PCA peel vs. VI peel? Which is better?

Question

Specifically the PCA peel with Hydroqunione & Resorcinol VS the VI peel Purify. Which is more recommended for the treatment of acne and hyperpigmentation? What are the differences in recovery-time, ingredients, amount of peeling, pain, and price? Thank you!

Julia Spears, MD · Answer

Hello! The PCA Peel with Hydroquinone and Resorcinol is a great option for acne and hyperpigmentation! We use PCA at the office and my aesthetician loves that PCA gives you the ability to customize the peels to give you the maximum results. As the VI peel is great, it isn't as customizable. Recovery is different for everybody but you can expect to peel or flake in the skin, redness, no pain, dryness, and recovery time can last up to 5 days. We recommend with our PCA peels to use the Post procedure kit which gives you all the right products to use at home after your peel. 
Best of Luck!
Dr. Julia Spears MD

Joel B. Beck, MD, FACS · Answer

Here at Beck Aesthetic, we prefer the PCA peels because of the ability to customize the peel specifically for your skincare concerns and challenges. The PCA peels also have correctors to further the customization. The Jessner's with HQ and resorcinol is an excellent choice for acne and hyperpigmentation. The amount of peeling will vary from person to person and the downtime will be anywhere from 3-7 days.

Randal Swenson, MD · Answer

The first thing to know is that neither of these peels will likely give you the result you are looking for in a single treatment. They both have ingredients that will target hyperpigmentation. As someone who oversees many PCA peels in our office, I can speak a little more to the customization aspect of a PCA peel. The company PCA was built around chemical peels and has developed many of their products to be used during the peel treatment in order to target specific skin concerns like acne and hyperpigmentation. Your well trained provider will be able to add different serums and target treatments to help build the best peel for your skin type. The VI appears to have great ingredients like Trichloroacetic Acid, Vitamin C and salicylic acid that will address both acne and pigment but it will be standardized rather than customizable.

PCA peel vs. VI peel? Which is better?

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Everything you need to know about PCA Skin Peel

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

PCA peel vs. VI peel? Which is better?

Answers (3)

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about PCA Skin Peel

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.