In daily skin care, many girls with acne and oily skin must have had acid peeling experience, but self-peeling often has problems such as poor concentration control or incorrect daily use frequency, which can lead to counterproductive effects such as skin allergies or damage to the skin barrier. Nowadays, various regular medical beauty institutions have acid peeling projects as a form of skin management.
In aesthetic medicine, peeling mainly refers to glycolic acid peel, which is a type of chemical exfoliation of the skin. It can promote the proliferation and rearrangement of collagen fibers in the dermis, increase the matrix in the dermis, make the skin smoother and more elastic, and improve scars. It is generally used to remove cutin accumulated in pores, minimize pores, eliminate inflammation, remove blackheads, whiteheads, acne, and improve fine wrinkles and pigmented lesions.
Acid peeling or fruit acid peeling is a type of superficial chemical peeling and is currently the most commonly used peeling technique. Its principle is to use a certain concentration of acid products on the skin to dissolve the protein connection between the keratin and the keratin in the surface layer of the skin, promote the shedding of the old cutin, accelerate the renewal rate of keratinocytes and a small number of upper epidermal cells, speed up the metabolism of the skin, promote the proliferation of elastic fibers in the dermis, and restore and maintain the health of the skin. It has a good effect in whitening, removing acne marks, minimizing pores, wrinkles, removing blackheads, and treating acne and melasma. You can also be familiar with the two terms hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation.
Acid peeling of different concentrations has a certain improvement effect on all levels of the skin from the inside out: in the stratum corneum, it can loosen the adhesions (desmosomes) between the stratum corneum cells, separate and fall off the over-accumulated keratinocytes, unclog the hair follicle openings and prevent blockages; in the epidermis, it can activate the metabolism of the epidermal skin, reduce superficial fine lines and wrinkles, and promote the skin to restore its youthful state; in the dermis, it can promote the proliferation and rearrangement of collagen fibers in the dermis, increase the matrix in the dermis, improve skin elasticity and tension, stimulate the synthesis of mucopolysaccharides, improve the hydration capacity of dermal cells, and make the skin smooth, hydrated and elastic.
At the same time, the concentration of acid used in acid peeling affects the depth of skin differently:
- SUPERFICIAL PEELS
Treatment of the epidermis, also known as “the lunchtime peel”, is the most common and gentlest peeling. The most common component is hydroxy acid, which is available in different forms on the market. These include alpha hydroxy acid, naturally occurring lactic acid (sour milk) and tartaric acid (from grape skin).
The most common acid brushes we use are glycolic acid and salicylic acid, with the simplest fruit acids being the milder ones. Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid that is unique among hydroxy acids because it can penetrate deep into the oil glands and cause flaking even in oily areas of the face and scalp. For this reason, it has been used for years by dermatologists (skin experts) to help oily skin resolve comedonal acne. Glycolic acid comes in different strengths (30%-90%) and different pH values (acidity levels). Sometimes a combination of different hydroxy acids is used, such as Jessner’s Solution, which contains a combination of lactic acid and salicylic acid.
These acid peels are applied to the skin and penetrate into the epidermis. This process breaks down the binding elements of the skin’s top layer, causing dead skin cells to slough off, revealing a fresh, healthy top layer of skin.
Product brands include:
MD Forte, Agera RX, Dermaceutic, Jan Marini, Theraderm Peel, ICP, Mene & Moy, Skinceuticals Gel Peels, Mandel, Cosmedix (Chirally Correct) and NeoStrata .
Lower strength TCA (Trichloroacetic acid ) can also be used for superficial peel.
- MEDIUM DEPTH PEELS
For treatment of the epidermis and superficial dermis, the most common is a higher strength TCA, Trichloroacetic acid, which can be used at a strength of up to 50%, but is generally used at a concentration of around 25%-35% to reduce possible side effects. TCA can also be combined with glycolic acid or other solutions to achieve improvements in deeper layers of the skin.
Product brands include:
Skintech Peels, Mene & Moy, Compositum, Cosmedix (Chirally Correct) and Obagi Blue Peel
- DEEP PEELS
Treatments that penetrate deeper into the dermis usually use phenol or 40% TCA. Although this concentration of acid peeling will have a more intensive effect, there are also certain potential complications and risks. Therefore, you will find that there are relatively few trained doctors who offer DEEP PEELS in the UK.
In general, acid peeling is a non-surgical beauty project that requires a lot of skills and experience and has certain risks. If you go to see a doctor who is very experienced in this area, you will get good treatment and guidance. They will tell you which product and concentration treatment is most suitable for you.
Chemical Peels are tailored to each patient. SUPERFICIAL PEELS can address minor skin irregularities such as discoloration, acne, surface scarring, fine lines, and sun spots. They can also be used to prepare for DEEP PEELS or to enhance the effectiveness of other invasive procedures to treat more serious conditions such as cystic acne, melasma, photodamage, dyschromia, and actinic keratosis.
After acid peeling, the skin will indeed become thinner in a short period of time. At this time, special attention should be paid to moisturizing, sun protection and anti-sensitivity. However, the skin has a self-repair process (about 28 days). Acid peeling, a mild chemical peeling method, can promote the regeneration of healthy epidermis (without pigment particles) and dermal collagen. Therefore, after the repair process is completed, the skin can become thicker and the skin resistance will be enhanced. Many friends who strictly follow the course of fruit acid peeling to remove acne will find that the skin is no longer so prone to acne after treatment. This is the reason. But it is worth noting that frequent acid peeling will indeed cause the skin to become thinner and more sensitive, and have problems with capillary dilation. Therefore, it is also recommended that you do not often DIY acid peeling at home, so as not to hurt the skin if you don’t master the measure.
At Ai Beauty, acid peeling is not limited to fruit acid, but also glycolic acid or PRX-T33. The latter has a higher concentration and will cause temporary peeling after the treatment, while glycolic acid is gentler. Acid peeling is safe and effective and is suitable for the face, neck and body. The entire acid peeling process and operation are very mature and standardized. Different concentrations of acid can be used to formulate treatment plans for different diseases. It is a very cost-effective skin management project.