Comparative Study of Effects by Glycolic Acid Peeling and Jessner's Solution Peeling on Facial Sebum Secretion in Patients with Facial Acne

Lee, Seung Ho; Choi, Sun Young; Huh, Chang Hun; Park, Kyoung Chan; Youn, Sang Woong

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Glycolic acid and Jessner's solution have been popular agents for superficial chemical peeling to treat facial acne. Increased sebum secretion is one of the major etiological factors of acne. There has been no report to compare effects on sebum secretion in patients with facial acne between glycolic acid peeling and Jessner's solution peeling. OBJECTIVE: We compared the effects on sebum secretion in patients with facial acne after glycolic acid peeling or Jessner's solution peeling. METHODS: Twenty patients with facial acne vulgaris were studied. Eight patients were treated with 30% glycolic acid peeling and twelve patients with Jessner's solution peeling. Before and 2 weeks after the treatment, the sebum levels of forehead, nose, center of chin and both cheeks were measured by using Sebumeter(R). RESULTS: The sebum levels were not significantly changed after 30% glycolic acid peeling. After Jessner's solution peeling, the total average, and average of T-zone of sebum levels, were reduced significantly (p<0.05). The high-sebum-level area was defined as the area where the sebum level before treatment was high. The average of sebum levels of the high-sebum-level area was reduced significantly (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: 30% glycolic acid peeling did not affect sebum secretion, but Jessner's solution peeling reduced sebum secretion in patients with facial acne significantly, especially on the areas where sebum secretion was high.