There are many chemical peels used in cosmetic medicine. One of the oldest is glycolic acid. Glycolic acid peels come in various strengths; the lighter strength acids are for home use and do absolutely nothing. The higher strength glycolic acids are used at a spa or a salon and used by a therapist/physician. The higher strength acids do work but they also have a higher incidence of side effects. Most individuals who have had the higher strength acid peels complain about one thing- pain.
Glycolic acids that are less than 30% are often sold for home use. In reality, these home based chemical peels do very little and are a waste of money. The vendors who market the home glycolic acid peels claim that the lower strength acids can erase wrinkles, fines lines, acne scars etc- all this can be summarized in one word- BS.
You can apply lower strength glycolic acid peels all your life and even drink gallons of it- it will do nothing for your skin, except waste your hard earned money. All this talk about soft texture, wrinkle, free skin is just a marketing ploy – so avoid home glycolic acid peels.
The higher strength glycolic acids do work well as peeling agents. These acids are quite strong and penetrate deeper layers of skin. Concentrations greater than 20% are only supposed to be used under supervision and are never approved for home use. Most cosmetic and plastic surgeons use concentrations of 20 percent and higher to treat acne scars, skin pigmentation, and photo aged skin. The effectiveness of a glycolic acid peel depends on contact time, number of sessions, skin type, and sensitivity.
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