What is the best chemical peel for acne hyperpigmentation marks?

Doctor's Answers 2

Hello Jol

Thank you for your question. There are may ways to treat post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) marks as a result of acne. You can use topical creams, chemical peels or lasers. Depending on the severity of the PIH, usually a combination treatment will give you the best result.

Depending on your skin type, I would generally use a milder peel such as Glycolic Acid peel 30% to 50% at the start. It is well tolerated, safe and has close to no downtime. Other peels such as Jessners/ TCA/ Salicylic Acid can be used as well. I will usually prime the skin before chemical peel with topical retinoids such as differin or retin-A. This will help to exfoliate your skin to get a better and more even result from the peel.

Chemical peels should be performed by a certified and trained doctor as there can be potential risks from the treatment such as skin infection/ scarring/ PIH etc. Speak to a doctor to find out more!

Regards,

Entering university can be an exciting new phase in your life, where you will meet new friends, widen your social circle and learn new things in life. Thus I can totally understand your wish to clear up your skin at this stage .

Hyperpigmentations that occur after acne outbreak are called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentations or PIH for short, which can happen quite commonly especially in Asian and darker skin types.

Generally speaking, chemical peel (eg glycolic acid peel) is just one of the treatment options for PIH. Other treatment modalities include topical creams and lasers, while sun protection measures are also equally as important. All these treatments are suitable for your age.

Depending on the extent and severity of your PIH, topical creams with sun protection measures can be sufficient to see good results, and they are usually more affordable than chemical peels or laser treatments.

Though one can get a lot of information from Google regarding the various treatments of PIH, an experienced doctor can advise you on the most suitable treatment for your case, since every individual is unique.

For more information on PIH and its treatment, you can read more about them in my "Ultimate Guide to Pigmentation Treatment in Singapore".

Hope this helps!

Cheers!

Dr David Ng C H

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