Key facts
- Superficial peels
- Glycolic, lactic and salicylic acids act within the epidermis
- Medium-depth peels
- Stronger agents, usually TCA, reach the upper dermis and cause visible peeling
- Deep peels
- Traditionally phenol-based; need medical monitoring and rarely suit darker skin
- Main risk in Asian skin
- Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, which rises with peel depth
- Home versus clinic
- Low strengths are sold as skincare; higher strengths are for professional use
- Not the same as
- TCA CROSS, which places acid in single scars and spares the skin around them
- Worth asking
- Which acid, what strength and depth, who applies it and how the skin will be protected
What is a chemical peel, and how deep does it go?
A chemical peel is a controlled chemical injury. An acid is applied for a set time, it loosens and removes surface layers, and the skin renews from below. How deep it reaches depends on the agent, its concentration, how the skin was prepared and how long the acid stays in contact. Depth is the variable that decides what a peel can do and how much risk it carries.
Superficial peels act within the epidermis, and the visible effect ranges from nothing at all to light flaking. Medium-depth peels reach the upper dermis and produce several days of visible peeling. Deep peels, traditionally phenol-based, reach further, involve a long recovery and need medical monitoring, because phenol can affect heart rhythm.
In practice, peels used in Asian skin are mostly superficial, with medium peels chosen selectively and with caution. Reviews of cosmetic procedures in darker skin advise against deep peels because of the risk of lasting pigment and textural change.
Peels are also not a single product. Daily skincare acids and in-clinic peels differ in strength and pH as well as in who applies them, and the ASEAN cosmetic rules that Singapore follows set limits on what general-use products may contain. Higher-strength peels are intended for professional use under medical supervision, so a strong product bought online for use at home removes the safeguards that make a peel predictable.
Which acid suits which problem: glycolic, lactic or salicylic?
Glycolic acid is the smallest alpha hydroxy acid, and its small molecules loosen the bonds between dead surface cells so they shed more evenly. It is used for rough texture, dullness and superficial uneven tone. It makes skin more sensitive to sun, and eczema, rosacea, sunburn or broken skin call for caution. The glycolic acid page covers the evidence, which is mostly small studies.
Lactic acid is also an alpha hydroxy acid, but its molecules are larger, so it penetrates more slowly and is often gentler. At low strengths it also acts as a humectant, drawing water into the skin. Evidence for lactic acid peels is limited compared with glycolic acid, and it is better regarded as a gentle exfoliating and moisturising option than a corrective treatment. See the lactic acid page for detail.
Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid and is oil-soluble, so it enters the pore and loosens the plug of dead cells and sebum behind blackheads and whiteheads. That makes it the acid usually considered for oily, acne-prone skin, with a low-certainty evidence base. People with a salicylate or aspirin allergy should avoid it, and large-area peels are a medical decision. The salicylic acid page sets out the cautions.
“Daily products use low concentrations, while in-clinic peels use higher strengths and are applied by a clinician.”
Dr Sin YongOn home glycolic versus clinic peels
What do TCA and Jessner's solution add, and what do they risk?
TCA is the usual agent for medium-depth peeling. At higher strengths it reaches the upper dermis and is used for selected sun damage and fine lines, at the cost of several days of visible peeling and more pigment risk in darker skin. It is a different thing from TCA CROSS, in which a tiny amount of high-strength acid is placed only into the floor of a narrow ice pick scar, sparing the skin around it.
Jessner's solution is a combination of salicylic acid, lactic acid and resorcinol. It is generally a superficial to medium-depth peel, depending on how many coats are applied, and is sometimes combined with TCA. Resorcinol can sensitise some skin, so a patch test and a doctor's judgment matter.
Neither is a casual product. Deeper peels depend on the operator, because depth can vary across the face with skin thickness, oiliness and how the acid is applied. Peels at this level are a medical procedure, and they are the ones for which a clear aftercare plan and a way to reach the doctor afterwards matter more.
Chemical peel agents compared by depth, target and caution| Acid | Usual depth | Usually aimed at | Caution in Asian skin |
|---|
| Glycolic acid | Superficial; epidermis | Rough texture, dullness, superficial uneven tone | Irritation can leave dark marks; introduce gradually |
| Lactic acid | Superficial; gentler | Dryness, roughness, mild dullness | Sensitive skin can still sting; evidence is limited |
| Salicylic acid | Superficial; enters pores | Blackheads, whiteheads, oily acne-prone skin | Salicylate allergy; large-area use is a medical decision |
| TCA | Medium; upper dermis | Selected sun damage and fine lines | Higher pigment risk; several days of visible peeling |
| Jessner's solution | Superficial to medium | Combined acne and surface pigment concerns | Resorcinol can sensitise; depth rises with coats |
Why does pigment risk decide the choice in Asian skin?
Asian skin is more prone to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, which is dark marking left behind by inflammation. A peel is a deliberate injury, so every peel carries some risk of it, and the risk climbs with depth, with irritation and with sun exposure afterwards. This is why strengths are introduced gradually and why a deep peel is seldom the answer in darker skin.
The same logic explains why a peel is a poor choice for some complaints. Melasma is heat- and inflammation-sensitive, and aggressive peeling can make it worse. Deeper pigment and textured scars sit below where a superficial peel acts. For those, a different tool is matched to the layer, and the guide on chemical peel versus laser sets out how depth decides between a peel and a laser.
At this practice, pigment and texture protocols are laser-based, such as laser toning, and standalone chemical peels are not among the treatments described. That is a statement about what this site describes, not a judgment on peels done carefully elsewhere.
How peels fit with other treatments matters too. Stopping retinoids and other exfoliants before a peel, and avoiding laser or waxing close to it, are usual instructions, and acids are not stacked on the same night when starting. If a laser is planned in the same area, the order and spacing are decided at assessment rather than improvised.
What happens at a peel, step by step?
A consultation comes first. It should cover your skin type, medicines, history of cold sores, scarring and pigment, any retinoids or exfoliants you use, and what you are trying to treat. The doctor examines the skin and decides whether a peel is the right layer at all.
On the day the skin is cleansed and degreased, protective jelly may be applied to sensitive areas, and the acid is applied for a timed contact. Depending on the agent, it is neutralised or removed, and the skin is soothed. Stinging, warmth and redness are expected. Medium peels cause visible peeling over several days.
Aftercare is explained before treatment: gentle cleansing, a plain moisturiser, no picking at peeling skin, avoiding other exfoliants and retinoids until told otherwise, and strict daily sun protection. Review decides what comes next, and the plan is not fixed in advance.
Questions worth asking before any peel: which acid and what strength, how the depth is controlled, who applies it, what the plan is if the skin darkens, and how you reach the doctor afterwards. A peel offered without a consultation, or sold as a quick fix for melasma, is a reason to pause.
Who should wait, and what are the risks?
A peel is postponed during sunburn, a fresh tan, active infection, a cold sore flare, open wounds, and eczema or rosacea flares in the area. Pregnancy and breastfeeding call for caution, particularly with salicylic acid. Recent isotretinoin, retinoid use, other exfoliants, laser or waxing are declared beforehand, because they change timing.
Expected effects are stinging, redness, dryness and flaking. Less commonly there is irritation that lasts, a cold sore flare, infection, scarring, post-inflammatory darkening or, with deeper peels, pale patches and lasting textural change. Large-area salicylic peels carry a rare risk of salicylate toxicity, which is why they are a medical decision.
Contact the treating doctor the same day for blistering, increasing pain, pus, spreading redness or heat, or darkening that is spreading after the skin should have settled. Dark marks appearing in the following weeks should be reviewed, with strict sun protection in the meantime.
What determines the fee for a chemical peel?
Singapore rules prevent clinics advertising prices, so factors are given here, not figures. The fee depends on the agent and depth chosen, the area treated, what the examination finds, whether the peel is combined with another treatment, and how the plan is staged with review.
A written quote is given at consultation, before anything is agreed, and the consultation decides whether a peel is advised at all. How quotes work is explained on the how we quote page.
