40% lactic acid peel- Will it work on red marks caused by acne?

[P3achy]

I've been using aha, bha, and topical vitamin c for almost a year now with good results. However, I still have a few lingering marks that haven't faded (they are coverable with a tinted moisturizer). I have two acne marks on my cheek (right and left) that are still very red. It has been 4 months and they haven't changed much in color. The marks wouldnt bother me so much if they were on the sides of my face, but they're right in the center on both sides of my cheeks.

Sorry this was the best picture I could get:





I was wondering if 40% lactic acid would be enough to get rid of them. I'm thinking of buying one from ebay since it's a lot cheaper (from skin beauty solutions).

 

[Andi]

Which % of AHAs and BHAs have you used? I´m assuming you´ve used over the counter concentrations, so maybe something like 2% salicylic acid and 10% glycolic acid?

I have been fighting those very stubborn marks myself, and it took me quite some time to get rid of them but they´re finally gone. I think 40% lactic acid is a good % to start with, you always wanna start with one of the lowest % when trying a new peeling agent. Let us know how it goes!

I have done 40% glycolic and 65% lactic acid peels myself, and didn´t notice much of a difference in terms of results. I do however prefer glycolic because it tingles on the skin, whereas lactic acid makes my skin itch while it´s on which is worse than the tingling to me. But that´s just my prefernce. I hear that lactic acid is more gentle (which is why you can go up higher in % without a lot of irritation) and supposably is the best acid in the treatment of pigmentation issues (haven´t noticed that myself though)

 

[P3achy]

I've been using Paula's Choice AHA and BHA treatment. It keeps my skin clear and smooth. However, I don't think it does anything for my red marks. It usually takes a year and half for my red marks to fade on its own with or without treatment. I'm hoping that a series of lactic acid peels will finally get rid of them once and for all.

 

[Andi]

Originally Posted by P3achy /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I've been using Paula's Choice AHA and BHA treatment. It keeps my skin clear and smooth. However, I don't think it does anything for my red marks. It usually takes a year and half for my red marks to fade on its own with or without treatment. I'm hoping that a series of lactic acid peels will finally get rid of them once and for all.

When I started using a 10% glycolic acid serum I saw some improvement with my red marks, but I reached a plateau with the improvement pretty soon. That´s when I started doing chemical peels as well, so I think you´ll definitely get a bit more improvement with peels. You can always go up in strength as you go, a lot of websites sell sample sizes of their peeling agents so that´s a good way to try out different strengths.

I started out with glycolic and then moved on to TCA, cause in my case the marks were sooo stubborn. There is no way they would have disappeared on their own (cause if they were still there after 2 years I wasn´t going to twiddle my thumbs and wait some more, know what I mean? lol)

 

[P3achy]

I did a whole face application last night and it went well. The moment I applied the lactic acid on my face it started to tingle. The tingling sensation wasn't as intense as I thought it would be, but you definitely know it's there. The tingle didn't go away until I neutralized the acid with baking soda and water. However, when I applied the neutralizing solution, it stung rather intensely and my skin was a little red after washing it off. I left the lactic acid on my face for a minute. I can see that some of red marks are a bit lighter, but nothing dramatic. I didn't expect my first peel to get rid of them in one go. 

 

[Andi]

Originally Posted by P3achy /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I did a whole face application last night and it went well. The moment I applied the lactic acid on my face it started to tingle. The tingling sensation wasn't as intense as I thought it would be, but you definitely know it's there. The tingle didn't go away until I neutralized the acid with baking soda and water. However, when I applied the neutralizing solution, it stung rather intensely and my skin was a little red after washing it off. I left the lactic acid on my face for a minute. I can see that some of red marks are a bit lighter, but nothing dramatic. I didn't expect my first peel to get rid of them in one go. 

sounds like a great first experience. Leaving the acid on for a minute is a good way to start, so you see how your skin tolerates it.

Btw, I used to neutralize with baking soda+water as well, but I didn´t like it. It didn´t irritate my skin, but I felt like washing with a mild foaming cleanser neutralizes just as well