Lactic Peel : Treatment, Procedure, Cost And Side Effects

Lactic acid peels are good for resurfacing the skin. It maintains the skin moisture levels and treats the fine lines, hyper pigmentation and uneven texture. Lactic acid peels is more hydrating than glycolic acid and works as effectively to firm and smooth the skins surface, reducing the visible signs of ageing. Lactic acid peels are widely available in medical stores and online retailers. Some of the popular options include:

1. Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant:- It is suited for very sensitive skin. It contains salicylic acid. These ingredients remove dead skin cells that can lead to a pigmented, dull complexion.
2. Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Full Strength:- It targets wrinkles and hyperpigmentation with the help of lactic acid. It also contains willow bark (natural type of salicylic acid) and vitamins A and C. Not recommended for sensitive skin.
3. Patchology Exfoliate Flash Masque Facial Sheets:- It is lactic acid-based disposable face sheets. It works by sloughing off dead skin to improve overall appearance and texture. The facial sheets are easy to use, with no extra steps or rinsing are required.
4. Perfect Image Lactic Acid 50% Gel Peel:- It is a deeper lactic acid peel which contains 50 percent lactic acid to improve skin complexion, and the gel is easy to manage without the product running off from the face. It’s a professional-grade peel, should consult from dermatologist before use.
5. QRx Labs Lactic Acid 50% Gel Peel:- It is a gel-based peel and also contains a higher concentration of lactic acid at 50 percent. Should consult with dermatologist first to prevent side effects.

Lactic acid pee is generally used to treat the problems like hyperpigmentation, age spots, and other factors that contribute to a dull and uneven complexion. Other benefits of anti-aging ingredients called alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) like lactic acid includes improved skin tone, smoother and brighter skin and reduced pore appearance. There are other alpha-hydroxy acids products but lactic acid is a bit milder which makes a lactic acid peel a better choice for sensitive skin than the other variants.

The skin should be cleansed before a lactic acid peel is applied to the skin. To ensure that the face is well clean, oil free and primed a prep solution is to be applied to the face. This solution will also ensure that the peel does not penetrate too far into the skin. A timer will be set after the peel will be applied to the skin. After the timer goes off, the peel will be neutralised. The longer time the peel is left on the face, the more it will penetrate into the skin. Usually a peel will start coming off within a short time and a smaller concentration, and one will work their way up to longer peels with higher concentrations. The skin will turn pink in colour after the peel is neutralised. During the treatment, the skin could feel warm. In following days after the peel is when the skin will see the biggest difference. Improvement in the skin will generally not be seen right after the treatment.

The dermatologist will be able to determine what strength of lactic acid should be used. Only 30% concentration is often used for sensitive skin. Those people that have never had a lactic acid peel should also opt for this concentration as it is a great starter peel to get used to having peels done. 40% concentration is better for those people with normal skin. This much concentration will allow moisture back into the skin. Many times those with mature skin opts for a 50% concentration as it will help to reduce the effect of wrinkles on the skin. A lactic acid peel treatment can be done every few weeks as they are extremely gentle. Some of the chemicals used in making the Chemical Peels includes Alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA), Glycolic and Trichloroacetic acid, the last one usually found in the Chemical Peels used for deep action.

Persons who are facing skin related ailments and want their sin to look smoother and brighter, who want wrinkle free skin can undergo lactic peel treatment. People with fairer skin obtain better results than those with darker skin, though in terms of benefit all skin types go through some change after treatment. Those having specific issues like wrinkles or sunburns are the ideal persons to undergo the treatment.

Persons who have regular work outside and exposed to sun may not take full benefit of treatment. Spending too much time in the hot sun, may not last long the benefit of the lactic peels treatment. Specialist might recommend to not get exposed in the hot sun.

Some of the side effects of using the lactic acid peel are as follows:

1. Due to peeling effects the skin becomes more vulnerable to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. Thus, moving out in sun can be damaging and it thus requires a person to use sunscreens . It is thus necessary to ensure that one applies sunscreen every morning and reapplies as needed throughout the day so as to gain the benefit of the lactic acid peel procedure.
2. On due course of time unprotected sun exposure can lead to more age spots and scarring which is a risk for diseases like skin cancer. Thus, sun screen are must.
3. Lactic acid peels are reported to cause irritation, rash, and itchiness in the patients. These effects are usually mild and improve as your skin gets used to the product. But in case these symptoms persist even after the first few applications then it is advised to consult the doctor and discontinue the usage of the substance.
4. The Lactic acid peels in severe cases can cause eczema, psoriasis or rosacea. They may also result in hyperpigmentation. It is thus advised to consult doctor immediately on noticing such conditions. Apart from the above, in case any patient reports any other complexity after undergoing the treatment the patient is advised to consult the doctor immediately.

Some of the post-treatment guidelines are as follows:

1. Don’t touch or scratch the treated skin areas
2. Don’t use make-up within next 24 hours
3. Avoid skin cleanser with aggressive cleaning agents in next 24 hours after treatment.
4. Avoid epilation on the treated skin areas.
5. Avoid direct sunlight and excessive exposure of sun.

Every 10-14 days, take a course of at least 4 to 8 procedures of lactic acid peel. The frequency depends on individual skin futures. Regular home care after treatment helps to maintain the result for at least a year. Lactic acid works well with other acids softening up the effect of aggressive components. It also allows getting a great result avoiding any complications.

The treatment does not last too long.The treatment recovery time varies from the patient condition to condition and differs from the mode of the treatment opted for the patient. Every time the lactic peel is applied, the peel comes off within a few minutes and the treatment itself is done and dusted. But if the overall treatment duration is taken into account, then a week can be safely assumed as the duration of a typical Chemical Peels treatment. For maintaining the skin condition the treatment needs to be repeated after some months.

The cost of lactic peels treatment in India vary according to the type of clinic to get the treatment done and also the type of treatment chosen, the mild or the deeper type peel or chemical opted for. It ranges from around Rs.1500 to Rs.3000 per treatment. This cost does not include the expenses on the sunscreen lotion or other treatment to take care of the skin before and after the peel.

No the results of the treatment are not permanent. The skin gets restored to its original form after some time. But the treatment has to be repeated after 6 months or earlier depending on how much the patient is able to take care of his skin. In the case of wrinkles due to aging, such natural processes cannot be reversed forever.

Some of the alternatives to the treatment are as follows:

1. There are some procedures like dermabrasion available for repairing and restoring the damaged skin.
2. Some kind of laser treatments are also attempted for obtaining similar kind of results. These treatments may be more expensive than Chemical Peels treatment.
3. Home-made peels: Some products like lemon, baking soda are found to be very useful for skin care. Lemon has lightening properties, due to which it is popularly used as an ingredient for skin care masks, peels and products aimed at correcting age spots. Lemon and other citrus juices are quite acidic in nature as these products have high pH levels. When these highly acidic substances are neutralized with substances like baking soda the results are safer and promising in nature.