What is a Glycolic Peel Best for Treating?

Our office specializes in glycolic acid peels and patients are encouraged to try one of our specialty face peels to address acne, photoaging, wrinkles, and skin complexion. Dr. Karamanoukian

Start with 30% glycolic acid (GA) peel with an aesthetician under supervision of a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon. Subsequent GA peels can involve greater concentration, e.g. 50%, 70%. Regular superficial GA peels can bring about 'baby steps' for rejuvenation.

Hi there-
Glycolic Peels are great for treating hyperpigmentation, a dull tone, rough texture and general aging of the skin.
Whether you are concerned about brown spots, fine lines, enlarged pores or simply wanting a smoother, brighter skin tone, glycolic peels can be extremely beneficial for many skin types and patients of all ages.

It is to target photo aging.  The benefits of a glycolic peel are to improve skin tone, increase the radience of the skin and diminish fine lines and wrinkles.

Glycolic peels are superficial.  A series of glycolic peels may help eliminate damaged skin cells, unclog pores and impart a healthier glow.
 

Glycolic peels are superficial and have mixed results. A regular regimen of peels is probably beneficial for minimizing superficial discolorations. I do not think glycolic peels will work well for wrinkles.

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.

Glycolic peels are mild peels. They do not penetrate very deeply into the skin so they do not typically cause wounds. For this reason they are some of the safest peels. They are best to treat surface imperfections, for example, light skin discolorations, freckles, acne/blackheads. Glycolic acids also stimulate collagen building, so over time multiple glycolic peels may help with very fine wrinkles and acne scarring.
Most patients who get glycolic peels get a series of them every 2-4 weeks for 4 treatments, and periodically repeat that sequence. Because they are mild, the results after each treatment are subtle but over time can make a big difference.