Chemical Exfoliation
Reviews
3.4
372 Reviews
Chemical Exfoliation
Efficacy
61%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
1
2
3
4
5
Chemical Exfoliation
Side Effects
Medium
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!
Read All About Chemical Peels
Compare To Other Treatments
5
26.3%
4
28%
3
19.9%
2
12.1%
1
13.7%

Used Chemical Peels? Rate It:

Choose from 1 to 5 stars
October 7, 2018
Product used: Glycolic Acid Peel
I saw an instant small difference day by day!
If you guys want to start with a low percentage of glycolic acid. I bought the murad resurfacing peel pads for 40$(I know it's a lot but I wrote a tip below). On the first application I felt a tad tingling and left it on for 3 minutes. The next morning I was both happy because some of my bad acne marks were a tiny bit lighter and I was also happy because I finally saw hope. I have been using it every other night just because I want to give my face a night of rest and don't want to irritate or harm it. I also have been cutting each pad in half since 40$ is a lot and half was still good and showing results. After like a month I can finally not wear any make up and not like hate my skin and Iv been loving my skin. Eventually though (not sure exactly when) but I completely stopped feeling the tingling and I think my skin is use to the 10% now so I bought 20% on skin obsession on amazon( has pretty good reviews). Gunna try it out. But yeah I recommend the wipes and I'm glad I bought them and also that I started at 10%. Just to know I'm trying but also making sure I'm playing it safe and not being to desperate for fast results and maybe harm my skin.
April 27, 2017
Better, and hopefully almost there
I'm only rating this based off of my results with acne, but honestly it's a 5/5 stars when it comes to the overall health of skin, my breakouts are still coming but majorly reduced. I get really severe cystic acne (unknown cause, possibly hormonal), and I've tried so many products and nothing has completely reduced/gotten rid of my breakouts. Before my first peel all the way back in September, I used to get my worst breakouts on the sides of my face (near eyes, forehead, and my jawline and also on my cheeks). I had the absolute worst cystic acne I've ever seen. It was disgusting and even when my breakouts would subside for a while, it wouldn't matter because I had so much redness/discoloration/uneven skin tone/huge pores left over from every breakout I've ever had. I'd get breakouts that would last for months at a time and even when they'd finally go away, I was left with huge red/blue and even purple cystic spots. It's important to mention I was on minocycline for a year at this point and the damn dermatologist kept saying "yeah it's getting better, keep taking the meds and come back in three months". (Such garbage, I know). I thought my skin would never be the same again, but I'm happy to say that since my first peel I haven't had breakouts in certain areas of my face. Like I said, I used to get the worst breakouts around the sides of my face and my cheeks, and I hardly get breakouts there anymore. I haven't had any breakouts on the sides of my face or my jawline since the first peel. I can't even see the discoloration from those breakouts I had before and I never thought that it would get any better. The only place I am still having trouble is, unfortunately, the center of my face. I still get breakouts between my eyes, in my eyebrow area, under my nose (the absolute worst place ever to get a cyst) and I've had a few small ones on my chin under my lower lip. Though I still get breakouts, they're less severe, and they don't last nearly as long. This isn't the only thing I've done with my skin though, I think a combination of the peel and trying new skincare products have helped my skin but I don't think I could have made it this far without the peels. I've had four so far (I think) and I'm going in for another one this weekend to hopefully get rid of my breakouts for good. I have only been getting Vi Peel though, no other brand.
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August 7, 2017
Is it useful for red acne scars??
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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March 6, 2013
Product used: Glycolic Acid Peel

Pros:

Reduces signs of scarring

Cons:

Burning, redness, slow to see results

You need to use several times over several months in order to see results.
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September 23, 2011
Product used: Glycolic Acid Peel

Pros:

After one use i can already see the clearness in the skin
Very cheap
Easy to do at home

Cons:

Very red face
Peeling
Soreness
New spots have popped up

I used this product yesterday 50%. I left it on for about 4 minutes which was too much for me maybe one minute less would have been a bit less harsh! My face is current very red in the t zone area and the skin is trying to recover again. I would advise anyone with sensitive skin like mine to only leave the peel on for about 3 mins max to start with. All in all on the not so red bits of my face i can see the skin looks alot more luminous
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May 3, 2011
Product used: Glycolic Acid Peel

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

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
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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!
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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.
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December 25, 2009
Product used: Glycolic Acid Peel

Pros:

Good, sterile exfoliation for your face so your acne products can be absorbed

Cons:

It's not a cure-all. I wouldn't do this on a face with lots of active acne. Doesn't help with scars.

Good preventative step for once you get your acne under control (for a milla second). It helps your acne products be able to be absorbed better. You might try micro-dermabrasion if you have lots of breakouts and then switch to glycolic peels later -like my aestition did with me.
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December 11, 2009

Pros:

I had moderate acne which was getting worse every single day. I had 6 70% glycolic peels done over a two month period and my acne went away completely. I haven't had a single pimple since, not even hormonal pimples.

Cons:

I did get scarring here and there due to my skin peeling, but it is slowly going away.

My acne is now completely gone, and I'm currently using the Jan Marini line and Jane Iredale mineral make up which were both introduced to me by skin specialist. I'm asian, so I was worried about doing these peels especially at 70% but there weren't any complications. For those who are planning to do a peel. make sure you're specialist is either a trained nurse or doctor who specialises in acne. Also, if your acne is infected (you'll know when pus comes out of your pimple when you pop it), you should have laser treatment done on top of your extraction and peel.
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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.

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.