 3 month period. The first treatment was a glycolic acid peel. The treatment left my skin a little irritate and broke out the following three days, but not any real negative side effects.. The rest of the peels were 20% SA. She cleansed the skin with glycolic products and then applied the SA peel and left it on for 3 minutes followed by a 3 minute soak. Initially, my skin looked firm, but by the 3rd SA peel I noticed my skin looking worse. Against my better judgment, I went through with the 4th SA peel. My end result was multiple tiny holes, like every pore had been opened. Existing scars looked worse, and the dry, flaking skin added more scarring. I wish I could turn back time and chose another procedure.
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March 6, 2008

Pros:

Clearer Skin, great look

Cons:

Doesnt stop acne (not advertised to do so), down time

I have moderately severe acne, had the TCA 20% peel at home, I did not do it on the whole face just the forehead and cheeks. The skin turned hard, dark brown, and leathery on the 2nd morning, but it shed approx 5th night. It reduced 70% of my dark blemishes, and the inflammed cystic acne also disappeared. But one or two days after the pimples came back, but atleast some of the previous scars diminished.
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August 16, 2007
Great stuff if used with caution. Bought a 25% from Loganwood Skincare. It worked excellent the first few times. It came with a rubber dropper bottle. Noticed the rubber was rotting off, replaced bulb with cardboard gasket. The next time I used it, it seemed to frost way to long. From reading prior posts realized it was penetrating way to deep. Marked level with pencil, when I came back 2 weeks later, I found the level had dropped by 1/4 inch!! Theorized I was putting at least 60 to 70% on my face!! It seems that the contents was evaporating!! Each time to a more concentrated level!! My face has a fairly small ding, luckly I think with patience can be repaired. The point I want to make is be sure the bottle has a solid cap, other wise the same may happen to you.
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January 17, 2016
great at clearing acne
I've been using a 30% salicylic acid peel once a week for about 3 months now. I remember the first time I used it, I thought it was an absolute miracle product! All my acne had practically dried out and was gone the next day, my skin was not oily whats so ever and the overall texture of my skin just looked amazing. These amazing results lasted for a while but soon enough it was like my skin just got used to it. While I still have acne, it definitely isn't as bad as it was which I think is the result of these peels! I probably need to go up to to 35 or 40% to get better results once again but with almost a whole bottle of the 30% left, I want to try and use that up a bit more. I'd definitely recommend anyone suffering from acne to try a salicylic acid peel. Just make sure you follow the directions that come with your peel 100% as you don't want to end up with a chemical burn or something even worse! If you have really sensitive skin also make sure you start of low on a 10 or 15% peel then go up from there gradually as your skin gets used to it.
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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.
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