I got a chemical peel a week ago on my face, neck and chest. My neck and chest turned very dark. Am I burned? (Photo)

Hello and thank you for your question.  It is hard to say exactly what happened since I do not know which peel was used and what strength, however it does look like you have a bit of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation.  Be sure to avoid the sun as best you can, and wear SPF (re-applying every few hours) when you are out.  This may take a while to resolve.  It is always best to be cautious of strong lasers and peels with darker skin types, as melanin is very sensitive and can be over stimulated if not treated gently. Best of luck. 

Our office has many different treatments for scars depending on the depth of atrophy or hypertrophy. Scars require a combination approach using our HI DEF protocol which uses a combination of lasers, topical scar modulation, and RF treatments to pixelate scars, improve contour, reduce hyperpigmentation, and improve the visibility of the scars so that they are no longer visible in ambient light. Everyone has a unique pattern of scarring and we employ our HIDEF technique to improve texture, color, contour, and topography. We often use a combination of treatments that begin with a careful examination to examine the micro texturing of the acne scars. Atrophic scars and indented scars can benefit from injectable fillers such as Radiesse, Sculptra, and Restylane with or without subcision to remove tethered scars and atrophic depression. Hyper-redness in scars can be improved with V beam laser, Excel V, BBL, IPL, and Venus RF to improve the redness and reduce the visibility of deep scars. Fractional Thulium laser and clear & brilliant can also reduce the inflammation and redness of the scar when combined with topical therapy. Fractional lasers such as Fraxel, erbium, and CO2 laser can be combined with radio frequency and also fractional RF to improve textual issues and microtopography. Subcision and TCA cross are also used for deep ice pick scars and narrow valley scars in order to improve the micro texture. Above all, our combination approach with our clinical nurses and board-certified plastic surgeons can improve the quality of your skin by using at home Melarase creams combined with PRP treatments in our office to improve your skin quality and tone. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with an experienced team of experts in order to reduce your scarring.

Finally, hyperpigmentation of scars can be improved with at-home Melarase AM, Melarase PM, and Melapads to help reduce active PIH and melanin deposition.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Good morning and thank you for your question! The skin on your neck and chest is thinner and more sensitive than the skin on your face. If those pictures are one week after your chemical peel it looks like your skin is beginning to slough off, which is completely normal. Sometimes, the skin will also appear darker after having a peel. It is hard to determine if you were burned or not without knowing which peel/ingredients were used on your skin. I would recommend following up with a board certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist. Best of luck! For more information, please feel free to visit our website!

Thank you for your question! Its hard to say for sure without knowing exactly what type of peel you had, however, things look pretty much how they should.  The peel is causing to top layers of skin to die off and peel.  Often the dead cells look darker, even when they are still attached.  Thats how I can tell you are going to have some more peeling--the darker speckled areas still have to slough off. Best of luck!

Its hard to say for sure without knowing exactly what type of peel you had, however, things look pretty much how they should.  The peel is causing to top layers of skin to die off and peel.  Often the dead cells look darker, even when they are still attached.  Thats how I can tell you are going to have some more peeling--the darker speckled areas still have to slough off.
In a way it is kind of a burn--but a chemical one, not a thermal or heat burn.  The chemical peel is a much more controlled and safe way to peel the skin.  The peeling skin leaves fresh, younger cells on the surface so your skin then will look and feel better.  You just gotta get through the peeling part first.
Hope this is helpful.
Dr. Amy