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In this post, I am sharing my experience with getting a chemical peel to treat my pigmentation issues. If you would rather watch a video instead of reading, scroll to the bottom to watch my YouTube video.
Why I Tried A Chemical Peel
When I was a teen I didn’t know how to take care of my skin so I had a lot of acne. And of course, I picked it. That leads to some scaring. And to really make things worse, I thought being tan was better for my acne and scars so I didn’t wear sunscreen.
When I got to college my acne slowed down, but I was left with skin that just didn’t look good. I spent the next few years trying everything under the sun to fix my texture and fade my scars.
Learning about skincare, really did help. Fast forward to now, I’ve done a lot to help my skin. But I want to see more results and faster.
I started looking into things like IPL, laser resurfacing, micro-needling… But then I saw a YouTuber talk about her success with VI Peels. So I decided to look into it.
About VI Peel
A VI Peel is a medium-depth chemical peel. It works by exfoliating your skin and stimulating the production of new proteins. VI Peels treat signs of aging, improve skin texture, and help fade pigmentation.
There are a few different varieties of the peel, but most of the peels contain TCA, phenol, salicylic acid, vitamin c, and retinol.
When I met with my aesthetician we decided the Precision Plus was the best formulation to address my skin issues. In addition to the normal VI Peel ingredients, it also has hydroquinone to tackle issues like PIH and melasma.
Getting The Chemical Peel – Day 1
Every aesthetician is going to have a different way of doing things, This is just how they do it where I went.
I already had a place I likes to go for other treatments so I didn’t need to do much research into finding a provider. When I went for my appointment, we talked a bit about my goals which were to address texture and pigmentation. It was recommended that I get at least three peels to see the results I wanted.
Then we went and took some pictures so we could track the progress of the peels. I had taken my own pictures which is what I will be sharing in this video.
She also talked to me about my post-peel care. Gave me a packet of supplies, some directions, and recommended I download the VI Peel app.
The application of the chemical peel was really straightforward. To make the peel more comfortable, she had me wear a fan that blew air on my face.
My eyes were closed so I couldn’t see exactly what she did. But it felt like a really saturated face wipe was being gently rubbed on my face. She did that twice, I believe. With the fan, my face just felt really cold.
After she applied the peel and removed the fan, then my face started to feel hot. She gave me a throwaway mask to wear out and that made my face even hotter. But that didn’t really last too long since I took my mask off as soon as I got outside.
I was warned that I would look like I went crazy with the self-tanner. She was right.
Post VI Peel Care Day 1
At the four-hour mark, I had to do my first at-home treatment.
I washed my face and applied the first VI Peel towelette to my face. It’s just a saturated face wipe. After 10 minutes I applied the post-treatment repair cream.
By the time I was ready to do my night routine, my face looked a lot different. It wasn’t orange anymore but very red.
The nighttime routine for the first couple of days was a little more complicated. First, I washed my face with the face wash, then used the towel to pat my skin dry. After my face was dry, I had to use the Precision Plus towelette and then wait 30 minutes. Then I applied the VI Peel towelette. After waiting 10 minutes, I applied the post-treatment repair cream.
Day 2
In the morning, I washed my face, applied the post-treatment cream, and finished with a healthy dose of the provided SPF.
I thought I wouldn’t peel on day two, but I noticed that I started to peel around my mouth.
In the evening I did the same skincare routine I did before bed on Day 1.
Day 3
The morning routine was the exact same as every other day. Wash gently, apply post-treatment cream, and use a liberal amount of sunscreen.
My skin was starting to peel a lot. Honestly, it was pretty gross. I couldn’t do anything without raining skin. It was even getting in my eyes from falling off my forehead.
Thankfully, I didn’t have to do anything or see anyone.
The evening routine for days 3-7 is much simpler. Wash face and then apply post-treatment cream.
Day 4-7
Most of the peeling happened on Day 3. On Day 4 I had very minimal peeling around my face. Day 5 I had a tiny bit of flakey skin around my hairline. By Day 6 my skin looked normal but felt very dry. For Day 7, I applied my own fragrance-free moisturizer instead of the post-treatment repair cream.
Before and After One Peel
My results from one peel look pretty minimal in the pictures. If you look closely, you can see a reduction in the pigmentation on my chin. Also, the skin on my forehead is less read in the after photos. In real life, my skin looks brighter and less red overall.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many chemical peels will I be getting? Currently, I am planning to do three. The next one will be about a month after the first. And then the last one will be a month after that.
Did it hurt? Pain is always relative but I didn’t hurt. On the first day, it felt uncomfortable and hot. After that, I had a couple of spots that had a slight burning sensation, but it always passed.
Am I happy with the results? I won’t lie. I do wish there was a bigger difference in my texture after 3 chemical peels.
How much was it? Every office is going to have a different price. At the location I go to, one VI Peel starts at $350 but I got a deal by buying a package of three peels, which was $850. There were places in my area that charge less but I wanted the best. Plus I really like the ladies that work there.
