What is the Legal Ph and Percentage Acid Peel for Estheticians to Use in NYC Without a Doctor's Supervision?

Question

What percentage acid peel can facialists in spas use? PH and percent?

Sonia Badreshia-Bansal, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. You will have to contact the board in NY who regulates the license for Aestheticians, and they will have a list of solutions and the approved lists. I hope this helps.

Nelson Lee Novick, MD · Answer

My understanding is that most estheticians, for safety concerns, limit themselves to using a maximum of 30% alpha hydroxy peels. 15% and 25% concentrations are frequently used by them.

	I have been using all kinds of alpha hydroxy peels since 1984 and have found that concentrations below 50% do little for the skin. For this reason, for more than twenty-five years, I have used full-strengh (70% is the maximum concentration) glycolic acid peels. In properly selected patients, these peels, when performed in a series of four to eight at twice monthly or monthly intervals, work well for augmenting acne therapy, fading postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, "sun" spots (solar lentigines), fading melasma and the mask of pregnancy. They can also contribute to an all around smoother and more lustrous complexion with essentially no downtime, when performed properly.

	Patient satisfaction is extremely high,and while not possessing the marketing glitz and "Star Wars" appeal of lasers, they compete more than favorably with any lasers for refreshing and rejuvenating the skin. They are also far cheaper than their energy-based counterparts, have stood the test of time, and are, in fact, recently making a strong comeback along with other forms of chemical peels..

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

I am not sure if there is an exact percentage, but I do know that they are not allowed to use 35% TCA like doctors. For the most part they are limited to light fruit peels. With the advent of great lasers I have pretty much stopped doing acid peels, and have used the laser to peel the skin very successfully.

What is the Legal Ph and Percentage Acid Peel for Estheticians to Use in NYC Without a Doctor's Supervision?

Answers (3)

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