Considerations in Alpha Hydroxy Acid Peels

Biweekly serial glycolic acid peels vs. long‐term daily use of topical low‐strength glycolic acid in the treatment of atrophic acne scars

“…They appear usually in severe acne forms or in neglected cases, but sometimes also occur in moderate acne, even if it is treated early and effectively. 1 Various therapeutic modalities have been used with variable success for the treatment of postacne scars, including invasive techniques, such as dermabrasion and laser skin resurfacing, and noninvasive techniques, such as tretinoin iontophoresis, bovine collagen injections, or other soft tissue augmentation techniques and superficial peeling 1–5,18 , 19 . Dermabrasion is the traditional method for the correction of acne scars, but it is not always effective in all types of scars.…”

“…When used in high concentrations, it causes epidermolysis, resulting in the regeneration of new epidermal and dermal tissue, and is beneficial for the treatment of actinic and seborrheic keratoses, warts, wrinkles, acne scars, and pigmentary changes such as postinflammatory hyperpigmentation and melasma 3,4 . 5,6 , 7 GA solutions with a concentration of more than 20% can only be used by dermatologists in practice, but it is also available at lower concentrations as a home‐care product. In some clinical studies performed on acne vulgaris, peelings with GA at various concentrations have been found to have positive effects on superficial acne scars and postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, as well as on acne 8,9 , 10 .…”

Resurfacing of the face: choices of therapy

“…Superficial resurfacing modalities can be broadly defined as those resulting in destruction of partial‐ or full‐thickness epidermis with minimal dermal damage. Modalities which reliably produce intra‐ or subepidermal damage include glycolic and salicylic acid chemical peels, microdermabrasion, single‐agent trichloroacetic acid (TCA) peels, and light Er:YAG laser therapy (1–5). The advantages of superficial resurfacing modalities include their rapid healing time, limited procedural morbidity, and the low likelihood of significant adverse effects.…”

“…The ability to receive resurfacing treatment and return to normal daily living immediately can be an essential consideration for these young and active patients. A mild Er:YAG laser resurfacing confined to the mid epidermis, glycolic or salicylic acid peels, low‐concentration TCA peels, or microdermabrasion can all offer this possibility (1–5). Patients tend to experience a variable degree of erythema postprocedure, but if the injury is confined to the epidermis, no oozing will occur, and makeup can be applied over the wound.…”

“…Microdermabrasion is becoming a very popular superficial resurfacing modality which carries limited morbidity (5). Single‐agent, low‐concentration TCA peels, glycolic and salicylic acid peels, and mild Er:YAG laser resurfacing, when performed with the specific intent of obtaining an intraepidermal wound, can all afford temporary cutaneous rejuvenation and yet minimize the morbidity associated with the procedure (1–4).…”