Chemical Peels & Acne Scar Treatment

Manhattan Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery offers chemical peels at three depths — superficial, medium, and deep — to address acne, dry skin, age spots, hyperpigmentation, fine lines, melasma, and pre-cancerous lesions. Acne scar treatment is available using a multi-modal approach combining chemical peels, dermal filler injections, laser resurfacing, microneedling, intralesional injections, punch grafts, and subcision, with each plan tailored to the type and severity of scarring. Glycolic acid peels are also performed as a lighter resurfacing option. Superficial peels take approximately 30 minutes and require minimal downtime.

Chemical peels and acne scar treatments at Manhattan Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery are delivered under the direction of Dr. Susan Bard, whose fellowship training in cutaneous surgery at the University of Miami encompasses advanced skin resurfacing and scar revision techniques. Chemical peels at the Midtown Manhattan practice are offered across all three depth categories, allowing the treatment to be calibrated to the patient's skin concern, phototype, and tolerance for downtime. Superficial peels — commonly using glycolic acid, salicylic acid, lactic acid, or a Jessner's solution — penetrate only the outermost layers of the epidermis. They address active acne, mild hyperpigmentation, dry texture, and dullness, and are sometimes called lunchtime peels because of the minimal erythema and rapid return to social activity, typically within 24 to 48 hours. A series of four to six superficial peels spaced two to four weeks apart yields the best cumulative result. Medium-depth peels — typically using trichloroacetic acid (TCA) at concentrations of 20–35%, sometimes combined with a Jessner's pre-treatment — penetrate into the papillary dermis. They are more effective for acne scarring, moderate hyperpigmentation, melasma, actinic keratoses, and moderate fine lines, with a recovery period of seven to ten days including significant peeling and temporary redness. Deep peels using phenol-based formulations reach the reticular dermis and address deeper wrinkles, severe sun damage, and extensive pigmentation concerns, with a more extended recovery and more durable results. The glycolic acid peel is available as a standalone resurfacing treatment, particularly useful for maintaining skin clarity between deeper interventions or for patients new to in-office peel treatments. Acne scar treatment at the practice is distinguished by its multi-modal approach, recognising that no single modality addresses all scar subtypes. Ice pick scars — narrow, deep, and steep-walled — respond best to punch excision (punch grafts) where the scar column is physically removed and the defect closed. Rolling scars, caused by fibrous adhesions that tether the surface skin to the deep dermis, are released through subcision — a technique in which a fine needle is used to mechanically cut the subdermal tether, allowing the depressed surface to elevate. Boxcar scars, with their flat bases and distinct edges, respond to fractional laser resurfacing, microneedling, and TCA CROSS (chemical reconstruction of skin scars). Hypertrophic and keloidal acne scars are treated with intralesional corticosteroid or 5-fluorouracil injections. Dermal filler injection into atrophic scar depressions can provide immediate volume restoration and can be combined with any of the above modalities. PRP (platelet-rich plasma), processed from the patient's own blood and reinjected into or microneedled over the scar field, adds growth factor stimulation to accelerate healing and collagen regeneration. Treatment plans are designed in consultation with each patient, with photographic documentation at baseline used to track progress across a course of sessions.