VI Peel Before and After

Before-and-after galleries — the maker's own, or a provider's — show how specific patients looked after treatment.

They cannot tell you what your skin will do.

FTC guidance treats before-and-after photos as implying typical results, which is one more reason to read them as examples rather than predictions.

For the improvement people book the peel for, we could not find independent clinical trials measuring VI Peel results in the sources we checked.

VI's own FAQ instead recommends a series of 3 to 6 peels, spaced every 4 to 6 weeks, for optimal results; the same FAQ says peels can be received quarterly — 4 peels a year — for maintenance.

In other words, the maker's own recommendation treats a single peel as one step in a series.

How the treatment itself works is covered in our VI Peel guide.

The independent anchor for this category is the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), which says dermatologists use chemical peels for some types of acne, age spots, discoloration, fine lines, freckles, melasma and sun damage — and that peels are cosmetic, so insurance does not cover them.

For pigment, VI describes Precision Plus as its most popular formula, a medium-depth peel it says works to suppress melanogenesis — melanin production — at the source; the company's site lists it as ideal for melasma, UV damage and hyperpigmentation.

We could not find independent trials measuring how much pigment lightens after a VI Peel, so those are the company's aims, not measured outcomes.

For acne, VI describes Purify as its acne formula, aimed at dead skin cells, excessive oiliness, clogged pores and blemishes, and Purify with Precision Plus as a two-in-one for breakouts plus the pigmentation and scarring acne leaves.

A 2025 version of VI's site says Purify treats acne grades 1 through 4 — again, the company's own claim.

One calibration point: the AAD's 2024 acne guideline grades its recommendations around benzoyl peroxide, topical retinoids, topical antibiotics, oral doxycycline and, for severe or scarring acne, isotretinoin.

Facials, extractions, chemical peels and light therapy are not among its graded recommendations — so a peel is best understood as an add-on to medical acne care, not a substitute.

VI says the line has six formulas — Original, Precision Plus, Purify, Purify with Precision Plus, Advanced and Body — five for the face and one for the body.

The company describes all six as medium-depth peels that penetrate through the dermal-epidermal junction to the papillary dermis.

Precision Plus is the formula VI aims at pigment: its most popular, listed as ideal for melasma, UV damage and hyperpigmentation.

Advanced is described as the line's deepest-penetrating formula, for what VI calls mature skin — age 40 and up — with deep-set wrinkles and loss of elasticity.

The company describes Original as a first-time peel for all ages and skin types.

What no before-and-after set can settle: we found no independent study comparing results between the formulas, and we did not find per-variant ingredient lists published on VI's consumer site — the ingredient lists repeated on retailer and clinic pages are unverified.

If the specific actives matter to you, ask the provider which formula they would use and what is in it.

VI Peel is not a home product.

VI says its peels may only be purchased and applied through a licensed healthcare professional, are not sold to consumers, and that peels sold by consumer retailers or online should be considered unsafe.

The company also says a practice must have a licensed medical director — it lists MD, DO, PA, RN and NP — to become a VI Peel provider.

VI's FAQ lists who the company says should not get a peel:

• Anyone pregnant or breastfeeding
• Anyone allergic to aspirin, hydroquinone or phenol
• Anyone who has taken oral isotretinoin within the past 6 months
• Anyone with active cold sores, warts, open wounds or a history of herpes simplex
• Anyone who had chemotherapy or radiation within the past 6 months
• Anyone with autoimmune disease, liver disease or weakened immunity

VI notes that its list is not exhaustive, so a consultation should screen for all of it.

Two questions do most of the work when you compare practices: which formula fits the concern you are booking for, and who will apply it.

The AAD relays FDA advice to buy and use chemical peels only under a licensed, trained provider, and its guidance on skin of color points to experience with darker skin specifically.

For the wider credentials checklist, see our guide to how to choose a med spa.