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How to Use Glycolic Acid Peels to Improve Your Skin

By: Emily Jameson


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What exactly is glycolic acid? It is a substance derived from natural fruit acids (aka AHAs) and they work to help improve the skin tone by helping you shed skin. Glycolic acid is the alpha hydroxy acid most frequently used for Glycolic Acid facial treatments but lactic and citric acid are also useful.

Glycolic acid treatments are often recommended by dermatologists for people with aging skin. Glycolic peels can easily deal with conditions such as fine lines, hyperpigmentation or keratatoses (dry skin). Acne sufferers can also benefit tremendously from the use of glycolic acid solutions . As our skin gets exposed to the sun and the elements, our old cells gradually take more time to be replaced by newer cells . This slowness in renewing cells leads to the visible appearance of old or aged skin. That's where glycolic acid comes in. An alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) like glycolic acid loosens the substance holding our skin cells together and causes dead skin to drop off . Look in the mirror after you do a glycolic acid peel, you'll instantly notice much healthier skin which looks fresh and alive.

But that's not all, glycolic acid peels at high concentrations can really enrich your skin appearance permanently . The use of glycolic acid also helps to promote the production of collagen and can help to fill in wrinkles or deep lines . Glycolic acid peels are a great facial healing treatment because they require very little downtime, unlike deep chemical peels like phenol peels or dermabrasion . Glycolic acid treatments are a great way to enrich acne prone skin and they are also known for reducing oil or shine over time as well .

How long does it take to do a glycolic acid peel? Probably around 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the concentration level used . Glycolic acid peels can be done every week or fortnight because they are not deep peels and your skin recovers from them rather quickly . Glycolic peels range from 10% to up to the maximum of 70% and the concentration levels should be increased gradually over time . To apply the glycolic peel, cleanse your face and then put the glycolic solution on a cotton pad and wipe it on your face to leave it for a few minutes (depending on your peel concentration) . After putting glycolic acid on you will notice a stinging sensation but that's normal. After you wash it off, you may notice that your skin is red but the redness will subside within 24 hours . If you notice any temporary dark marks from the peel, you can easily cover them up with makeup .

Some glycolic acid peels can be left on the skin overnight because they are less acidic or intense . Glycolic acid lotions can be used alongside many other anti-aging serums without any problems . What's a good peel concentration for a glycolic peel? Something light would be less than 20% concentration while something medium would be 50% and above. This type of peel is recommended for an oilier, acne prone skin. However, bear in mind that glycolic acid peels can cause hyperpigmentation problems for those with dark skin . The side effects of glycolic peels are minor and should not cause any alarm. This includes just redness of the skin and stinging at the time of application . How often should you do glycolic peels? Dermatologists often recommend doing a continuous series of 6 peels at 1 peel at week. After that you can rest your skin and do peels at longer intervals . After a peel you may notice that your skin will be rougher and this may go on for a few days before the dead skin drops off . So, what are the benefits of a great glycolic acid peel? You'll notice incredible changes such as smaller pores and lessened fine lines.. So why not give glycolic acid peels a try, they really do work and will help you tremendously!

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Interested in improving the quality of your skin dramatically and remove wrinkles or scars? Find out more about glycolic acid peels and find out more about glycolic acid peels at home by doing some research online.

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