Do chemical peels with fruit acids help against skin ageing?

Fruit acid peels and other superficial chemical peels visibly improve skin texture and pigmentation spots caused by sun damage. They work because the controlled injury triggers an inflammatory response, after which the skin produces new collagen and moisture-retaining substances. Deeper wrinkles require medium-depth or deep peels, but these also carry greater risks and a longer recovery period.

For brown sun spots (solar lentigines), a chemical peel with trichloroacetic acid (one of the most commonly used agents) performs noticeably worse than laser treatment or intense pulsed light. Success rates for peels range between 12 and 46 percent, while certain laser types reach up to 93 percent. Peels are, however, considerably cheaper and more widely available, which in practice still makes them a serious option.

For stubborn pigmentation disorders such as melasma, a peel on its own is not enough. Melasma returns quickly as soon as the skin is exposed to the sun again. A combination with good UV protection and other skincare products is necessary for any lasting result; without that combination, the effect is short-lived.

Peels are also used to treat ageing on the hands, with favourable results in the literature, but concrete figures on exactly how large the effect is are absent from the available studies. The safety of chemical peels is generally acceptable, provided they are performed correctly by someone with experience.