My years of experience with glycolic acid!

[sally 0]

I can honestly say that glycolic acid helped a lot in my active acne AND moderate scars.( boxcar, rolling. One derm had classified my scars as moderate but another said they were mild. whatever they were they were very noticeable to me!! ). My scars used to bother me a lot, I looked really old. but now it seems the skin has plumped up so much so I hardly even notice the scars anymore. It works pretty well for post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation too.

When I first started out I was really aggressive---you can check my old posts. I would use 70%, and weekly, bought from ebay. I think overall I did a lot more harm than good. Because the skin sometimes became blistered, or discolored, or just rougher because the acid was too harsh. There was no major improvement either. I don't think I gave my skin enough opportunity to heal on its own.

For the past year or so, I have been using glycolic acid from an established brand. Started at 8%, now at 15% (Neostrata). Only that. And I'm very satisfied with the results. Maybe it generated collagen or something.

So I think the key is to use a good brand at a low% consistently,daily---at least 9 months to a year. I think it'll really help for mild to moderate scars. Safe and boring and not for impatient souls!

[curious 0]

Sally,

I'm not too familiar with glycolic products. I was wondering if you've been using peels or a cream. I've been using Aqua Glycolic, which is a cream, for hyperpigmentation on my back, but I want to add some type of glycolic product into my face regimen. Thanks!

[HorribleScarsonmyback 0]

I have been using body wash with 10% Glycolic Acid in it now for 4weeks as I am trying to build up to using 30% acid on my back every week.Doyou know if it is effective on back area?

[sally 0]

curious, i started out with an 8% solution which was quite light, then a 15% gel and now a 15% lotion. They all work well, the key is to get a good brand. I started out with peels but they didn't help much. I've tried 30%, 50% and even 70% peels, there wasn't any obvious or steady improvement. So now I just use my lotion nightly.

horriblescarsonmyback, i think the back area takes a longer time to treat than the face. a wash may not be enough, i think... it wouldn't stay long enough on your back! and you could probably start off with 15% glycolic acid,daily, on your back because the body can withstand higher % than the face. I don't think peels help much. After several months of daily usage it should help a lot. I think neostrata is a good brand. I've heard of aqua glycolic but can't get it here in singapore so I haven't tried it out.

[snowcarver75 0]

While effects of prolonged glycolic treatments are yet clear, I agree 100% that the old trusty 30%-40% glycolic peels work wonder if used moderately and wisely, not to mention really really cheap if u do it yourself. Particularly on mild to mildy medium scars and redmarks. I think most folks here just wish for one quick treatment.

[HorribleScarsonmyback 0]

While effects of prolonged glycolic treatments are yet clear, I agree 100% that the old trusty 30%-40% glycolic peels work wonder if used moderately and wisely, not to mention really really cheap if u do it yourself.  Particularly on mild to mildy medium scars and redmarks.  I think most folks here just wish for one quick treatment.

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[legislatorgov 0]

hm awesome

[Khari 0]

hm awesome

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[sassy561 0]

Hey Sally,

I am not that confident with the scar treatments/procedures that are available with $$$/downtime/risks, etc. I have a couple very shallow rolling scars and some small ice picks on my cheeks. Right now I feel as though if I can just improve my skin texture in general, these things won't be so noticeable. My derm gave me some 20% glycolic at home peel pads to use weekly. Do you think using these will be beneficial to the skin? I also use Proactiv Solution (I have no choice, it's the only thing that keeps the acne away) Thanks!

[HorribleScarsonmyback 0]

Well Ive decided to use 30% glycolic peels on my back along with using Super CP daily in the hope it may improve my scars,The directions say to apply to the skin and leave for 5 mins and then apply a paste of Bicarbonate soda and water to wash the acid off,Is this the correct way?