Acid Treatment
Acid treatment, known in Chinese as "shua suan" (brushing acid), is an in-clinic skin procedure in which a measured concentration of acid is applied to the skin for a short, timed contact, then neutralized or removed. Clinics typically use salicylic acid, fruit acids (AHAs), or blended formulas to manage acne, closed comedones, and lingering post-acne marks; it sits at the superficial end of the broader chemical peel family.
- Acne & marks
- Dryness and flaking for a few days
- Medical aesthetic
Overview
The concerns most often brought to acid treatment are recurring breakouts, closed comedones, blackheads, oily skin, and the red or dark marks left behind after acne subsides. The face is the usual treatment area, though some people also treat the chest or back. For orientation: chemical peel is the medical umbrella term spanning different depths, while the low-strength AHA peels offered in beauty salons are its gentlest, cosmetic form; this entry focuses on the in-clinic middle ground aimed at acne and post-acne marks.
What acid treatment can do is speed up the turnover of the outermost skin layer, help unclog pores, and gradually smooth texture over a course of sessions; shallow post-acne marks may also fade faster. What it cannot do is equally clear: depressed, pitted scars call for other technologies, severe cystic acne is not managed by acids alone, and pores are not permanently shrunk. A single session usually changes little—results depend on regular, well-spaced repetition.
How it works
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