Glycolic acid peels are superficial but can be important for regular skin care. They are superficial peels and the aggressiveness of the peel is dependent on the percentage of the glycolic acid in the preparation. They are fairly safe and it is very difficult to make them deep and thus complications are much lower as compared to other peels. One thing to remember is that sometimes the more aggressive you are the more results you will get for the most part. Glycolic acid peels that are from 0-30% can be done at home with some guidance. Anything stronger would be wise to be carry out with the guidance of a physician. At home glycolic peels are a great way to keep up your skin from a maintanence stand point. I usually start patients on a skin care program with retinols, hydroxy acids, buffing cleansers, gentle cleansers and see how they do and tolerate it. Once this basic regimen is tolerated for a couple of weeks then I start them on the at home glycolic peels and guide them through this. With this regimen, you can get your skin to turnover much quicker (from 28 days to 10-14 days or less). This will help with unwanted pigmentation, decrease the size of pores, improve texture, and decrease fine wrinkles.
Thanks for reading, Dr Young
Dr Young specializes in Facial Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery and is located in Bellevue near Seattle, Washington