Get worse before it gets better?

[Guest Hilary]

I've been using a weekly 8% peel for 3 weeks now. My breakouts have actually been getting worse and I have lots of small bumps along my chin line and lower face (and now my forehead is starting). My thoughts were either this is some type of hormonal problem (I did have surgery about a month ago) and stopped breastfeeding several months ago OR is it possible that weekly peels get worse before they improve the skin? I took Accutane 10 years ago and I know with that, your skin gets much worse for several weeks before you start to see drastic improvements. Should I continue with the 8% weekly peels or stop because things are getting worse?

[KAVI Support]

From your post, it is unclear if the product you are using is from KAVI. KAVI Salicylic Acid 8 is a mild peel and, if administered as directed, should not adversely impact your skin's complexion at the onset of treatment.

 

The small bumps you describe may be a reaction to the use of too many antiseborrheics. If you are applying other anti-acne products to your skin while using a salicylic acid mask, it may be simply too much, especially if your skin tends to be naturally dry.

 

The pore maintenance regimen we recommend for acne-prone skin is the following:

(1) Cleanse once or twice per day with Coral KAVI (do not use any other cleansers on the target area),

(2) Apply KAVI Toner once per evening as a final-stage cleanser to remove dirt, makeup, and other debris from pores,

(3) Exfoliate once per week with KAVI Salicylic Acid 8,

(4) Apply non-comedogenic moisturizers as needed (KAVI Hyaluronic Acid 95 or KAVI SPF30 are good examples).

 

For more severe cases, it may be necessary to introduce a sulfur suspension or use a stronger salicylic acid mask, but the regimen above works very well for most skin types.