Acne Chemical Peels

Peels are a natural or non-oral way of treating acne & early acne scars. They help exfoliate clogged pores, kill surface bacteria, reduce oil production & stimulate collagen to help repair & remodel scars.

Peels can also help shrink down enlarged pores & reduce pigmentation from acne lesions.

The standout peels for acne are BHA and Vitamin A peels. Here’s the skinny.

BHA peels are also known as salicylic acid peels.

• Salicylic acid is used as it is fat soluble.
• It takes a few minutes to perform this peel.
• With higher concentrations you may peel for 3-4 days.
• This peel is great for blackheads and congestion.

Vitamin A peels include retinoic acid, tazarotene & trifarotene peels

• This is a leave on peel (4-8 hours).
• Delayed peeling is seen at 48 hours.
• Peeling can last up to 4 days.
• This peel is great for general acne.

This category of peel is known as alpha hydroxy acid peels and include mandelic, citric, lactic and glycolic acid. AHA peels are best for skin rejuvenation, but they can also be used to treat blackhead acne or comedonal acne. Unlike BHA peels, AHA peels have no downtime. 

Occasionally, dermatologists use a combination of skin acids known as Jessner peels. This includes lactic, salicylic acid and resorcinol.

Peels start at $98. They include salicylic acid, alpha hydroxy, as well as retinoic acid peels.

Inquire for peel packages as we combine peels with phototherapy and lasers. Book a FREE assessment with our nursing team to see what peels can do for your skin.

Peels can be performed on the day of consultation. The time taken depends on the type of peeling agent.

• Salicylic acid peels are self-neutralising with the end point of pseudo frosting. They take 3-6 minutes to perform.
• AHA peels take longer as they require neutralization at 1-4 minutes.
• Retinoid peels are the quickest, taking only 1-3 minutes to perform.

Laser assisted retinoid infusions or LARI take 90 minutes as we use local numbing creams prior to the procedure.

No, superficial peels are well tolerated. As a guide, BHA, lactic and glycolic peels are 2 out of 10, whilst retinoic acid or retinoid peels are 0 out of 10.

Results are seen as early as 48 hours, especially if you have comedonal or blackhead acne.  Peeling agents can also remodel collagen and improve scarring associated with acne however the best results are seen after 2-4 months.

Side effects are uncommon and are largely related to skin colour and depth of peeling. They are more common with TCA & AHA peels, but extremely uncommon with salicylic acid or retinoic acid peels. Unexpected results include-

• Post peel redness or darkening
• Blisters
• Infection

Dermatologists combine many different treatments with peels.

For example, a peel before or shortly after commencing Accutane speeds up the clearance of acne. Peels can also be combined with topicals such as retinol, retinoids, niacinamide, as well as skin acids.

AHAs with LED phototherapy is a good combination for acne in pregnancy. Peels can also be combined with blue light IPL or BBL.

The best peels for acne scars are deep focal peels, including TCA 80-100% and phenol peels 88-90%. This is classed as a deep peel, as it reaches the lower limits of the dermis. This form of peeling is reserved for dermatologists or plastic surgeons due to the depth.

Yes. Revised guidelines brought out in 2016 has shown that some acne medications and focal deep peeling. This includes AHA, BHA, TCA CROSS and focal phenolic acid. Your dermatologist will guide you.

If you have uber sensitive skin (eczema, dermatitis, rosacea), peels may not be a good idea. If you flush and blush easily, we discourage you from peeling.

Some types of peels such as AHAs are safe in pregnancy. If you have active cold sores, peels should not be performed.

If you get a lot of sun & love sun tanning, peels & lasers are not for you. Sorry.

Our dermatologists and nurses are trained extensively in the application of peels for medical conditions such as acne and pigmentation. We cover very superficial to deep peeling, and everything in between. We have over 20 different peels & concentrations, so you can be assured we will find one for your skin type and concerns.