Glycolic Acid Skin Peels

If you’ve been asking yourself ‘Is a glycolic acid peel right for me?’ you’ve come to the right place.

Firstly I should point out that a glycolic peel isn’t right for everyone as they can cause problems like redness and irritability to the wrong skin types.

However, if you have a suitable skin type and want to see incredible results in the removal of fine lines, wrinkles, blemishes, sunspots, uneven complexion and a myriad of other beauty ailments read on!

After all glycolic acid peels are touted as one of the most useful tools that beauty salons and plastic surgeons alike have at their disposal.

How do glycolic acid skin peels work?

Glycolic Acid Peel

Chemical Peels work by separating and eventually peeling off the damaged and worn top layers of your skin from the fresher rejuvenated skin cells underneath.

During the procedure an acidic product (glycolic acid based) is painted onto the face and allowed to sit for a few minutes before being washed off and removed. In the days following your chemical peel treatment the top skin layers will peel away to reveal smoother, younger and more even-toned skin.

Glycolic Acid or Alpha Hydroxy Peels are what is referred to as a light chemical peel. Because of the unique properties and chemical make-up of Glycolic Acid, products made with it are able to penetrate your skin and pores with ease for faster results and quicker recovery times.

Glycolic acid peels vs. microdermabrasion and other chemical peels:

You might be asking the question ‘why use chemical peels instead of microdermabrasion?’ or ‘why are you raving about Glycolic Acid Peels instead of benzoyl peroxide washes?’. I can answer both questions quite simply:

1. Glycolic peels remove more than just your top layer of skin:

While Microdermabrasion and light chemical peels both work to remove the outer layers of dead skin and leave you with more youthful looking skin.

Glycolic skin peels have the advantage of penetrating the pores to remove excess oil build ups that cause acne and other skin damaging contaminants.

2. Glycolic acid peels work faster, better, and more importantly have fewer after-effects than competing treatments:

With all chemical skin treatments there are after-effects from the process – like crusting, peeling and tightness. One of the major benefits of Glycolic Acid based productswhen stacked up against these other peels like benzoyl peroxide and the deeper chemical peels like TCA is the after-effects.

After the use of a Glycolic Acid product you may see pinkness and mild swelling, however these effects will disappear within several hours of the procedure. After this any skin peeling or crusting will be completed within the week.

When you stack that up against TCA’s that cause several weeks of crusting and peeling with higher risks of pigment change, scarring and oozing the choice becomes pretty easy!

Who is suitable for glycolic acid peel treatments?

If you have one or any of the following conditions glycolic peels are more than suitable for you:

Dry Skin
Acne or Acne Scars
Sun-damaged Skin
Blotchy Pigmentation
Fine Wrinkles
Loss of Elasticity
Large Pores
Bumps
Age Spots/Dark Spots
Eczema
Keratosis (scaly formations on the skin)

Who is NOT suitable for a glycolic peel?

If you have the following conditions it is strongly recommended that you do not use glycolic, or other chemical peels:

Accutane use within the past six months
Negative reactions to prior peels
Recent radiation treatment for cancer
Cold Sores (Gycolic Acid Peels may cause inflammation of the affected areas)
Facial Warts
Pregnant Women
If you form keloid or hypertrophic scars
If you have a history of sun problems/allergies
Recent sunburn or excessive sun exposure in the days leading up to treatment
Surgery within the preceding thirty days to the area you are having treated

If you do suffer from any of these conditions it is best to wait until they subside, or contact your local medical practitioner. Your practitioner will be able to provide information for other more suitable treatments that you may be able to use safely.

What are the complications and side effects?

The side effects of light chemical peels are very few, mostly patients of a Glycolic Acid chemical peel will immediately experience a tingling sensation. You may also experience a small amount of pinkness and mild swelling for a short period after the treatment. In most cases you should be able to return to work, or any of your other important daily activities almost immediately after the process is completed.

During the following days after treatment your skin will peel away from the treated area to leave you with new rejuvenated skin. If you form any rough or scaly patches during this period, do not pick at them as this can cause further problems. These rough patches are best treated with regular moisturization.

It is advised that a good SPF (25+) sun cream is used every morning before leaving the house in the weeks following treatment, as your new skin is much more susceptible to the suns UV rays.

What is the Procedure to using a Glycolic Acid Based Skin Peel?

If you’re at this stage you’re most probably getting ready to go out and pick a product, there are a few simple guidelines to follow to ensure that you get the most out of you chemical peel and see the best results for your skin.

First and foremost chemical peels can be a relatively dangerous product. Make sure that you always use with caution and keep out of reach of children
Discontinue use of products like tretinoin (eg. Retin-A, Renova etc), or other products that may cause irritation to your skin a week prior to the skin peel
Test for allergic reactions by applying a small amount of the solution to your forearm
Use a gentle facial scrub up to 24 hours prior to the peel and ensure that you use the pH prep solution to prepare for the skin peel
Chemical peels are best performed in sections, apply solution to less sensitive areas first, ie. Forehead, Chin, Cheeks and then to more sensitive areas such as the neck, lower eye brows and the nose
When you apply the solution you will feel a tingling or burning sensation, if this becomes uncomfortable it’s time to neutralize the solution with a cotton ball soaked in the neutralizing solution and start the process on your next patch of skin

How do I pick the right glycolic acid peel?

Choosing the right product for you can often be one of the hardest steps you’ll ever take. You can spend hour upon hours of your precious time getting past all the misinformation and advertising marketers throw at you these days.

Below we’ve listed a few simple steps to choosing a product that’s not going to waste your time and money, or worse cause any skin related problems for you.

It is best to start off with a Glycolic Peel solution with a Gycolic Acid content of 20% and a pH of 2.8-3.0 until you know how your skin is going to react to the treatment.
It is extremely important to find a product that has a full set of instructions for use.
Try to find products that also contain: pH prep for your skin; a neutralizer; and an acid reducer so that you have a safer, gentler peel.
Products you are purchasing should list Glycolic Acid percentages and pH levels.
Ensure that the product was formulated in an FDA certified laboratory for 99 percent purity.
Don’t waste your time using products with less than 10% Glycolic Acid when doing a skin peel.

Hopefully you’re now fairly well informed about Glycolic Acid(or Alpha Hydroxy) Skin Peels and are able to make some informed decisions on everything from your suitability right through to purchasing the product and performing the skin peel.

Please remember that safety is the best policy and if you do have an adverse reaction to chemical peels, seek immediate consultation with your General Practitioner.