Evaluating the Effectiveness of Acne Scar Peeling with Salicylic Acid 30% in Polyethylene Glycol Vehicle

Acne scar is one of the most common skin diseases, and although there are many treatments available, these treatments have complications and problems. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate the effectiveness of acne scar pealing with salicylic acid 30% in polyethylene glycol vehicle. In this randomized clinical trial study, 32 patients with scar following acne that did not respond to medication therapy were included. Patients were divided into two groups of placebo (not treated with peeling and received only medication) and intervention (under peeling with 30% salicylic acid at polyethylene glycol vehicle for 4 sessions over a period of 6 weeks). Weighing the severity of their lesions was done before the intervention, using weighted scale, and after treatment using the quartile grading scale. Findings: There was no significant difference in the depth of the weighted scale before the intervention between the two groups (P = 0.37). After intervention, there was a significant difference between the two groups based on quartile grading scale, so that the recovery rate in the intervention group was better than placebo (P = 0.01). In the intervention group, 25% of the patients had at least one drug complication that had a significant difference with placebo group (P = 0.03). Salicylic acid is not only effective in the treatment of acne, but has also been used to improve the acne scar.