Instagram ads can be tempting and persuasive, but it’s not worth a few saved dollars to do more invasive treatments at home.
The Messenger spoke with two top dermatologists to determine what is suitable for an at-home spa day, and what absolutely must be left up to the experts.
Are at-home chemical peels safe?
“I’ve seen some pretty bad outcomes with do-it-yourself chemical peels,” says Cheri Frey, M.D. and is board chair of the dermatology section of the National Medical Association.
“They can cause discoloration, hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation or loss of pigment,” she says.
“Unfortunately you can get medical-grade chemical peels online, and so if it's being sold online, people think that it's okay for them to use, when they really should not be used, except for by professionals,” Dr. Frey says.
Michelle Henry, M.D., a board certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon based in New York City, agrees chemical peels should be done in the dermatologist’s office, and says the best way to avoid too-aggressive peels or masks at home is to stick with reputable brands.
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“It's folks who go online and they get really high concentration [trichloroacetic] TCA peels — that's when we see all those awful burns on TikTok and Instagram. But most of the at-home peels for consumers you find at Sephora are not that aggressive,” Dr. Henry says.
“But if you're buying the ingredients for the peel somewhere online and looking to do the peel yourself at home, you can get yourself in a bit of trouble.”
Dr. Henry adds that people with darker skin should be aware of the increased risk of chemical peels, “You can have hyperpigmentation that can last years.”
The bottom line: An at-home peel is okay if bought at a trustworthy outlet from a well-known brand, but don’t use any aggressive peels at home, like a TCA peel you bought online.
Is at-home mole removal safe?
Mole-removal kits can be found online, but dermatologists say in no uncertain terms that no one should buy or use them.
“Mole-removal tools are a big no-no,” says Dr. Frey.
“We really need to determine whether a mole is benign or has the potential to become a cancer or is a skin cancer,” she says. “So you definitely don't want to remove moles without having a board-certified dermatologist identify that this mole is something that can be removed.”
“We always double check by sending it to the pathologist to have them take another look under the microscope just to guarantee that they don't see anything suspicious,” she adds.
Dr. Frey says mole removal kits can also cause scarring.
“I think a small scar is one thing, but removing something cancerous and then it not being detected and having a chance to spread to other parts of the body, that is very concerning.”
Dr. Henry adds that people don’t always know how to identify moles.
“I've seen people treating things that are warts, not really moles, and causing lots of burns and infections,” she says. “So that’s problematic.”
The bottom line: Don’t remove your moles yourself.
Is at-home microneedling safe?
“Any real microneedling should be done by a dermatologist,” Dr. Henry says.
Microneedling kits that you can do at home “are not true microneedling,” she says. “The needles are less than a quarter of a millimeter, which is fine. When you're getting above a quarter of a millimeter, you're getting to 0.5, to one millimeter, now you're getting deep enough that you can get bleeding, you can get scarring and you can get infection.”
Dr. Frey agrees. “You'll see some derma rollers online, and they're smaller and shorter than 0.5 millimeters, and I think those are okay, but anything automated or mechanic as a microneedling device should be left again to the office.”
The bottom line: Derma rollers with small needles are fine, but don’t do true microneedling at home.
Is at-home laser hair removal safe?
Dr. Frey advises against doing laser hair removal at home.
It’s not as harmful as some of the other treatments, but there’s still a risk of burns and discoloration, she says.
“There's devices that you can find online,” she says, “but they're just not effective and they're overpromising on what they can deliver. So you're exchanging some risk for not much benefit.”
Experts who perform laser hair removal use a laser that is much more powerful than those you can buy online.
“And depending on your skin type, you may need a specific laser. So if you have tan or brown skin, you're going to need a certain laser. Not any laser should be used on tan and brown skin,” Dr. Frey warns.
The bottom line: It’s not worth the risk to do this at home — you’re not likely to get results.