not worth it - please read - Chicago, IL

Please read this BEFORE you get this procedure done. All the posts below have some truth to them (both the positive and negative reviews). If you take one piece of information from this post and any other post is that there is AT LEAST A 7 DAY HEALING PERIOD IN WHICH YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GO IN PUBLIC. I, like many other on this site, suffered from hyper-pigmentation and was told to get this type of peel. I actually know someone who received this peel and the results looked great so I thought I'd give it a try. What I didn't know is how long it actually takes to heal. I was told that you can go back to work within 3-4 days (I did this procedure on a Thursday night, took Friday off thinking by Monday I would be okay). I was DEAD WRONG. My skin was so dry, peeled, and discolored that I had to call in sick Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday because my face was so bad, there was no way I can be seen in public. Not to mention that if you commute to work and are exposed to sunlight (which is inevitable), it increases the chance of more hyper-pigmentation. Not only do you have to avoid sunlight, you have to avoid human interaction altogether. After about 2 weeks, my skin started to look normal again. The problem is, the acne that was taken away with the peel just resurfaces because during that 7 day period, you're applying moisturizer every 2-3 hours and you're bound to break out again. Thus, you're essentially trading one acne spot for another. Only under the most specific conditions would I ever recommend to try this peel (of course, everyone reacts differently so if it's your first time, please consider the following): -You have at least 7 full days off work and do not plan on doing any social interactions at all -You stay inclosed indoors and out of the sunlight (probably best to try one in the winter if possible) -You don't mind spending $200-$300 on something that might make your skin actually worsen -Can tolerate mild-moderate discomfort on a consistent basis for 4-6 days In the end, I'll never do this peel again. It's not worth it. Yes, the few spots I had prior to the peel have faded, but I have new ones now because I broke out during the healing process (note: during the healing process, you can't use an face washes, salicylic acid treatments, or anything like that. You're supposed to use gentle soap and apply it accordingly). Not to mention the fact that you're essential paying $200-$300 to be isolated for 7 days, experience discomfort, miss work, and possible end up with worse skin than what you started off with. DO NOT GET!!!