Complications from self-peeling or at-home cosmetic skin peeling.

NDO - Believing advertisements for "face masks that break down dark spots and brighten sun-damaged skin" at unreliable beauty salons, many women have suffered severe skin complications.

Ms. HNK (45 years old) bought a face mask advertised as having the effect of "removing dark spots, regenerating and rejuvenating skin." Following the instructions, she left the cream on her skin overnight the first time she applied it. Seeing her skin peel for a few days, then her dark spots fade, and her skin become soft, smooth, and brighter, just as advertised, Ms. K. applied a larger amount in subsequent applications, each spaced one week apart.

After applying the cream three times, tiny red rashes appeared on her face, followed by a burning sensation and redness all over her face. She used face masks and ice packs to cool her face, but the swelling continued, so she went to the Dermatology and Cosmetic Unit at Tam Anh Multi-Specialty Clinic in District 7, part of Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, for examination.

Dr. Dang Thi Ngoc Bich, Head of the Dermatology and Cosmetic Skin Department, diagnosed Ms. K. with skin burns due to excessive deep chemical peeling, leaving the chemicals on her skin for too long (normally 1-5 minutes), and performing peels too frequently (the interval between two peels should be one month to allow the skin to regenerate and recover). Ms. K. had been peeling weekly, so her skin didn't have time to recover from previous peels. After applying soothing medication, the burning sensation significantly decreased. After 5 days of using the medication along with anti-inflammatory drugs, the swelling on her face subsided, and her skin almost returned to normal.

Ms. HKL (22 years old) had acne, melasma, and uneven skin tone. After researching online, she went to a beauty salon in Ho Chi Minh City and was advised to undergo a skin peeling treatment to remove melasma and achieve smooth, even skin in 3 sessions, each spaced one week apart. During the first two sessions, her face developed red spots and felt painful, but the salon staff explained that "the more the skin peels, the more beautiful it will look." After a few days, the damage and burning spread across her face, her skin became infected and peeled, so she went to Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City for examination.

The doctor diagnosed her with irritant dermatitis, infection, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation complications, and a risk of dark spots and pitted scars due to excessively deep chemical peels and peels performed too frequently, not allowing enough time for the skin to recover and regenerate. Currently, Ms. L. is being treated with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs to control the infection. Once the infection stabilizes, further intervention will be needed to address the post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and pitted scars.

Dr. Dang Thi Ngoc Bich, Head of the Dermatology and Cosmetic Skin Department, provides consultation to clients.

These are two of dozens of cases seeking treatment due to complications from self-administered chemical peels or exfoliation treatments at home or at beauty salons.

According to Dr. Dang Thi Ngoc Bich, recently, social media has seen the appearance of images and information advertising highly effective treatments for melasma, such as "applying masks to break down melasma and brighten skin after sun exposure." Many patients have come to the hospital with severe skin complications.

A common problem among patients is the use of products with unknown origins and ingredients. In fact, many products are given impressive names like "melasma regenerating mask," "melasma breakdown cream," "skin regenerating cream," etc., but actually contain banned substances or substances in concentrations exceeding permitted levels for use in cosmetics, such as mercury, corticosteroids, hydroquinone, and high concentrations of acids.

These ingredients have strong exfoliating properties, causing dark spots and blemishes to fade quickly, resulting in even skin tone in a short time, but they can cause many dangerous side effects such as skin atrophy, thinning skin, dilated blood vessels, and increased photosensitivity (making the skin more susceptible to sunburn).

According to Dr. Bich, applying a mask to break down melasma is essentially a deep chemical peel that erodes the skin. If done incorrectly, it can cause burns, increase the risk of infection and fungal infections, leave unsightly scars, worsen pigmentation, and even cause heart rhythm disturbances.

For hyperpigmentation conditions such as melasma and freckles, chemical peels (skin resurfacing with chemicals) are a popular treatment method. Chemical peels use chemicals, usually acids, to destroy the outermost layer of skin cells, which are then naturally regenerated. Common active ingredients used in chemical peels include salicylic acid (BHA), glycolic acid (AHA), trichloroacetic acid (TCA), and retinol.

There are three levels of skin peeling: superficial, medium, and deep. Depending on the treatment goal and the patient's skin condition, the doctor will prescribe the appropriate type of chemical, concentration, and application time, along with neutralizing and restorative chemicals after the peel.

Superficial and moderate skin peels have a short treatment time, quick recovery, are painless, inexpensive, and help brighten the skin. However, not all skin types are suitable for peeling.

"In the case above, it's possible the patient underwent a deep chemical peel, causing damage and blackening of the epidermis. Deep chemical peels involve using high-concentration acids to create controlled wounds on the skin in the reticular dermis. The acid coagulates and exfoliates the stratum corneum, partially removing the basal membrane of the skin," Dr. Bich explained.

Therefore, Dr. Bich emphasized that the skin peeling method itself carries a high risk of complications, and when performed at home or at unreliable beauty salons, this risk increases many times over. For example, using chemicals of unknown origin, active ingredients, and concentration; leaving chemicals on the skin for too long; not neutralizing the acid in time… can cause excessive skin abrasion, leading to deep tissue damage, burns, increased risk of infection, fungal infections, unsightly scarring, severe hyperpigmentation, and even subcutaneous tissue destruction. It can even cause shock due to pain and chemical burns, and hemodynamic disturbances. The rate of cardiac arrhythmias when peeling skin with acid is approximately 6.6%.

In the treatment of melasma, chemical peels are not the only method. Other options include pico laser, mesotherapy (micro-injection), electrophoresis, RF microneedling, etc., all offering high treatment effectiveness. In some cases, a combination of methods is needed to completely remove melasma.

Dr. Bich advises people with skin problems to visit a medical facility to have their skin examined, diagnosed, and receive advice on appropriate treatment plans from a dermatologist or cosmetic skin specialist.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/bien-chung-do-tu-peel-da-lot-da-lam-dep-tai-nha-post843071.html