Chemical Peels for Large Pores: The Complete Guide

Chemical Peels for Large Pores: Benefits, Side Effects, Aftercare

Posted on by Judy Rose
A chemical peel is a deep exfoliation that does a great job of removing all debris and dirt from your skin’s pores, but it does much more than that. Chemical peels also remove dead skin cells, with the result being skin that is younger-looking, glowing, and less wrinkled. Chemical peels can effectively treat various skin concerns, such as fine lines and wrinkles, acne scars, hyperpigmentation, and dullness. If you are wondering if they are also effective in minimizing the appearance of large pores, the answer is yes. All you need to do is to include chemical peels for large pores in your skincare routine for best results.
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Most chemical peels are used only once or twice a week because they can actually dry out the skin if you use them any more than that. With most chemical peels, you apply a thin layer and then wait for a certain length of time, allowing it to work its magic. Afterwards, you simply rinse it off with warm water and dry your face with a clean, dry towel or washcloth.

In this article, you will learn all you need to know about chemical peels for large pores, including how they help reduce large pores, the best chemical peel for enlarged pores, benefits, side effects, and more.

Chemical Peel Benefits

There are numerous benefits of regular chemical peels. Since they get rid of dead skin cells, they can encourage the growth of new, healthy cells to keep your skin looking its best. Some of the many benefits of a chemical peel include:
  • Reduces fine lines and wrinkles.
  • Reduces the look of age spots.
  • Improves the overall skin tone.
  • Reduces the look of scars and acne scars.
  • Gets rid of roughness so the skin is smoother.
  • Unclogs pores and reduces their appearance.
  • Reduces dullness for a much brighter look.
  • Helps acne by reducing oiliness and unclogging hair follicles.
  • Reduces discoloration due to damage from the sun.
  • Reduces inflammation.
Whether you have dull-looking skin or skin plagued by problems such as spots, discolorations, or extreme redness, getting regular chemical peels might be the perfect solution for you. They not only help skin look younger but make your skin healthier as well.

How Do Chemical Peels Help with Large Pores?

First of all, chemical peels are good for people with all pore sizes, but you should know that no treatment can actually change the size of your pores – at least not permanently. Because of the acids included in the peels, your pores will usually shrink up right after the treatment, giving the appearance of being smaller, but it is only temporary. That being said, large pores can still benefit from chemical peels because they help boost collagen production, increase cell turnover, and clean deep within the pores, regardless of their size, to remove every bit of dirt, oil, and debris.
When pores are clean, they make your skin shine because it will be much healthier. With regular chemical peels either at home or in a clinic, your skin can stay healthy for a very long time, making it look much better along the way.

What Is the Best Chemical Peel for Enlarged Pores?

Enlarged pores can be a challenge to treat but, again, chemical peels do a great job with enlarged pores because of the extensive deep cleaning that they offer. According to many dermatologists, the best chemical peels for large pores include peels in the alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) family, and there are two main types:
AHAs do such a good job because they can actually enhance the exfoliation process and because they can reduce acne and rejuvenate the skin. You can easily find a chemical peel made out of either lactic or glycolic acid if you do a little research.

Of course, you have to take your particular skin type into consideration while you’re shopping for the product. Other than that, it should be easy to find the product that’s right for you.

At-Home vs Professional Chemical Peels

If you’re trying to decide between a professional chemical peel and one that can be done in your own home, just know that both of them are very effective at providing you with great results even though the results are a little different.

As a general rule, at-home chemical peels are not as powerful as professional peels, which is why you need to use them more frequently. This is partly because professional clinics are allowed to use higher strengths of the chemicals found in the peels, which makes these treatments more powerful overall.

Another difference is that professional chemical peel treatments can be personalized to meet your specific skin needs, whereas at-home treatments are more generic and are made for all types of skin problems. That being said, at-home treatments are much less expensive than professional treatments, so when you’re trying to decide which of these treatments is best for you, you’ll have to take all of these things into consideration before you make your decision.

How to Prepare for a Chemical Peel

How to Prepare for a Chemical Peel
Especially if you’ve never had a chemical peel before, taking care of your skin beforehand is crucial. While chemical peels are generally pain-free and not uncomfortable, certain things can wreak havoc on your skin and make chemical peels painful.

Below are some tips that you should follow for two weeks before your chemical peel:

  • Limit your exposure to the sun, and do not visit a tanning booth.
  • Do not get any other type of abrasive skin treatment, including another type of chemical peel or microdermabrasion.
  • Use a high-strength sunscreen on your face every day.
  • Do not use any waxing or depilatory products on your skin for several weeks before the chemical peel.
  • If you choose a professional chemical peel, talk to your doctor about all of the medications you are taking because some of them may react to some of the chemicals in the peels.

In addition, the doctor may recommend other actions as well, such as an antibiotic, a bleaching agent, or even anti-viral medications. Preparation is key when you’re getting ready for a chemical peel; if you’re using an at-home chemical peel, you should still follow the above-mentioned recommendations.

Self Care Checklist

Chemical Peel Aftercare

Naturally, you have to take good care of your skin after you’ve used a chemical peel treatment. While chemical peels work wonders for revealing newer, brighter-looking skin, they can also make the skin a little more sensitive, which is why aftercare is so important. For the most part, there are two things that you’ll have to do with your skin if you choose to make chemical peels a regular part of your life:
  • Your skin will need regular, consistent moisturizing. Go ahead and get used to applying a soothing, non-comedogenic moisturizer to your skin twice a day, every day from now on.
  • Your skin will need a high SPF applied at least once a day, every day from now on.

If you choose a professional chemical peel, your doctor may give you additional instructions, which may include not exercising during the healing process or even staying away from makeup until your skin is not so sensitive. Whatever the doctor tells you or whatever instructions you find in an at-home chemical peel, it is best to follow those instructions to the letter. Otherwise, your side effects may be worse and you may experience pain and tenderness that are inconvenient at the very least.

What Are the Side Effects of Chemical Peels?

As long as you’re following the instructions with the type of chemical peel you’ve chosen, the chances of suffering from side effects are very slim, but they can still occur.

If you choose professional chemical peels and you experience problems, you can contact your doctor to get the assistance you need. In fact, you can contact a dermatologist even if you’ve used an at-home chemical peel and your side effects are severe.

Here are some of the side effects possible when using any type of chemical peel:
  • Burning or stinging.
  • Darkening or lightening of the skin.
  • Dryness.
  • Redness.
  • Slight swelling.

These are side effects that are not that severe. Severe side effects, which are a lot less common and can be caused by the use of a deep chemical peel, include infections, scarring, and damages to the kidneys, liver, or even the heart. Always talk to your doctor about these possible side effects before agreeing to a professional chemical peel.

Alternative Treatments for Large Pores

The best way to take care of your skin if you have large pores is to practice a regular skin regimen with products that are specifically made for large pores and your particular skin type. This includes a facial cleanser, a toner, and moisturizer, as well as regular exfoliation and/or a weekly or bi-weekly facial mask. Large pores need deep cleaning because they are so big and usually have more gunk in them. This makes a regular skincare routine that much more important.

Besides following a good and effective skincare routine, other techniques used to shrink large pores include microdermabrasion, and laser resurfacing.

The Final Takeaway

Whether you choose an at-home treatment or a clinical chemical peel, this is one of the best things that you can do for your large pores. These peels can shrink the pores temporarily and do a great job of deep cleaning so that all dirt, oil, and debris are removed and your skin can look and feel better on a regular basis.

If you choose a professional chemical peel delivered by a clinic or doctor’s office, the effects will last a bit longer, usually up to three weeks. This means that you can wait longer in between the treatments than you would if you chose an at-home treatment. Professional chemical peels do roughly the same thing as at-home treatments do and cost around $400 to $500 each.

There are numerous high-quality at-home AHA peels on the market today, so your job is to compare those to professional chemical peels and decide which one is right for you.
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Judy Rose

Hi, it’s Judy!

I’m a passionate skincare specialist and writer. I have more than 7 years of experience as a beauty, fashion, and lifestyle writer and editor, and I’m extremely passionate about what I do.