Back acne can affect your confidence, especially when you want to bare your back. It can be when you are going to the beach and want to wear your bikini, or if you want to attend an event and wear a backless dress. Whatever it is, back acne can happen to anyone and you need to learn how to manage it. We have covered the topic of back facial for back acne and whether that works, so make sure to check it out. Now we will cover the topic of chemical peel for back acne and whether that works!
Chemical peel for back acne
A lot of beauty centers offer chemical peel for back acne. Have you ever felt tempted to try this hoping that it will stop your back acne from occurring? How does chemical peel for back acne work?
Chemical peel for any kind of acne is normally using the typical acids that are good for skin. It can be lactic acid (AHA) or salicylic acid (BHA) in higher concentration than what you find in normal skincare products. Therefore, it needs to be administered by professionals in beauty centers. Moreover, the application is only for a short period of time (several minutes). This is in contrast to the home application of these acids via skincare products that you can leave overnight on your skin.
It does help with acne including back acne as it will remove the dead skin layer and help to surface the younger, newer skin underneath. If you have clogged pores due to dead skin cells which lead to acne on your back, chemical peel can also help to mitigate the issue. The chemical peel will help to reduce the occurrence of blackheads and whiteheads too. Since blackheads and whiteheads can lead to acne, this will improve acne condition.
However, having said that, you will still need to take care of your back acne. Take precautions like wear a breathable fabric and maintain your hygiene well. Please follow all the best practices to keep your back clear from acne, as what we mentioned in our article on Sweat/Back Pimples.
Is it effective to get rid of back acne scars?
Chemical peels cannot get rid of deep acne scars on the skin unfortunately. It will not help with the texture of the skin significantly. However, what chemical peels can do for you is to lighten hyperpigmentation. A lot of people with back acne scars see darkened back acne scars which can take a long time to recover. Chemical peel for back acne scars can help fasten the recovery process of this hyperpigmentation.
What will happen after chemical peel?
As the name of the treatment suggests, the chemical peel treatment will peel the skin. It may not happen immediately after your do the treatment, but this can happen a few days after. What you can see visually is your skin flaking away. When that happens, do not pick your skin. Let it flake at its own pace. You can also refrain from going out when this happens because you might see a lot of skin flakes from your back.
With the newer skin coming to the surface, your skin will be more sensitive to the UV ray as well. Avoid the sun for a while, or apply a generous amount of sunscreen to protect your skin during this time. This is especially so if you are treating your back acne scars using chemical peel as well. The increased photosensitivity due to the chemical peel might increase the hyperpigmentation of your back acne scars if you do not protect your back properly.
Should you do chemical peel for back acne?
Chemical peel can really help your back acne and your back acne scars if you have them. However, there are some precautions you will need to take note of before you embark on the chemical peel journey.
Understand your acne type
If you have back acne where it is only surface level and most likely caused by clogged pores or blackheads/whiteheads that are infected, yes chemical peel for back acne can help. However, there are different types of back acne. One of them is cystic acne on the back, which can be caused by inflammation/infection deep in the body system. I would suggest you to find the root cause of this cystic acne, which can be reaction to a certain food ingredient, hormonal imbalance, to mention a few. Personally, I tamed down my back acne a couple of years ago by taking Zinc supplement. Zinc supplement is very good for the skin when taken in moderate amount. A lot of acne sufferers have lower zinc level in their body compared to people with clear skin. Read up more about Zinc supplement for acne in my other post.
Sun protection post chemical peel is necessary
Also, be mindful of sun protection post chemical peel. If you cannot limit your sun exposure post chemical peel for some reason, perhaps wait until you can protect your skin from the sun before you do this procedure. Chemical peels are not cheap and you would want to get the most benefit out of it. You do not want to get acne-free skin in the expense of getting pigmentation or hyperpigmentation.
Cheaper alternative to chemical peel at home
As mentioned, acids used in chemical peels are mainly lactic acid and salicylic acid in high concentration. If you cannot afford professionally-administered chemical peels, you can start by doing it at home by buying skincare products containing lactic acid or salicylic acid. You can try with lower concentration before working your way up. If you can be consistent in doing it every night, you might get as good result from chemical peels at beauty center, at a fraction of the price. The caveat is, you need to do it consistently and perhaps over a longer period of time.