Post-procedure, mild exfoliation occurs after 3–5 days and lasts for 7–10 days (Fig. 3).

During this period, moisturizing agents can be prescribed for skin dryness, sunscreens must be used, and no other treatment should be applied, such as retinoic acids or glycolic acids, until the skin is completely recovered. It is important to prescribe the correct healing agent, as oily topical medications should be avoided if SA peeling was performed to treat acne-prone skin . In cases of acne , we frequently advise only to apply oil-free sunscreen. Acne medications should be started as soon as the skin recovers.

Penetration of the SA peel is usually superficialand is safe for most skin types. Nevertheless, care must be taken with higher phototypes or non-prepared skin because of the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. For this reason, we always advise patients to avoid sun exposure for at least 1 month before the peel and for an additional month after the procedure.

A short period (3–5 days) of topical steroids might be helpful if a significant inflammatory reaction occurs just after the procedure. This can occur due to irritants or allergic reactions.

If hyperpigmentation occurs, bleaching agents and sunscreens should be prescribed according to the patient’s skin type.

Although there is a risk of salicylism, it is actually very unusual with the liquid formulation of SA. Toxicity occurs when serum concentrations rise from 200 to 400 μg/ml (Guedes 2012). Symptoms of salicylism are as follows:

SA peels are safe and useful for the treatment of acne, melasma , and photoaged skin. They can be used to treat the face and extra-facial region.