Is A Glycolic Acid Chemical Peel – An Acne Cure Or A Bad Idea?
Acne is an unpleasant inflammatory skin condition that causes irritated skin, pimples and blocked pores. Unfortunately, there is no acne cure miracle and you will have to work at getting rid of it and perhaps changing a few things in your life. If you suffer from acne, I’m sure you have heard of a glycolic acid chemical peel as they are often used as an acne treatment. But is it an effective acne cure?
The basis of an acne cure treatment is to try and reduce excess oil production and speed up skin cell turnover at the same time as keeping bacterial infections at bay.
So let us look at a few things you are likely to be doing to control your acne. If you are not already, you should be using oil free skin care products so you don’t add to the oil production of the skin. Also, you should be using an antibacterial agent like benzoyl peroxide to help keep infections away. Glycolic acid is used in skin peels to help speed skin cell turnover by removing the dead top layer of the skin.
A glycolic acid chemical peel is an effective way to exfoliate the skin but perhaps this is no surprise when you consider some of its other uses! For example, it makes a great rust removal agent (obviously in a greater concentration than when applied to the skin). The thought of how strong glycolic acid can be, has made doctors carefully consider its use on the skin and in the home where there are no controls.
In fact, certain forms of acne should not be exfoliated anyway. If you have pustules, exfoliating will open and spread any infection across the face. This will in turn increase any pain and discomfort. If you have rosacea, you should not use a glycolic acid chemical peel, just ask any qualified dermatologists for their opinion to get confirmation of this.
The best acne cure is probably a holistic one. Don’t just try and treat the pimples and rash, look for the reason why they are there. If your acne is recent, think about whether you have recently changed your cosmetics, detergents, skin care products, shampoos etc? Have you just started the menopause, your periods or are taking new contraceptives? Or maybe you’re pregnant. It is well known that acne is linked to hormone changes, so if anything affects those, it could have triggered your acne.
If you are stressed, drink too much alcohol; have an unhealthy diet, then your skin will be the first to suffer. Your skin needs the right balance of vitamins and minerals and if you change your eating habits, you may not be getting them.
Look after your skin by bathing using gentle cleansers designed for your skin and warm water at least twice a day. Do not overdo the washing as this may make things worse, twice a day is enough.
Acne can leave some unpleasant scaring that can be distressing. If this sounds like you, get your doctor to refer you to a dermatologist, as they are best placed to advise you on reducing the any acne scaring. Only use a glycolic acid chemical peel if they recommend it for your condition, don’t use it just because someone else who has acne uses it – remember, their condition may be different to yours and you could make things worse.
There is no such thing as an acne cure miracle, but you can find various treatments, including scar removal cream at www.choose4yourself.com. For a unique holistic acne treatment, try reading THIS before you turn to a glycolic acid chemical peel to de-rust your skin!
