A glycolic peel is a chemical type of facial skin treatment preformed in spas and doctor's offices. It involves the use of glycolic acid to peel off the top layer of skin, revealing younger looking, and smoother new skin below. Though they can be fairly expensive, have side effects and risks and be somewhat painful even, many people swear by glycolic peels to fade acne scars and to even out the tone of their skin.
What is Glycolic Acid?
According to Allergan, a manufacturer of many cosmetic products and procedures like Juvederm, glycolic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid used for exfoliating the skin (see Reference 1). It is derived from the sugarcane, plant but it can also be synthesized in a laboratory. Allergan says that because of the small molecular size of glycolic acid, it penetrates the top layer of human skin and dissolves it revealing new skin.
Purpose
The purpose of glycolic peels is to enhance beauty by smoothing out the skin, evening skin tone, reducing acne scars and reducing appearance of wrinkles. Many people say that glycolic acid peels give their skin a special "glow". The American Society of Plastic Surgeons says that chemical peels such as glycolic peels can decrease the amount of bacteria present on the skin, which helps to prevent future acne breakouts (see Reference 2).
Frequency
Glycolic acids are chemical peels, so they should not be done too frequently or else peeling and scarring of the skin can occur. How often you can have glycolic peels done depends on the strength of the glycolic peel that is used. For instance, there are some face wash products with very week glycolic acid amounts, which can be used daily. Glycolic peels done with strong acids may require 2 weeks of recovery time and at least a year before the next one is done (see Reference 2).
Safety
A glycolic acid is considered to be a chemical peel. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, all chemical peels carry some risks. Certain medications such as Retin-A and Accutane can increase the chances of the risks. Risks of glycolic peels include infection and scarring. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons recommends only having glycolic peels done by qualified plastic surgeons as a means for reducing the risks involved (see Reference 2).
Cost
The beauty review website Real Self found that the average reported cost for one glycolic peel in the United States is $268. Depending on the location where the peel was done, prices for a single glycolic acid peel varied from $100 to $1,000 (see Reference 3). Many skin care specialists say that glycolic peels are most effective when done as a series of three to five treatments, rather than only one, so the cost for a series of glycolic peels may be very pricey.
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