Chemical Peel for Acne

Acne is a common skin disorder where clogged skin pores get inflamed due to bacterial infection. For some people, acne is a serious problem that cannot be treated with over the counter medicines or home remedies. In such cases, one can use chemical peel for acne treatment. This is a safe and effective acne solution which makes the skin clean, clear and healthy.

What are Chemical Peels?

A chemical peel is nothing but a chemical based acidic solution. When it is applied on the facial skin, it works like an exfoliating agent. The upper layer of the skin disintegrates from the underlying surface and is peeled off. As a result, a fresh, new healthy and unaffected skin is revealed. This process is also known as chemexfoliation or derma-peeling and is equally effective on acne as well as on the ugly scars left behind by old acne. Based on the level of penetration into the skin, chemical peels are categorized into three different types. They are as follows:

Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) Peels: This is also known as superficial peels and is a very mild or light form of chemical peel. It helps to get rid of dead skin cells that tend to clog up the skin pores and cause acne. It not only makes your skin acne-free but also improves skin condition by promoting growth of new skin cells.

Trichloroacetic Acid (TCA) Peels: This is considered as a medium chemical peel that penetrates into the skin and destroys the underlying bacteria that causes acne. Thus the root cause of acne is eliminated and frequent acne eruptions are prevented. It also fills up large skin pores left behind by previous acne outbreaks.

Phenol Peels: This is made up of strong chemicals and can penetrate deep into the skin. As it has a bleaching effect on the skin, it may cause skin burns. For this reason, this chemical peel treatment is not suitable for all. A number of factors like severity of acne, skin type, level of skin oil, skin pigmentation, etc. are taken into account before deciding on whether one should undergo this treatment or not.

Treatment

In general, a mild to moderate peel is considered as the best chemical peel for acne. You can purchase one over the counter mild chemical peel product and use it at home. Read the instructions provided by the manufacturer and follow the same while using the chemical peel at home. You can apply it on the areas where there are acne breakouts. If you have acne all over the face, then apply it all over the face. After the treatment, the skin heals up quite fast as it does not have any harsh effect on the skin. When you get acne outbreaks quite often, you can repeat the acne chemical peeling after a gap of every 6 weeks for best results.

For a medium chemical peel treatment for acne, you have to visit a spa or salon. They conduct a skin test in a small area to check if the chemical peel suits your skin and then they go ahead with the treatment. One single session of this treatment may take around 30 - 45 minutes. Depending on the skin condition, you may require more than one session for complete eradication of acne. The healing time for the skin after chemical peel treatment is about a week or two. During this time, you have to follow certain guidelines provided by the professionals on skin care.

For a deep chemical peeling procedure, a certified dermatologist should be consulted. They first conduct physical examination of the acne condition, study the medical history and discuss what you can expect from the treatment. When the acne condition is still active and severe, they may not recommend for a deep peel treatment. It is more suitable for superficial acne. In this procedure, the acid solution is applied and allowed to soak into deeper layers of the skin. Then the acid is neutralized and the face is cleaned up. It is a safe procedure but one may experience pain and stinging sensation on the treated skin in the first few hours. These chemical peel side effects are not serious and can be controlled with suitable medicines. Pain relieving medicines are given to control this pain. As the recovery time is long in this treatment, doctors often prescribe antibiotics to prevent infection.

The cost of chemical peels largely depends on the type of peel being used. An over the counter mild chemical peel cost is not more than $30. Spas and salons charge around $100 for medium chemical peel treatment. Deep chemical peeling conducted by a dermatologist is the most expensive one and will cost you thousands of dollars.