Beauty & Body

Vi Peel: Changing the Face of Chemical Peels

Cash for your car

Everyone wants to look young and most people will go to extremes to get younger, beautiful looking skin.  Between painful surgeries and nasty recovery times people should not have to sacrifice comfort for beauty.

Dr. A.F. Kalil has developed a unique product, the Vi Peel, which gives patients dramatic results without the pain and lengthy recovery time that comes with similar procedures.

Dr. Kalil inventor of the Vi Peel

Now available in 40 of the 50 states the Vi Peel does more than remove visibly damaged skin. It treats the skin on a cellular level, working with acids and vitamins to help build collagen, shrink pores and eliminate fine lines and wrinkles.

Dr. Kalil graduated from the Universite Libre de Bruxelles in Brussels, Belgium. After completing internships, residencies and research on several continents he established the Vitality Institute in South Beach, FL. From there he has gone on to accomplish many advances, including the Vi Peel.

LA’s The Place had a chance to sit down with Dr. Kalil and discuss the benefits of the Vi Peel with him. 

LA’s The Place: What sets the Vi Peel apart from other peels?
A.F. Kalil:  With other treatments the down time is terrible and complications are possible, but the results are great. With the Vi Peel we use the strongest acids, but there is no need for preparation and no pain afterwards. Plus, the down time is really only a few days. 

LATP:  How long after the peel will patients see results?
Kalil:  We give patients moisturizers to help with the peeling and in six to seven days they will have amazing looking skin.

LATP:  How often can a person get a Vi Peel?
Kalil:  The peels are so practical people can have them done three to four times a year. I call it "dentalized skin care"; treat your skin like you treat your teeth. People wait until they are 30 or 40, when their skin is falling apart, to try and repair the damage. However, 80 percent of skin damage for a person’s entire lifetime is done by the age of 18. People don’t wait until they already have cavities to start brushing their teeth and the same should go for their skin, why wait for the damage to be done to start taking care of it.

Before and seven days after the Vi Peel.

LATP:  At what age can people start getting the treatment done?
Kalil:  At age 14 is when the skin starts to become damaged. This is because once a person hits puberty their hormones start changing and they get acne. So I realized that the best way to treat acne scars is to not have them. Prevention is the best way because once you have a scar, you can never fully eliminate it, you can work to minimize it, but it will always be there.

LATP:  What skin problems can be helped with the Vi Peel?
Kalil:  It will help everything: discoloration, scars, fine lines, wrinkles and hyper pigmentation. 

Vi Peel created by Dr. Kalil.

LATP: Why should someone have the Vi Peel done?
Kalil: A person cannot protect their skin enough. From the time they wake up and light is shining through the windows to when they are sitting under fluorescent lights, damage is always being done. However, if a person keeps getting the Vi Peel applied not only will they repair damage that has already been done but their skin will not get any worse, it will continue to look that healthy for the rest of their lives  People won’t believe your age, it will become just a number now.

For additional information on the Vi Peel, instructional videos or to find a doctor in your area visit www.kalilmedical.com or call 310-587-1911.

About the author

Gianna Brighton

33 Comments

  • I had it done by a plastic surgeon that my dermatologist recommended. She actually said she did not want me having a chemical peel done at a spa. The plastic surgeon did a friend’s peel 10 years ago and said that now that he does the VIs, he doesn’t do anything else. I have extensive sun damage from tanning beds. That is my main concern. I am 41, causasian and sensitive skin. Did the peel Wed evening. Was able to keep it on all night. Next day, my skin was very tight and I only wanted to put cool water on it, but used a little very mild soap on it to make sure all the chemical was off. Went to work. I was redder than they say, but I wasn’t going to waste a vacation day for that. My sun damage turned very dark and I have a lot more than I realized. I did not do the towelette until Thursday night, and that was the plastic surgeon’s directions. I use the second towelette tonight. The towelette did not hurt and was kinda soothing. I have started peeling this afternoon, around my mouth and nose. I put burn ointment on it and just cut off what was hanging. I haven’t had to take any meds nor lost sleep over it. But I have been trying to sleep on my back especially the first night, and that is annoying. I want to peel like a lizard, I paid $300 and have damage that I want to undo. I don’t want to feel like nothing today. I really hope those dark things just pop off!!!

  • I just had the peel done for the first time on last Friday. I’m on day 4 and STILL waiting to peel. No snakes here.

  • I love the vi peel. I had it applied by a RN who is also an esthetician. I was good for two days, although my skin felt tighter and a bit darker in color. I peeled on days 3,4, and a bit on day 5. My skin has more clarity and the whole facial contour is tighter. My esthetician/RN, herself, uses vi peel 4x a year. Her skin looks great. I love the vi peel – just what I wanted.

  • I am not sure how to feel about this peel. The first time I did it (I applied it myself, I’m a cosmotologist). It cleared up my acne and seemed to fade the red scarring I have from acne. My acne came back with avengance a few weeks later. Now I’m doing it again, but I do feel that there’s a sort of dependence on peeling. I regularly use Jessner and higher % glycolics. I don’t think this kind of peeling is neccesary if you have good enough skin. I would not go to this extreme. Cases can be made either way for this product and this type of approach to variuos skin problems.

  • I think the vi peel is better than sliced bread! If you had complication your physician probably did it wrong. I had some acne scars not bad but I’ve done the peel 3 times and it is better than incredible!

  • I am on day 4, I knew it was going to peel … but not this bad! it looks like my nose is coming off. You can not put make up on because your skin is two different colors. Dark where it is peeling/going to peel and your natural color where it has peeled. I wish I would have known it was so bad and I would have gotten work off. BUT from what I can see it looks like it is working, it was applied by a professional and she said DO NOT pick or peel any of the skin at all. this is where the pigmentations and scaring come from. so ladies, this is not a sunburn on your back that you peel. LEAVE IT ALONE. I scrubbed with soft approved sponges just a little too hard (trying to cheat and get the yuck off) but where the skin had been prematurely removed was red and sensitive nothing like the rest of my skin. so I think that’s the secret. report back on day 7. best of luck!

  • I had the VI peel done a week ago today. My face looks like crap. I have way more zits and marks than I started with and I feel so ugly that I don’t want to go anywhere without make up on including the gym. I warned my aesthetician that I thought in the past salicylic acid and retinoids actually made me break out worse and she convinced me that no one has had a problem with this peel and that it improved all her clients skin. I paid 350 dollars to feel better about my face, now I just want to put a bag over it. 🙁 Very upset.

  • I had the VI Peel done on December 14, 2009 at Skin Savvy in Tampa. No pain or burn whatsoever when applied! My chin began to peel on day three. Today is day 5 and I am REALLY peeling! I love seeing the fresh, pink skin underneath the peeled skin!

    I can’t wait for a few more days to pass so I can see the end result. I am extremely happy with this peel. The ONLY irritation I have is itching, which was quickly relieved with hydrocortisone.

  • Another question. Because the peel contains Retin A, will it cause more acne breakouts after the treatment is done?

  • I am considering having this done at Stunning Looks Medispa in Tampa on 12-9-09 and now I am having second thoughts.
    Who thinks this is a bad idea.?

  • I did this peel three times, first time it hurt like hell for like an hour, I went dark within a day and looked like a monster for 5 days, you need to take time off from work or anywhere people do stare at you, I actually got more brown spots after so I did it a second time which was not as bad but didnt get great results, the third time it barely did anything and now I am gona give it a last try with the precision. I almost wished I hadn’t done it in the first place.

  • It is now the sixth day after getting my peel done and the obvious damage i had done to my skin for years is gone. My skin looks like a teenagers skin and i am 49 years old. I had an eyebrow lift and eyelid surgery about 7 years ago and was considering getting a lower facelift until now! I look younger and no longer feel i would benefit from one this is the best procedure anyone could ever do just make sure you have a qualified person doing it. John Vero Beach Fl

  • I had this done by Dr. Kalil, the man who invented this. As I mentioned, it worked fine for me, I personally had no problem. Now, as with any treatment, there are many factors. You can put an application in different hands and your will get as many different results.This is a chemical peel! Find out if the person applying the peel has experience using it and ask to see pictures of results, or talk to previous clients who had it done. Especially if you have never had this done before, find out ahead of time!

  • I had this done by Dr. Kalil, the man who invented this. As I mentioned, it worked fine for me, I personally had no problem. Now, as with any treatment, there are many factors. You can put an application in different hands and your will get as many different results.This is a chemical peel! Find out if the person applying the peel has experience using it and ask to see pictures of results, or talk to previous clients who had it done. Especially if you have never had this done before, find out ahead of time!

  • I got the vip precision peel done 3 weeks ago. I had an awful experience like everyone else here. Before I got the peel done, I only had a dime size brown spot on my face. The peel burned me badly, my skin peeled, and hurt so badly that I wanted to peel my face off. Where they applied the precision peel was totally burn almost like a second degree burn. The spots turned awfully brown to black and my face itched like crazy. After all the peeling was done, my face is worst than ever.. I have brown spots where I didn’t have any. and the clinic where I went, prescribed triluma to fade the spots. Why didn’t give me the tril-uma in the first place? Now they say I need a new peel. I will not do one ever again and will not recommend it to anyone.

  • I got the vip precision peel done 3 weeks ago. I had an awful experience like everyone else here. Before I got the peel done, I only had a dime size brown spot on my face. The peel burned me badly, my skin peeled, and hurt so badly that I wanted to peel my face off. Where they applied the precision peel was totally burn almost like a second degree burn. The spots turned awfully brown to black and my face itched like crazy. After all the peeling was done, my face is worst than ever.. I have brown spots where I didn’t have any. and the clinic where I went, prescribed triluma to fade the spots. Why didn’t give me the tril-uma in the first place? Now they say I need a new peel. I will not do one ever again and will not recommend it to anyone.

  • Veta 9/18/09

    I had the vi peel done on sep. the 3rd. and I was in pain for a week and a half ( a lot of itching,burnig, and very irritered).Today I look worst than ever in my life, having the VI Peel had been the wosrt mistake i have ever made.Now I am very worry because i don’t know if the damege that I got is permanent.I went to a dermatologist and he is very worry too,and that scares me the most.I don’t recomend this product at all,not even to my worst enemy.I been as honest as I can be because I really don’t want enybody else getting hurt like I did.!

  • Is this available in Belgium? and if not, where could I buy it and can I apply it at home?

  • I had the peel four days ago. I love the results so far. I have dark scars and a little acne. But now the scars seem to be fading and the acne gone. I use the hydrocortisone that was suggested and it is working well. I used to tan and use fake tanner to try and cover up my dark spots and acne. I was told not to as it will hyperpigment my skin. I have had laser (very expensive), other chem peels, dermabrasion, you name it. So far the results of this VI Chem peel are the bests. My goal is to not wear makeup to cover up the spots and so far it seems this peel will achieve that. LOOOOOVEEEE it.

  • I had this peel recently and it was awful! I would not get it again. My face looks worse than it did before and I had really nice skin prior to the peel. I simply wanted something to make my skin glow and to improve the clarity. Well, I broke out which I never do. Also, my skin has scarring from the peel as well which is hideous! I would not recommend this peel.

  • I just got my second peel yesterday and any pain and flaking that I have gone through has been totally worth it. When I went in the first time I had very bad acne and huge scars… This time I went in just to keep working on making my scars less visible. When I got it done last time it completely got rid of the acne on my chin and it still hasn’t come back. I had some on my cheek later but I believe that is fropm sitting on the phone all day at work since it is only on one side. I get so many compliments on my face and people real did notice the difference even without me telling them I had anything done. I used to have to wear full on concealer and foundation and then powder, now all I have to use is a little concealer around my eyes (don’t lie ladies we all get some circles when we don’t sleep. But anywhere the peel was applied I only use powder… I am so happy and so grateful and I can’t wait to see how much better my skin will be after this second one!!!!!

  • My clinic is in Cardiff,Wales, UK. Except for a clinic in London I believe at the moment I am the only clinic in the UK offering this peel. I have used the peel on quite a few patients now and without exception they love the results. I am now having patients back for a second peel. I have had two of the peels myself and the results were fantastic. I have stopped using the Glycolic acid and TCA peels.

  • Hi,

    i have just gotten the peel friday 27th. i was really red and still am. starting to peel around my mouth. i have broken out bad on my chin area. im guessing it’s from the moisterizer they gave me to use. my face is VERY itchy. im really hoping to see results!

  • Hi,
    I have had two, I got great results after the first, just slightly red for 1 day and peeled day 2-4, after that I looked great. Second peel more solution was used and it was more painful, with about 3-4 days of heavy peeling and very tender skin. I really like this product, but think you must go to someone experienced in applying the chemical.

  • ok, I did the peel last night and I used the precision applicator as well – so the areas I used the precision went extremely dark!! – Hope this is normal cuz Ive been having panic attacks looking at it. Does this sound normal anyone????

  • I had two VI Peels, one in October and one in December. The first one was more painful and and uglier than the second, but still tolerable. When they say that you will look slightly tan after application, well that’s for someone with good skin that is not sun damaged. For me, who has many brown spots from years of sunbathing, looked like a monster. Every brown spot turned very dark to BLACK ( which is a good sign- but extremly ugly). I wished I knew that for I would have taken some time off from work. And of course the brown/black spots were the last to peel.- As for results- I think my skin approved slightly, but most of the brown spots did not budge( they appear slightly lighter). The one brown spot that is quite large totally peeled off and left a pink spot. But over a few weeks, it came right back and is still reorganizing as we speak. — So – I am still a slave to heavy makeup.– It seems it did not do the trick for me. I am now considering lasers.

  • Hi,

    Is this product available in U.K.?

    How much and where can I purchase the product?

    Thank you

  • Doing this peel was the WORSE thing that I ever did to my face. I just wanted my face to be brighter and get ride of a pimple scar that I had on my cheek. I did this peel twice. The first time I finished peeling, I broke out all over my cheeks and my face was an uneven color. It was suggested that I do the peel again, so 2 weeks later, I did it again and the results were 10 times worse than the first time! I got dark marks all around my mouth and my scars got worse. I emailed Dr. K about the results and he said that I should have been given bleaching cream to avoid hyperpigmentation. So I have to purchase bleaching cream on top of the extremely expensive VI Peel? He also blamed it on my saying that this was caused because I didn’t use the aftercare products that were given to me. I DID use the products and I think it was just an excuse. I would NOT recommend this peel based on my experience.

  • I did the Vi peel today. I was pleased that it was not uncomfortable- but perhaps that is because I am used to peels having done several “vitalize peels” which are TCA also and I use Obagi regularly. So far, so good. No one said anything to me today at work- skin just looked a little bronzed. You usually look worse before you look better is the way I look at peels. I am hopeful and confident. If you have never used RetinA or something of the like, you may be in for a surprise with the redness and/or peeling. But I am thinking the Vi peel is a great thing.

  • I just had the peel done yesterday and it wasn’t as bad as I thought. They cleaned my face with acetone and then they applied the first solution. It felt almost like I had a sunburn, but only for a moment, and then went away. I was afraid I was going to be seriously red because my face is super sensitive, but to my surprise and to the lady who applied it, it wasn’t. I wasn’t even a bronze/brown/orange color either. The smell wasn’t bad either, reminds me of the dentist office. I slept with the solution on and washed my face this morning and used the wipe. It didn’t burn, but about 30 minutes later, my skin started to itch and it’s still itching. I’m sure it’s my skin telling me that it’s ready to peel. My face doesn’t feel dry, or leathery, it actually feels soft – but it seriously itches like crazy!! To relieve it, i’m using a soft cloth over my face to relieve me of this agony. In the take home literature, it states that you can you hydrocortizone. Yea – I think my next stop is the grocery store to buy it!! I’m hoping it will start to peel soon. I’m at work, and nobody has said anything – so far so good.

  • I had it done last week. I am very happy with the results. Yes my face was red the first two days and then it peeled but that’s what it is supposed to do. Looking better already!

  • I personally had this peel done, and it was applied by Dr. Kalil himself, and had no problem whatsoever! I did not feel anything when it was applied, it was quite comfortable. My skin did get a little leathery, but that is part of the process, but it didn’t turn red, just a bit darker. I did have flaking of the skin, but that is part of the process. It turned out beautifully. Perhaps they applied too much of the solution?

  • Wow! What a joke! Minimal down time? I can’t go out. My face is like leather, bright red, and it hurt a lot when applied. So far the claims are not correct. I’m only on day 3 so I’ll be able to see the results hopefully in a few days but for now I look like a red leathery mess.