Using Chemical Peels As An Acne Treatment

Chemical peels have become popular as anti-aging, facial rejuvenation procedures; however, they're sometimes used to treat acne as well. In this procedure, a chemical acid solution is applied to your skin, causing the skin to peel off so that new skin can regenerate. Some of the peels have fancy names, extravagant prices, and are associated with overstated expectations.

 

The peels work on wrinkles by loosening the glue-like substances that hold the dead cells on the surface of your skin together, causing them to peel off (exfoliate). This allows the skin to renew itself and thus lessen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and balance out skin pigmentation.

 

Chemical peels also produce a similar exfoliating action in your hair follicles where the sticky dead cells congregate and block your pores, causing acne breakouts.

 

Chemical peels are probably not effective for the treatment of inflammatory lesions of acne. They seem to work best in the elimination of blackheads and whiteheads (comedonal acne).

 

Peels for acne are generally superficial and less apt to cause complications such as pigmentary changes to the skin. Deeper peels, with stronger concentrations of acids, are sometimes used to treat acne scars. Superficial peels don't penetrate below the upper layers of skin and can sometimes also help to even irregular skin tones by lightening the dark spots of acne. Finding the treatment that is right for you depends on your skin type, the activity of your acne, your degree of scarring, and of course — as with all cosmetic procedures — your ability to afford it, because most, if not all, health insurance plans don't pay for them.

 

With chemical peels, persistent redness, permanent color change, and scarring are possible, especially with the deeper, high-concentration peels. Reactivation of cold sores has also been seen. Most importantly, if you or anyone in your family has a history of keloids or other types of significant scarring tendencies, these procedures are probably not for you.

 

Not only can peels reactivate cold sores, they can cause them to spread over your entire face. If you have any evidence of active herpes blisters, don't have any sort of peel (or microdermabrasion, regular dermabrasion, or laser abrasion).

 

It's important to protect your skin from the sun after any chemical peel. Ask your doctor to recommend a sunblock with both UVA and UVB protection, and apply it daily for at least four weeks after the treatment.

 

Occasionally, a topical retinoid such as Retin-A is used to pre-treat the skin by thinning the skin's outer layer. This preparation allows for deeper penetration of the chemical solution. The pre-treatment period may take up to a month before the chemical peel is actually performed.

 

Chemical peels can be administered by a doctor, a nurse, or an aesthetician. Most states limit aestheticians to lower concentrations of these acids. The lower concentration peels that are much less potent than those used in doctors offices have little, if any, effect on acne.