Known to be a destructive substance that is capable of eating through a number of different elements, the idea of putting acid on or in your face makes many people more than a little uncomfortable. The truth is, though, that in the right hands it can be a gift to the world of skin care. There are a number of acids used for skin care that can help to infuse moisture, encourage cell turnover and help resurface the skin, removing dead skin cells.
However, even if you were fully aware of the benefits of using an acid product, there are many misconceptions about using it to treat your skin. Here are five things you may not know about acid and skin care.
- Your skin doesn’t have to peel with a peel.
We actually have a number of gentle peels available in our office. While earlier versions of exfoliating treatments would make the skin visibly slough away, many new peels leave your skin glowing, not flaking. And peeling skin is definitely NOT a requirement for seeing actual results.
- Even people with sensitive skin can use acids.
Products with Retinoids repair your skin by kick-starting inflammation. Acids don’t work like that, though. They dissolve the upper layer of cells to trigger repair. Neither is the skin damaged by abrasives, which can happen when using a scrub on sensitive skin. So if you have sensitive skin, using a product with an acid is actually a great choice. The key is starting slowly and giving your skin a month to slowly increase to the point that you’re using a new product daily.
- Size matters.
The smaller a molecule, the more easily the acid will be able to get into the skin and the better results you’ll get. Because glycolic is the smallest of all the acids, it gets the most dramatic results. There’s a reason it’s the most widely used acid for skin care!
- Acids can’t fix deep wrinkles.
That’s not to say that acids can’t help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. However, the over-the-counter acid products and even most peels can’t smooth deep lines in the face. That treatment is best left to lasers, fillers and Botox. This is why your skin benefits the most from acids when you’re in your twenties and thirties, before your skin has begun to form deep lines.
- Acids work wonders below the neck.
Too often we focus our anti-aging efforts to the face and forget about treating other areas of our body. However, acids work extremely well for treating a blotchy neck, clearing up breakouts on your back, or smoothing away bumps on your arms.
Are you using an acid product now for anti-aging? If you need a recommendation for which product would best meet your needs, contact us today!