655 replies to this topic

[Monu]

I had my first Glycolic acid peel at Red Door Spa on Saturday. I have a few friends who get peels there regularly and I have seen consistent improvements in their skin. I definitely plan to do these at home because I don't want to pay $60 per peel, but I am glad I got my first one at a salon because I now know how to do it right.

The technician put a 10% solution on my skin because she was unsure how my skin would react. Prior to that, she cleansed my skin and put cream on my lips and around my eyes so the acid would not affect those areas. She also covered my eyes with cotton to be safe. As soon as she put the acid on I felt it tingling. She left the solution on for 6 minutes (probably due to the low %). While the solution was on she massaged by skin - she said this was to help exfoliate, but maybe just to get a full experience? She then removed it with gentle cleanser and spent about 10 minutes extracting "things" from my pores. She said that my pores are very very clogged - ick!! She then put a gentle hydrating mask and ended with moisturizer with SPF. My skin felt pretty good afterwards.

I looked in the mirror when I got in my car and my face was very red! The redness subsided by Sunday, but the peeling started. It's Wednesday morning now and by face is still peeling, is really dry and stretchy. I hope it goes away soon.

I am going to purchase the 35% solution, but I'm worried how my skin is going to react considered the way it reacted with just the 10%. I think I'll try it for just one minute. I'll keep you guys updated.

[Midnite8]

"i was thinking about doing a peel, probably a 30% glycolic and am just wondering if peeling and redness is a given or if it depends on how sensitive your sking is?"

Peeling is a must, and redness is most likely. Also, if you have sensitive skin, like the instructions say, leave it on for 1 min first peel, then add up the minutes on how much your skin can tolerate.

[JacJack]

* quick update
after 7 days...some parts on my face still havent fully peel off
The red patches under my eye areas are gone
I noticed my freckles on my left cheek lighten quite alot!! I would give it from lv 5 down to lv 1
I am going to wait until they all peel off before I do a new one
or I'll just do it tmr night since I preped and stop AHA products for a day already

Update
9/17/08
just finished my 2nd 30% GA peel
Surprisingly it didnt sting as bad as first time~ ( 1st time I was kinda holding my fist and wait for that 4 minutes...but this time the sting decreased in half)
I avoided the part under my eyes areas this time( below the eye bag )
so far it's looking good
But I rub some dead skin off from my face with the prep solution before the peel
I thought...oh well it's been there for 8 days already...might as well get them all off first

and curse that dang agave nectar!!!
I had a few tbsps of it in my lemonade this afternoon
and guess what~! a tiny white pimple showed up under my mouth( u know those annoying ones!!!!! they immediately turn white when they show up and looks really tiny)
I hope it'll be the only one that'll be there!!
I was so worried because I have been cleared for weeks now

[diana222]

Hi. I have done my 7th Lactic Acid 40% peel and have not noticed any change. Can someone help me here? I was told you should take a break after a month of peeling, but I haven't noticed any change, so should I take a break? And shouldn't I have noticed change by now? I use it once a week.

[Midnite8]

Really? Not even 1 little, insy binsy tiny change?

[diana222]

Really? Not even 1 little, insy binsy tiny change?

No! and it seems like nothing I do every helps. I've tried Retin-A, jojoba oil, the tape method, and the baby brush method and none of that has worked either! It just seems like my red marks are really stubborn.

And when I put on the Lactic Acid it doesn't even tingle that much. Like I read that it is supposed to kind of hurt. I'm just wondering if maybe I should do it more than once a week?

[Midnite8]

I wouldn't do it more than once a week, I would change to Glycolic Acid or TCA peels.

[diana222]

I wouldn't do it more than once a week, I would change to Glycolic Acid or TCA peels.

Why?

And what is a TCA peel?

[Midnite8]

After each peel, your skin needs at least 1 week to repair itself and "cool down." If you do it more than once a week, that will not speed up or make anything change you will just be hurting your skin. TCA is Trichloroacetic Acid, it is the pretty much the "strongest" of all peels, as it penetrates very deep.

[diana222]

After each peel, your skin needs at least 1 week to repair itself and "cool down." If you do it more than once a week, that will not speed up or make anything change you will just be hurting your skin. TCA is Trichloroacetic Acid, it is the pretty much the "strongest" of all peels, as it penetrates very deep.

But my skin does not appear like it needs time to repair and cool down.

[Midnite8]

Of course you can't "see" the repairing, but inside that epidermis you need 7 days after doing a peel. I know how you feel, you don't see any results and it's so depressing, but don't endanger your skin by rushing. Time is what you need.

Why didn't you try Glycolic Acid Peels? They are indeed the most common, most used, I've been using it for about 3 months now with my 8th peel right now. I DO see results.

[diana222]

Of course you can't "see" the repairing, but inside that epidermis you need 7 days after doing a peel. I know how you feel, you don't see any results and it's so depressing, but don't endanger your skin by rushing. Time is what you need.

Why didn't you try Glycolic Acid Peels? They are indeed the most common, most used, I've been using it for about 3 months now with my 8th peel right now. I DO see results.

Okay thank you. I'll try this a few more weeks and if nothing happens I'll switch over to glycolic acid.

[Ludwig]

I don't know if this is mentioned before but are you able to spray water directly to your face during shower?

[JacJack]

update time~! 9/27/08
Im going to do the 3rd peel now, this time it's 10 days from the 2nd peel
( I could've done it earlier but I had to attended a wedding this evening..so I dont want to get stared at haha )
* sitting in front of comp waiting for wet face to dry now*
The first two peels went really well on my face...
The skin tone is more even on my cheek area now..The freckles look much lighter to me somehow my cheek looks more firm too
( no one mentioned it to me..so maybe it's just my eyes doing tricks on me)
And I can tell it's slowly improving on blackheads...
All my blackheads turned into solid tiny little things and surfaced up.. I waited for them to fall off by themselves but it seems they never will, so I used the baby brush method 2 days ago on my nose and 90% of them came off... I'll keep doing it everytime I feel they are solid enough to be brushed off
Well the pores are still there but it's all cleaned up. better keep them empty instead of letting stuff block the whole pore
So I have a feeling that if I keep doing that..eventually they'll improve~

I figured there's a curse between the peel and acne to me
Because everytime I do the peel..
I'll eat something wrong and then break out after a few days of the peel
and trust me...I know it's going to break out again in next few days since I lost control on the wedding dinner
( I never have pimples on my face area..just below my mouth and around my nose...)
Oh well.....
off to restroom for 3rd peel now

** just brushed on the acid
Surprisingly I dont feel that much sting this time....my face felt almost nothing when I applied the acid
and I poured a little bit too much on the tiny tube..so I brushed the entire face twice

shit....I just noticed I brushed too high under my lips
I had some acid right below my lips on the right side...I expect it to be like the first time...That patch probably will turn into something that looks like a burn...
oh well I'll just tell everyone I got sunburn not on my face but below my lips

[Midnite8]

I don't know if this is mentioned before but are you able to spray water directly to your face during shower?

I guess it's ok, just as long as the water is not very hot.

[JacJack]

update time~! 9/27/08
Im going to do the 3rd peel now, this time it's 10 days from the 2nd peel
( I could've done it earlier but I had to attended a wedding this evening..so I dont want to get stared at haha )
* sitting in front of comp waiting for wet face to dry now*
The first two peels went really well on my face...
The skin tone is more even on my cheek area now..The freckles look much lighter to me somehow my cheek looks more firm too
( no one mentioned it to me..so maybe it's just my eyes doing tricks on me)
And I can tell it's slowly improving on blackheads...
All my blackheads turned into solid tiny little things and surfaced up.. I waited for them to fall off by themselves but it seems they never will, so I used the baby brush method 2 days ago on my nose and 90% of them came off... I'll keep doing it everytime I feel they are solid enough to be brushed off
Well the pores are still there but it's all cleaned up. better keep them empty instead of letting stuff block the whole pore
So I have a feeling that if I keep doing that..eventually they'll improve~

I figured there's a curse between the peel and acne to me
Because everytime I do the peel..
I'll eat something wrong and then break out after a few days of the peel
and trust me...I know it's going to break out again in next few days since I lost control on the wedding dinner
( I never have pimples on my face area..just below my mouth and around my nose...)
Oh well.....
off to restroom for 3rd peel now

** just brushed on the acid
Surprisingly I dont feel that much sting this time....my face felt almost nothing when I applied the acid
and I poured a little bit too much on the tiny tube..so I brushed the entire face twice

shit....I just noticed I brushed too high under my lips
I had some acid right below my lips on the right side...I expect it to be like the first time...That patch probably will turn into something that looks like a burn...
oh well I'll just tell everyone I got sunburn not on my face but below my lips

update update~
First time ever to do the peel ON TIME haha

10/04/08
The 4th peel it's 7 days (!on time!) after the 3rd

I have broken the cursed haha~~ I mentioned everytime I do a peel I'll break out since I always eat something wrong. But it turned out I didnt have any break out after the 3rd peel~
The 4th peel sting quite a bit on me...I'll give it 6/10...bearable but sting
I didnt use any AHA~ only normal cleanser and lotion for the week during 3rd to 4th...tho I used BHA on my nose which seems to work slowing down the blackheads from turning into dark color
I tried something new this time...I did a gentle scrub with baby brush and used biore's nose strip for my blackheads the day before the peel
I thought to myself "oh well...get all the dead skin off and apply the peel on skin for more coverage seems to be a good idea.." I'll see how it turns out~!
Overall for red marks..I have been seeing improvements~ my nose's two sides were always pinkish~red compared to my normal skin...but now it turned into a really light pink much closer to my skin tone
and I noticed my skin tone is becoming more pale~ yaya ( I like being pale.. I turn my head side way when I see sun bathers)
But I dont know how..I noticed I get some more tiny freckles when I dont even let sunlight get on my skin directly..and I wear sunblock too!!...Maybe I need to wear sunblock even when I am at home...I think it's not related to the peel since it's been happening before~ I just suddenly want to figure it out why

2 more peels to go for a serie~
my 30% GA peel bottle still looks like I have never used it
it's like...95% full

[ntrino]

Hey,

New to posting here, but I've been reading the forums for many months.

I just thought I'd say thanks to tikvica for consistently sound advice throughout this thread.

I wanted to add a few things that might help someone who has actually made it through this mammoth thread and is wondering if there's anything else worth knowing about doing these peels.

Other than reading tikvica's original posts on not expecting miracles, not overstretching the application time, not using strong preparations of chemicals by yourself, I also read the following advice that came with my GA 30% peel (from www.bravuralondon.co.uk) leaflet;

1) It is best to shave 24 hours before a peel / not to shave till 24 hours after a peel (so the acid is not obstructed by hair / and so you do not aggravate sensitive skin)

2) Do not use cotton wool to apply the acid, as this will absorb the acid into your skin.. additionally if you have been given guidance for usage amounts (e.g my 30% says 1ml per peel via the provided pipette) most of this will end up absorbed into the wool

3) Similarly, do not rub the acid into your skin as this will cause absorption the best advice is to lightly tap your fingers over your face as you apply the acid.

4) Do NOT skip the patch test on any new bottle of chemical, and wait the full 48 hours.. even if it's the same one you got last time or you think you have skin like an old leather boot.

I will be starting my 30% GA peels tomorrow, and I'm not going to lie about my camera being broken, out of battery or lost, I just don't want to photograph myself.. but I promise to give accurate feedback.

ntrino

[bibounette]

I used a 5% glycolic acid solution on my face for several months before trying stronger peels.

First I tried a 40% glycolic peel, absolutely loved the results right away. A bit of redness, but not very noticeable. Then I tried a 60% lactic/glycolic peel. A bit of peeling, more redness, but much more dramatic improvements. So far I've done 6 peels at home. ABSOLUTELY love the results.

I am 40 and over the years have struggled with on again, off again acne. As I've gotten older it's been mostly off, sometimes for a couple of years. But this year I started getting cystic acne, one every 6-8 weeks.

In the past I have tried everything for my acne and scars. Every high end to drugstore brand on the market. Differin, retin-a, medical facials, microdermabrasion, etc..

I wish I had tried the peels sooner. My skin is baby soft, smooth and even the old scars are almost all faded.

[SummerGuitar]

I used a 5% glycolic acid solution on my face for several months before trying stronger peels.

First I tried a 40% glycolic peel, absolutely loved the results right away. A bit of redness, but not very noticeable. Then I tried a 60% lactic/glycolic peel. A bit of peeling, more redness, but much more dramatic improvements. So far I've done 6 peels at home. ABSOLUTELY love the results.

I am 40 and over the years have struggled with on again, off again acne. As I've gotten older it's been mostly off, sometimes for a couple of years. But this year I started getting cystic acne, one every 6-8 weeks.

In the past I have tried everything for my acne and scars. Every high end to drugstore brand on the market. Differin, retin-a, medical facials, microdermabrasion, etc..

I wish I had tried the peels sooner. My skin is baby soft, smooth and even the old scars are almost all faded.

What do you mean by a 60% lactic/glycolic peel? Did it contain both lactic acid AND glycolic acid?

[SummerGuitar]

So I'm assuming that for Lactic Acrid peels, the process would be exactly the same? Since the title is How to: Glycolic/Lactic Acid Peels? But there is hardly any mention of Lactic Acid Peels..