Warning about DIY Chemical Peels
The Doctors and producer Leslie Marcus investigate medical-grade chemical peels that some people are using at home and speak with Michelle, who scarred her skin with an at-home peel.
Leslie says she was able to buy products online like a 70% glycolic acid peel and 100% trichloroacetic (TCA) peel, which dermatologist Dr. Sonia Batra and plastic surgeon Dr. Andrew Ordon both note are very potent and something they would never use in such a high concentration.
Dr. Batra warns that it might seem easy to use these products at home, but notes that a doctor would take into account someone's skin type, which would determine what type and what concentration of a peel to use. Dr. Ordon also notes that the skin should be pre-treated by a doctor or a licensed esthetician in order for it to respond properly.
Michell, who has hyperpigmentation scars, tells us she used a DIY chemical peel and says it burned her skin. She says she was permanently scarred from the product. She explains it felt like her "face was on fire" and that it burned for 3 to 5 days after applying.
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The Doctors arrange for Michell to visit Surgical Dermatology & Laser Center in her hometown of Las Vegas, which has offered her a series laser treatments to help with her scarring at no charge to her.
