chemical peel for acne scars

1)What is chemical peel for acne scars?

When topical acne medications do not provide satisfactory results, a clearer, healthy-looking complexion may be achieved with a chemical peel for acne or acne scars. An acne chemical peel is performed by applying a chemical solution to the skin. The solution causes the skin to blister and peel over a period of several days. As the treated skin comes off, fresh new skin replaces it. This exfoliation caused by the acne skin peel eliminates or reduces the appearance of acne blemishes and scars. A cne chemical peel treatments provide benefits in addition to acne treatment — they can improve the skin’s pigmentation and make the skin smoother.

2)Why ? What to Expect after an Acne Skin Peel

The extent of recovery necessary after an acne skin peel depends on the type of chemical peel used — AHA, TCA, or phenol. Patients commonly experience some temporary chemical peel-related side effects such as redness, dryness, and flaking or scaling after undergoing an AHA chemical peel for acne, but these side effects are usually mild and do not prevent patients from returning to regular daily activities after treatment. A TCA acne skin peel can have the same side effects of an AHA peel plus significant swelling (depending on the strength of TCA used). A mild pain medication may be necessary after a strong TCA chemical peel for acne scars, and the skin may form a temporary crust or scab on the treated area. The swelling and discomfort of a TCA chemical peel subside within about a week, and after about 10 days the skin is healed enough that the patient can return to normal activities. After a phenol acne scar peel, the face may become very swollen, even to the point that the eyes are temporarily swollen shut. For this reason up to two weeks of at-home recovery are typically needed after a phenol chemical peel.

3)The 9 fastest ways to get rid of Acne scars

1. Laser Surgery

In laser surgery the acne scarred layer of your skin is burned off so a new scar free layer of skin can grow back in its place.

2. Dermabrasion

Dermabrasion is just like laser surgery except for that instead of a laser your dermatologist will use a sanding tool that is basically a metal brush or a diamond tipped spinning blade to remove the layer of skin scarred by acne so that a new layer of skin can grow back in its place

3. Chemical peels

Chemical peels are just basically SUPER exfoliators but unlike the exfoliators you use at home… The chemicals used in chemical peels are more advanced and harsher and…

When you do a chemical peel a lot more of the acne scarred skin is removed making room for new acne free skin to grow but chemical peels work best only with cases of minor acne scarring.

4. Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion is almost like dermabrasion except that a lot less skin is removed and just like a chemical peel… Microdermabrasion should only be use for cases of minor acne scarring.

5. Steroid Injections

Steroid injections kill off your acne scars and then your body has to heal the affected areas by growing back better skin and steroids are good for moderate cases of acne scars.

6. Skin Needling

Just like steroid injections Skin needling also works by damaging the scarred areas of your skin so your body will heal itself by growing back better skin.

7. Fillers or Augmentation Therapy

In Filler or Augmentation therapy “fillers” made of collagen or silicon are used to raise your skin that was damaged from acne up to the same level as your undamaged or acne free areas of your skin sunken due to acne.

8. Subcision

In subscision your dermatologist will actually cut out your acne scar so that once your acne scar is removed the area that was cut out will heal back with better looking skin and it will be at the same level as the rest of your skin

9. Punch Excision

In punch excision your acne scars are basically sewn back together with sutures or stitches to get rid of the appearance of acne scars.

4 ) What’s Different About the Acne Chemical Peels You Can Get at the Doctor’s Office?

If you get a chemical peel at the dermatologist’s office, you will probably be treated with a much stronger product. The AHAs you get in over-the-counter products are only strong enough to dissolve the “glue” that holds dead skin cells to your face. The AHAs you get at the doctor’s office have a pH so low that they send healthy skin cells into shock and they die. This does help remove excess layers of skin that may be keeping pores tight, but it also causes much more irritation to your skin. Used skillfully, however, AHAs may make the skin clear and plump.

Dermatologists also do treatments with phenol and trichloroacetic acid to remove more layers of skin. These toxic skin peels may be mixed with croton oil or septisol to make them penetrate even deeper into the skin.

These potentially dangerous skin peels have been largely replaced by laser resurfacing. The only time a chemical peel is likely to be used at the doctor’s office is when treatment of acne or acne scars with laser would leave a noticeable line on the skin.

6) The Best Way Chemical Peels for Acne Scars

The Best Chemical Peels for Acne Scars

Acne scars can be the unfortunate remnant of acne lesions that damage the collagen layers of skin. The result is a depressed or raised portion of skin that can mar an otherwise healthy complexion. One of the treatments for acne scars is a chemical peel, in which a concentrated form of chemicals is applied to remove scarred skin cells, allowing healthy cells to grow in their place. Different types of chemical peels exist, and each has its benefits in treating acne scars.

A phenol chemical peel is one of the deepest peels available and must be used under a physician’s supervision. This deep peel penetrates deeper into the layers of skin, beyond the epidermis to the dermis layer underneath and requires between one and two hours to apply, according to DocShop.com. This type of peel has been shown to improve the appearance of atrophic acne scars, which are pitted scars on the face, according to Derma Network. However, because this peel requires major damage of the skin, it is important to be aware of the side effects, including discoloration and infection.

A glycolic acid peel is a superficial chemical peel that does not penetrate beyond the epidermal, or outer layers of skin, according to Derma Network. These types of peels are derived from sugarcane. The small nature of the glycolic acid molecule allows for deeper penetration into the skin’s pores and then encourages the release of dead skin cells, thus improving the appearance of the skin. According to DermaDoctor.com, this superficial type of peel may help to reduce only minor acne scars and can also reduce some of the redness associated with acne scarring.

Trichloracetic acid is used for medium facial peels, which require less recovery time than deeper chemical peels, according to DocShop.com. However, this is able to penetrate more deeply than a superficial peel, working to reduce the appearance of fine lines, blemishes and pigmentation irregularities, such as spots from sun damage. This type of peel also is effective in removing acne scars and can prove a good option for those with darker skin, as the peel is less likely to have the side effects of pigmentation irregularities, which can be associated with deeper peels, such as a phenol peel.