Glycolic Acid
Author: Mercy Marangabr
Source: ezinearticles.combr
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Glycolic acid belongs to a family of alpha hydroxy acid compounds. This acid is used in treating acne scars. Acne scars are the defects on the skin left over by the disease when it dies off. The scars are visible as skin texture defects or as skin pigment color defects.
Scars as a result of acne can be classified into two. There are those that are caused by increased tissue formation, they are referred to as keloids and are associated with excessive amounts of collagen. There are also those that are caused by loss of tissue. Excessive production of collagen is a response by the skin cells to an injury. The excess collagen is piled in fibrous masses leading to a scar.
Most of the skin care products contain glycolic acid as the main ingredient which acts as a cleaning agent. When a molecule of this acid comes in contact with a scar, it penetrates and breaks the fibrous masses that form the scar. The dead skin cells are eventually cleared through the exfoliation process. The acidic nature of this product also makes it effective in killing bacteria.
A combination of this acid with salicylic acid is an affective treatment for acne. These two acids have good exfoliating properties. Products of this treatment can come in the form of gels, lotions and peel-off face masks. This type of treatment can make your skin become sensitive to direct sunlight. When on this medication, you are advised to use sun protection creams. A good glycolic acid treatment should have a concentration of not more than 10 percent.
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pMercy Maranga Reports on Health and Fitness issues. Visit Her Site here for more information on acne and its treatment. a target=_new href=http://macypages.com/2009/06/acne/ rel=nofollowAcne/A/pbr
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