Glycolic acid versus Jessner's solution: Which is better for facial acne patients? A randomized prospective clinical trial of split-face model therapy

BACKGROUND. Many clinicians perform glycolic acid peels for facial acne pat ients, but there has not been a well-controlled study to compare this new t herapy with other conventional modalities. OBJECTIVE. TO compare the effectiveness of treatment and side effects in th e treatment of facial acne by two agents, 70% glycolic acid and Jessner's s olution. METHODS. Twenty-six patients with facial acne were treated simultaneously w ith 70% glycolic acid and Jessner's solution biweekly on each side of the f ace. The treatment sides were randomized and the evaluation of treatment wa s done biweekly by a blinded evaluator who did not know the randomization c ode. Dr. Cunliffe's acne grading system was used for objective comparison. All patients were also asked about the improvement of facial acne and about the side effects experienced. Finally, the patients answered the preferenc e test between the 2 peeling methods. RESULTS. Acne grading of both treatments improved after 3 treatment session s. However, there were no significant differences in treatment effects betw een the 2 methods. As far as side effects were concerned, sites treated wit h Jessner's solution showed a significantly increased degree of exfoliation compared to glycolic acid (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION. Glycolic acid is less widely used than Jessner's solution due t o its inconvenient application technique. But considering the equal treatme nt effect and lesser degree of exfoliation in glycolic acid, we would recom mend the use of glycolic acid over Jessner's solution for acne patients.