We offer VI Peel chemical peels in Chicago at our Old Town studio for dark spots, melasma, breakouts, acne marks and rough texture. VI Peel reaches deeper than a light peel, and we apply it in layers over about half an hour with no numbing needed. Each peel is $400 for the face or body.
Not All Peels Are The Same
Chemical peels are grouped by how far down they reach: superficial, medium depth and deep. The deeper a peel goes, the more old skin it clears and the more renewal it sets off. Four things decide the depth: which acids are in the formula, how concentrated they are, the pH of the solution and how long it stays on the skin.
Superficial peels stay near the surface and help most with dullness and light marks. Deep peels reach much further, and the recovery can be long. VI Peel designed its corrective formulas for the space in between, deep enough to treat stubborn pigment, acne and texture, with about a week of peeling and very little time away from work.
We offer VI Peel at 1315 N Larrabee St alongside our GentleMax Pro Plus laser, SkinPen microneedling and Glacē facials. Which formula you get depends on what we see at your consultation.
VI Peel formulas, five for the face and one for the body
Peel is enough to see brighter, smoother skin with less pigment
Peels in a series for melasma, acne marks and sun damage
Days until most people have finished peeling
Figures come from VI Peel’s published chemical peel guide and treatment FAQ. Individual results vary.
The Science, Briefly
Your skin has two main layers. The epidermis is the outer layer you can see, and the dermis underneath holds the collagen that keeps skin firm. The wavy boundary between them is called the dermal-epidermal junction.
VI Peel’s corrective formulas pass through that junction into the papillary dermis, the top layer of the dermis. That extra reach is why they can do more for pigment and texture than a peel that stays on the surface.
Pigment comes from melanin, which your skin cells make and hold. When they make too much, you see dark spots, patches and marks. The peel lifts and sheds those pigmented cells so your skin replaces them with new cells that carry less pigment. Shedding the old surface also leaves skin softer and smoother to the touch.
What It Helps With
VI Peel is a corrective peel, so it suits concerns that a facial cannot shift on its own. These are the ones people book it for most often.
Melasma shows up as blotchy, often symmetrical patches across the cheeks, forehead or upper lip, and it is driven by hormones and sun. Precision + Peptides is the formula VI Peel built for it. Expect a series and strict sun protection, and know that melasma can come back. Our pigmentation and dark spots page explains how we tell it apart from other pigment.
The flat brown or purple marks that stay after a breakout heals are post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, or PIH. They tend to linger longest on brown and Black skin. Purify with Precision + Peptides treats the marks and the breakouts causing them in the same peel. If you also have pitted scars, see our acne scars and post-acne marks page.
Purify is made for oily, congested skin and treats acne grades one to four. It reduces C. acnes bacteria and clogged pores and cuts back oil production. A few breakouts in the first week are normal while congestion clears, and this purging settles with later peels.
Advanced is VI Peel’s deepest formula, intended for mature skin, usually over 40, with wrinkles, fine lines, laxity and roughness. It supports collagen and speeds up cell turnover, so skin looks firmer and smoother as the series goes on.
The Original formula is where most first-time peelers start. It improves tone, texture and clarity and suits sensitive and rosacea-prone skin, provided the skin is calm on the day. Our uneven skin tone and texture page covers the other options for this.
VI Peel Body treats discoloration, keratosis pilaris, body acne, stretch marks and scars on the chest, back, arms, legs and hands. VI Peel recommends it for skin of color, and it is the formula we use for age spots on the hands.
Real Results
These photos come from VI Peel and were taken by VI Peel providers, whose handles appear on each image. They are not our clients. They give a fair picture of what the peel can do for acne, acne marks, sun spots, melasma and uneven tone across different skin types.
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Photos courtesy of VI Peel and the providers credited on each image. Individual results vary, and most people need a series of peels.
Six Formulas, One Chosen For You
VI Peel makes five formulas for the face and one for the body. You do not need to know which one you want before you come in. We choose at your consultation and explain why, and every formula costs the same.
Speeds up cell turnover to restore tone, texture and clarity. It is the gentlest VI Peel and suits first-time peelers, early signs of aging, rough texture and rosacea-prone skin.
VI Peel’s pigment formula, now with Smart Peptide Technology, Retinoid Accelerate and antioxidant brighteners. It suppresses melanin production and lifts existing pigment, and it is made for melasma, sun damage and PIH on every Fitzpatrick skin type.
Built around acne-fighting ingredients for active and hormonal breakouts, excess oil and congested pores. It lowers oil production, reduces C. acnes bacteria and treats acne grades one to four. VI Peel also lists it as a good match for Middle Eastern and Hispanic skin.
Purify combined with the pigment formula, so one peel treats breakouts and the dark marks they leave. It also helps fade textural acne scarring, and it is a common choice for brown and Black skin dealing with both problems at once.
The deepest-penetrating VI Peel, for mature, collagen-depleted skin and skin that shrugs off lighter peels. It targets wrinkles, fine lines, laxity and roughness, and supports collagen to firm and refine the skin.
A professional-grade peel made for skin below the collarbone. We use it on the chest, back, arms, legs and hands for discoloration, keratosis pilaris, body acne, stretch marks, crepey skin and scars.
If you would rather start with something lighter, we also do superficial peels with glycolic, lactic, salicylic or mandelic acid for a quick refresh, with a day or two of light flaking. Ask about them at your consultation.
Below The Collarbone
Your body gets the same sun and the same breakouts as your face, yet most peels are made only for the face. VI Peel Body is formulated for skin below the collarbone, and we use it for:
VI Peel Body is $400 per peel, the same as the face. Body skin heals more slowly than facial skin, so peeling can run a little longer, and we will tell you what to expect for the area you are treating.
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Your Appointment
The peel itself takes about half an hour. Most of the work happens at home over the following week, so we make sure you know exactly what to do before you leave.
We look at your skin, ask what you want to change and go through your health history and current products before we choose a formula.
Tell us about retinoids, acne medication, recent waxing, threading, laser or microneedling, cold sores, allergies and anything you have coming up in the next two weeks. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, a VI Peel has to wait, and we would rather know before you sit down.
If something else would serve you better, such as microneedling for pitted scars or laser for one defined sun spot, we will say so.
A photo of the products on your bathroom shelf tells us more than trying to remember their names.
The solution goes on with gauze in light, sweeping layers, with a pause between each one so it can absorb and we can check how your skin is responding.
Most people feel warmth and some tingling for the first minute or two, and then very little. VI Peel does not burn, and you do not need numbing cream. Once the last layer is on, your skin may look slightly flushed or a little tanned, and you can carry on with your day.
You go home with a VI Peel post-treatment kit and written instructions for the week.
The kit has post-peel towelettes, Post Treatment Repair Cream and VI Derm SPF 50+, plus a QR code for the VI Peel app, which walks you through each step and lets you track your skin as it peels. You apply the first towelette four hours after your peel and the rest over the next 48 hours. They add more of the active ingredients and help your skin peel faster and more thoroughly.
Use only the kit products for the full week. Your usual moisturizer or serum may contain alcohol or actives that irritate skin that is getting ready to shed.
Day By Day
Everyone peels a little differently, and a first peel often lasts longer than later ones. This is the usual pattern.
Skin looks flushed or lightly tanned and may feel tight. Apply the first towelette after four hours, then follow the evening steps. Some itching that night is normal.
More tightness and the first light flaking. Finish your towelettes within 48 hours of the peel, skipping any area that has already started to peel.
The main peel. It usually starts around the mouth and spreads outward. If you can, time your appointment so these days fall on a weekend or a quiet stretch of work.
Peeling slows and then stops. By day seven most people have finished, and the new skin underneath looks brighter and more even.
Peeling usually starts around the mouth. Photo courtesy of VI Peel.
Pulling at loose skin tears it away before the new skin underneath is ready, and on darker skin that can leave a fresh mark. Trim hanging pieces with small, clean cuticle scissors instead. You can rinse gently with cool water to loosen flakes, as long as you do not rub.
Itching is common, especially at night and on dry or mature skin. A thin layer of the repair cream helps. If it does not, call us, because you may need something stronger.
Purging is normal too. A few breakouts can appear as trapped congestion comes to the surface, and they ease with later peels. If you barely peel at all, the peel is still working at the cellular level.
Looking After Your Skin
The first four hours are simple: nothing goes on your skin, sunscreen included. After that, follow the steps in your kit and the app, and use only the kit products until you have finished peeling.
Chicago weather adds its own problems. Winter air and forced-air heating dry new skin out quickly, so if you feel tight or chapped, a thin layer of Aquaphor over the repair cream helps. In summer, the sun off the lakefront is stronger than people expect, so keep to the shade, wear a hat and put on SPF 50 every morning of the week. Running errands, walking the dog and driving are fine as long as your skin is protected.
If anything feels wrong, such as blistering, stinging that will not settle or an area that looks infected, call the clinic straight away.
Choosing A Treatment
A VI Peel is one of several ways we treat pigment, acne and texture. Here is roughly how they compare, and plenty of plans use more than one.
| Treatment | Best For | Downtime |
|---|---|---|
| VI Peel | Melasma, sun damage, acne, acne marks, early aging and body concerns | About a week of peeling |
| Superficial Peel | Dullness, light marks and mild roughness | A day or two of tightness and flaking |
| Glacē Facial | Dull, congested or dehydrated skin, and a glow before an event | None |
| SkinPen Microneedling | Rolling and boxcar acne scars, texture and enlarged pores | Redness for 24 to 72 hours |
| GentleMax Pro Plus Laser | Defined sun spots and age spots, but not melasma | Treated spots clear over a couple of weeks |
Melasma needs the most care of anything on this list. Heat and aggressive treatment can make it darker, which is why we usually reach for Precision + Peptides instead of laser when melasma is the main concern.
Fitting It Around Everything Else
Many of our clients come to us for electrolysis or laser first and add peels later. A VI Peel works well alongside both, as long as the same patch of skin is never recovering from two treatments at once.
Tell us about injectables, microblading or anything else you have booked, here or elsewhere, and we will put it all in a sensible order.
Timing At A Glance
Based on VI Peel’s guidance. We confirm exact dates for your plan at your consultation.
Realistic Expectations
One peel makes a visible difference. Once you finish peeling, skin looks brighter and smoother, and pigment is usually lighter.
For deeper concerns such as melasma, acne marks or years of sun damage, VI Peel recommends a series of three to six peels, spaced four to six weeks apart.
After the series, many people keep their results with a peel each season, about four a year. How long results last depends on what you do between peels. New sun exposure brings new spots, hormones can bring melasma back, and new breakouts leave new marks.
Daily sunscreen and good home care keep the results going between peels, and we will suggest products that suit your skin.
Some of these are timing questions, and some mean a VI Peel is not right for you. Please mention any of them when you book.
A VI Peel is a cosmetic treatment. It is not designed to treat medical skin conditions, and we will not pretend otherwise.
If you have painful cystic acne, a rash that will not settle, or a mole or spot that has changed shape, color or size, please have it checked by a dermatologist before booking. If we see something at your appointment that needs a doctor, we will tell you and reschedule.
What It Costs
A VI Peel at our Old Town clinic is $400 per peel. The price is the same for every face formula, from Original to Advanced, and the same for VI Peel Body on the chest, back, arms, legs or hands.
The $400 covers your skin check on the day, the peel itself and your take-home post-peel kit, and nothing is added afterwards. If you are planning a series, three peels come to $1,200 and six to $2,400 at the single-peel price. We will tell you at your first visit how many we expect you to need.
VI Peel Pricing
Planning a peel alongside laser, microneedling or electrolysis? We quote combinations at your consultation.
Answers
If we have not covered something here, ask at your consultation, or call the clinic and we will talk it through.
VI Peel is a professional chemical peel made by the Vitality Institute and sold only to trained providers. Its corrective formulas reach through the top layer of skin to the papillary dermis, which lets them treat pigment, melasma, acne, acne marks and early aging with about a week of peeling. There are six formulas, five for the face and one for the body.
Most people feel warmth and tingling for the first minute or so, and then very little. It does not burn, and you do not need numbing cream.
You can go about your day straight after the peel, though nothing can go on your skin for four hours. Flaking usually starts on day two, the main peeling happens on days three to five, and most people have finished by day seven. You can work and go about normal life throughout, and the visible peeling on days three to five is the main thing to plan around.
After four hours, once you have done the four-hour steps in your kit. Until then nothing goes on your skin, sunscreen included.
One peel gives a noticeable improvement. For melasma, acne marks or sun damage, VI Peel recommends a series of three to six peels every four to six weeks, then about four a year to keep the result.
Yes. VI Peel states that all of its formulas are safe for every skin tone, and several are designed with melanin-rich skin in mind. On skin that tends to hold onto marks, we are extra strict about aftercare, including a full week without workouts or heat.
It is one of our main treatments for it. Precision + Peptides suppresses melanin production and lifts existing pigment, and it suits every skin type. Melasma is a long-term condition, though, and sun, heat and hormones can bring it back, so plan on a series, daily SPF and occasional maintenance peels.
Some people get a few breakouts in the first week as congestion trapped under the skin comes to the surface. This purging is normal after any exfoliating treatment, and it eases with each peel.
That is normal. How much you visibly peel depends on your skin, and the peel still works at the cellular level even when you see very little.
Wait 72 to 96 hours. If you have melasma or tend to get dark marks, wait the full seven days, because heat and sweat can trigger new pigment.
No. Pregnancy and breastfeeding are both on VI Peel’s list of contraindications. We are happy to plan your peels for after you finish nursing. In the meantime, a Glacē facial may be an option once we have checked every product with you.
Yes. VI Peel Body is made for skin below the collarbone. We use it on the chest, back, arms, legs and hands for discoloration, body acne, keratosis pilaris, stretch marks and scars.
Yes. We schedule them so the same area is never healing from two treatments at once, and we give you exact dates at your consultation.
Fall and winter are the easiest, because the sun is weaker and most of us spend more time indoors. You can peel in summer too if you stick to shade, a hat and SPF 50 every morning for the week. Avoid booking a peel right before a beach trip or a week at the lake.
A VI Peel at our Old Town clinic is $400 per peel, for the face or the body, and every formula is the same price. That includes your skin check and the take-home kit.
At Electrolysis 100% Permanent Hair Removal & Skin Care, 1315 N Larrabee St, Chicago, IL 60610, in Old Town. We are open Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, by appointment only. Call (252) 722-5006 to book.
Booking
If dark spots, melasma, breakouts or rough texture have outlasted every serum you have tried, a VI Peel is often the next step. Book a consultation and we will look at your skin, choose the formula and tell you honestly how many peels it is likely to take.
Electrolysis 100% Permanent Hair Removal & Skin Care is on N Larrabee St in Old Town, a short walk from the Sedgwick Brown Line station and minutes from the Gold Coast, Lincoln Park, River North and the Loop. Street parking and nearby garages are available.
If you’ve never had electrolysis or laser hair removal at our location, we require a consultation before scheduling your first appointment.
For out-of-state clients, consultations can be conducted online.
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