How Long Should Glycolic Acid Be Left on the Skin During a Treatment?

When performing a peel, the practitioner will be observing your face for signs that the skin is reacting well and sufficiently before neutralizing the peel. I typical leave the peel solution on for 2 to 7 minutes.  The time can vary from patient to patient and is even different in the same patient from day to day.

Chemical peeling can be confusing.  There is no specific amount of time the chemical should be "left on".  With glycolic acid: once the chemical is applied it will continue to affect the skin until it is removed or diluted (some say neutralized) by applying water or a bicarbonate solution (which fizzes).  The time to neutralize depends on the reaction of the skin.  Some sensitive skin may only take a minute or two where thick oily skin could take 10 or even 15 minutes.  The buffering and concentration of the chemical also play a role.  You need a good aesthetician, hopefully in a physician's office, who knows the product they are using well.  I agree, 10 seconds seems a bit fast.

The duration of application for glycolic peels will vary from patient to patient. After prepping the skin and applying the glycolic acid the practitioner typically observes the skin for certain endpoints - such as fairly uniform redness and the patient’s sensation of tingling. Once those endpoints are met, the peel is neutralized. I usually can leave a peel on for at least 3 minutes and I generally don’t go past 6 minutes. It’s hard to assess your situation but my reaction is that it would not be typical to leave a peel on for 10 seconds.