Index / / Chemical Peel
In-office

Chemical Peel.

Glycolic / TCA · per session

Consensus score

85 %
Yay

31 gurus on record

How we score →

The verdict spread

Across 31 gurus, the overall verdict is 85% “yay.”

24
Yay
5
Mixed
2
Nay

What the gurus are saying

Chemical peels earn strong marks for tackling acne scars, hyperpigmentation, melasma, and fine lines by shedding dead skin and sparking collagen growth. Gentler peels work for maintenance while stronger ones like TCA address deeper scars, though those with skin of color need careful consideration because aggressive peels can damage the barrier and trigger unwanted pigmentation. Experts recommend starting mild and working up gradually under the care of experienced professionals.
Synthesized from 31 expert reviews

What each guru said

31 gurus on record
All takesYay takesMixed takesNay takesHide sponsored
Doctor Youn
Doctor Youn
5.6M subs
~Mixed
“if you however have really severe acne scarring from when you were a kid and you've done multiple treatments and nothing has helped then a phenol peel may be a reasonable option for you but make sure you see a doctor who has a ton of experience with this”
Hyram
Hyram
4.3M subs
Yay
“The only thing that can make that big of a difference in that short of a time is like a professional laser session or a professional peel being done by your esthetician or something to that level.”
Doctorly
Doctorly
3.6M subs
Yay
“the most effective though is going to be that TCA cross I don't know if you ever see the videos where they take this little like toothpick and they dip it in some stuff and they put it at the base of a scar and then it like turns white that's TCA cross”
Dr. Aanchal MD
Dr. Aanchal MD
3.5M subs
Yay
“so we do do chemical peeling for scars so how do they help by shedding the overlying dead skin layer it tends to improve the skin texture superficial scars improve and also it stimulates new collagen formation”
Dr Dray
Dr Dray
2.7M subs
Yay
“As far as in-office glycolic acid peels done by a dermatologist, there is ample clinical research-backed and histalogic, meaning biopsy-proven, benefits for the use of in-office glycolic acid peels not only for improving the appearance of aging skin at the surface, but for actually getting in there and improving the deeper layers of the skin including an improvement in collagen production which ultimately helps to improve the look of wrinkles.”
Cassandra Bankson
Cassandra Bankson
2.5M subs
Yay
“If you're doing a chemical peel, you are burning the skin with a chemical peel... The reason why is because it stimulates inflammation, which is again this big bad thing that we're told to avoid, but inflammation can actually be helpful because it starts the process of healing the skin, building new skin, building collagen and elastin.”
208SkinDoc
208SkinDoc
2.1M subs
Yay
“I'll usually recommend if they're looking for like if they have hyperpigmentation of the face or you know melasma, things like that, acne scars, I'll recommend a u a series of chemical pills where you start really mild and then you can work up as they tolerate it and depending on the results.”
Dr. Shereene Idriss
Dr. Shereene Idriss
1.7M subs
Yay
“I like to take a very strong concentration of acid also known as TCA literally a hundred percent which I would never recommend you do at home because you can have a massive burn and I go very precisely into these marks in order to allow for the edges of the wound to become fresh and to slowly heal over time”
James Welsh
James Welsh
1.6M subs
Nay
“According to Victoria Nelson, she had been seeing Sonia Dar for acne treatments since 2019 and had developed a very close relationship with her. Actually referring to her as her LA mom. And in April of 2021, she says she underwent a facial treatment that included a chemical peel after being told it involved little to no downtime. However, Victoria alleges that almost immediately after the solution was applied, she experienced an intense burning sensation.”
Mixed Makeup
Mixed Makeup
1.5M subs
Yay
“so far I'm pretty happy with that decision I'm a little bit red I'm going to take this makeup off with my double cleanse and show you but it did make my skin pretty red and it did peel for a couple of days but I'm already starting to get a little bit better and I'm so happy about it”
Dr. Vanita Rattan
Dr. Vanita Rattan
1.2M subs
Nay
“Patients with skin of color go and get really aggressive chemical peels done and then the aftermath of that I'm sure you've seen lots of and for us it's a really really devastating and really difficult thing to treat because not only is it going to completely ruin the skin barrier for patients with skin of color but it's going to stimulate those already excitable melanocytes”
SponsoredGuest · Dr. Zoya
Dr. Sam Ellis
Dr. Sam Ellis
881k subs
Yay
“For those who cannot tolerate that under the eyes or they're nervous about the downtime or they're just not a good candidate, using other gentler resurfacing methods like a light chemical peel or in my practice much more commonly, we're using micro needling under the eye to stimulate collagen is a great way to approach that.”
Lab Muffin Beauty Science
Lab Muffin Beauty Science
861k subs
~Mixed
“I've also had some chemical peels but I don't really have any sort of regular treatment regimen”
Mad About Skin
Mad About Skin
727k subs
Yay
“I had a chemical peel done there once that was quite a while ago it was really really nice the after care they actually genuinely care”
The Budget Dermatologist
The Budget Dermatologist
722k subs
~Mixed
“laser treatment or even peels when done carefully by a very skilled provider and that is how you can prevent and improve that creepy under eye skin”
Dr. Daniel Sugai
Dr. Daniel Sugai
720k subs
Yay
“I prefer chemical peels, which is a much stronger punch of exfoliation where we have stronger percentages of acids, glycolic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, which is a BHA. I like that a lot in our 30s and 40s to help cause controlled micro trauma to our skin to resurface and also hopefully induce some collagen production.”
Dr Alexis Stephens
Dr Alexis Stephens
581k subs
Yay
“you can dramatically improve hyperpigmentation from melasma to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation including post acne dark marks active acne texture irregularities stretch marks keratosis Polaris fine lines and wrinkles and the appearance of scars”
Nipun Kapur
Nipun Kapur
408k subs
Yay
“twice in a month you will use a chemical peel you can use the Haven Solution by the ordinary the minimalist peeling solution the doctor shape peeling solution”
Dr. Somji Skin
Dr. Somji Skin
359k subs
Yay
“TCA is an acid treatment for atrophic acne scarring or atrophic scarring from other causes you are using an acid Trichloroacetic acid that is put on the scars applied onto scars using an applicator to cause a chemical reaction an inflammatory process which triggers the skin to heal and in that healing process you're creating collagen”
Dr. Jenny Liu
Dr. Jenny Liu
321k subs
Yay
“with the anti-aging concern and the post acne marks I will once to two times a week add in a chemical exfoliant and then I would skip retinoids on those nights and I really do find that the skin in cycling method which I actually have been doing for years works really well for my skin personally achieving my goals while minimizing irritation”
Dr. Mamina
Dr. Mamina
281k subs
Yay
“Not only will these resurface the skin to help even out skin tone, even out pigmentation, but the different chemicals can work deeper on the collagen level to help with collagen remodeling and building.”
Caroline Hirons
Caroline Hirons
251k subs
~Mixed
“would a chemical face peel help with this this is one question I've never had one before can you give me any advice on how to make my skin look great on the big day”
Guest · Sali Hughes
Minkology 101 & Skincare
Minkology 101 & Skincare
225k subs
Yay
“I am doing the chemical video because I am not satisfied with where my skin is so when I look in the mirror I'm able to see some pores that are open here um don't like it I have a couple of blemishes um here going on so let's take care of it”
The Style and Beauty Doctor
The Style and Beauty Doctor
221k subs
Yay
“she did an atome chemical peel. No, no, no. Not the type that you could probably buy from Sephora or, you know, get over the counter. you know, it's made for at home use. No, she did the type of peel that only licensed estheticians or dermatologists should be doing.”
Sincerely Miss Ash
Sincerely Miss Ash
195k subs
Yay
“So this is going to help resurface your skin. So if you have any type of texture or dryness on your skin, this really does give that softer, smoother look and feel to the skin.”
Dr. Aleksandra Brown
Dr. Aleksandra Brown
141k subs
Yay
“chemical peels either aha things like lactic or glycolic or even jesner peel or BHA peels like salicylic acid the in-office chemical peels will have higher concentration especially if your skin is tolerant and you're already doing at home salicylic acid toners not only will you see minimized oil production and cleaned out pores you may also see Improvement in skin texture”
No BS Beauty
No BS Beauty
89k subs
Yay
“this is one of the gentler peels. I've done this now, this peel several times, and uh it's pretty gentle, I find, which makes it nice.”
Doctor Anne
Doctor Anne
56k subs
~Mixed
“In high strength, they can also have a suppressing effect on the activity of the melanocytes. So, reduce the formation of new hyperpigmentation. Again, if not done properly, they can lead to inflammation as a reaction and that could lead to increased hyperpigmentation.”
Darnell Cox | 50+ Healthy Aging Expert
Darnell Cox | 50+ Healthy Aging Expert
55k subs
Yay
“Chemical peels are your friends. Okay? So, not just this. This one is a no wash off. Um, this is more like a toner, but chemical peels are your friends because think about that. The way that the pore sits like this, if you can exfoliate, you've now gotten from an opening that's this far apart to an opening that's a little bit closer.”
Skin Obsessed Mary
Skin Obsessed Mary
33k subs
Yay
“I would say when I did the vitamin A peel that I talked to you about I could actually see a difference on my neck with that one um so that one is one I would definitely repeat”
Guest · Claudia
Beyond50Skin
Beyond50Skin
32k subs
Yay
“a chemical peel peel it can be done in office they get a little bit deeper so if you've got that deeper pigmentation that needs to be broken up there's an office procedures that you can do”
Real takes, in their own words. Everything above comes from what the gurus actually said about Chemical Peel on camera. The quotes are word for word, and every "Watch" link jumps you straight to that moment in the video.