Chemical Peels for Acne

Acne is one of the worst skin problems that can ail a person. It manifests itself in the form of clogged pores (blackheads and whiteheads), inflamed pimples (pustules) and profound lumps (nodules). Though usually experienced during adolescent years, acne can also occur in the adult stage. In most of the cases, acne is treated with the help of creams, lotions, medication and other over-the-counter products. It is when such treatments fail to produce any results that remedies like chemical skin peels are resorted to.

Chemical Peeling for Treating Acne

Chemical peeling for acne basically involves applying a chemical solution on the area affected by acne. Over the next few days, the chemical solution causes the skin of the particular area to develop blisters. This is followed by peeling of the skin. With time, the treated skin comes off completely and gets replaced by fresh new skin. This exfoliation usually eliminates the problem of acne. In case the acne does not go away completely, the blemishes and scars caused by it get reduced to a great extent.

Apart from treating acne, chemical peels provide a number of other benefits too. One of these includes the improvement of skin pigmentation. At the same time, they also make your skin smoother and more glowing. Basically, three categories of chemical solutions are used as chemical skin peel treatments for acne. These include alphahydroxy acid (AHA) or glycolic acid peels, trichloroacetic acid (TCA) peels, and phenol peels. Of these, AHA is the lightest one and phenol peels are the strongest.

Pros and Cons

As far as pros are concerned, chemical peels help improve the appearance of skin, reduce the depth and appearance of wrinkles, remove scars and blemishes, improve acne and get rid of sun spots or sun damage. Talking about cons, chemical peels might be very comfortable or painful to endure. In case of strong peels, skin may take a considerable time to heal, while light peels might have to be repeated frequently, even on a yearly basis. Hypo-pigmentation of skin, sun sensitivity and potential scarring, along with temporary irritation, redness, itching and burning are its other drawbacks.

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