If you want a skin peel to rejuvenate your appearance, a glycolic peel will remove the dead skin cells on the surface of your skin, leaving your face looking and feeling fresher and younger as a result.

Glycolic peels are made using glycolic acid derived from sugar cane and are ideally used to treat a range of skin problems including acne scarring, ageing of the skin and sun damage. A strong glycolic peel is licensed for use by physicians only and it’s recommended that a mild glycolic acid be used two weeks before the treatment, so that the skin can prepare to heal faster.

What happens during procedure?

During the procedure the skin is cleansed and then the glycolic peel is gently massaged onto the skin like a face mask. After one minute of being left on, it’s gently removed by cleansing. It’s recommended that a series of six skin treatments are applied weekly, but one single application can provide excellent results. The procedure can feel like a mild pricking sensation, but soon subsides.

Your skin will feel a little red for a while afterwards and this can be more obvious to see in people with fair skin. After a few days the skin starts to flake the dead skin cells off, which is a normal part of the cell renewal process. There have been virtually no reported side effects from people who regularly have glycolic peels.

Who can have skin peels?

Anyone can have chemical peels but if you have been prescribed certain medications or you have had kidney failure in the past year, the glycolic peel may not be suitable. An alternative solution is  microdermabrasion, a much less invasive procedure which may be ideal for those suffering with skin health problems