On the relationship between glycolic acid and scars
For those with scars, the traces left after the skin is damaged are also caused by gold wounds, or by fire, or by the healing of sores. Their shapes vary, whether convex or concave, or red or brown, often disturbing people's appearance, and even affecting the function of the skin.
Glycolic acid is an alpha-hydroxy acid, which is quite important in the way of skin care. Its molecules are delicate and can penetrate the stratum corneum of the skin unimpeded, and are in close contact with cells. The wonders of glycolic acid are first and foremost in promoting the metabolism of keratinocytes. The stratum corneum of the skin is like a city wall, and over time the cells accumulate and the metabolism is not smooth. Glycolic acid can activate the mechanism of cell renewal, so that the old waste keratin is shed in an orderly manner, and new cells are born vigorously. This process is like the spring breeze blowing, and the dead branches are replaced with new green, making the skin revitalized, smooth and delicate.
As for scars, they are mostly caused by abnormal proliferation or disordered arrangement of fibrous tissue during skin trauma repair. Glycolic acid has a unique ability to do this. First, it can improve the abnormal structure of the stratum corneum on the surface of scars. The keratin on the scar is often thick and disordered, and glycolic acid can loosen the connections between them, restoring the stratum corneum to a flat level, and the appearance is gradually uniform and the touch is smooth. Second, glycolic acid can stimulate the synthesis of collagen in the dermis. Collagen is also the backbone of the skin, giving the skin elasticity and toughness. The amount of collagen in the scar is often small and the quality is poor. Glycolic acid can stimulate the activity of fibroblasts, encourage them to synthesize more high-quality collagen, rebuild the structure of scar tissue, and make the scar from hard to soft, from convex to flat.
However, everything is appropriate. Although glycolic acid is beneficial to scars, improper use also has drawbacks. If the concentration is too high, the frequency of use is too dense, or the skin is already sensitive, it is easy to cause skin redness, tingling, desquamation and other discomforts. Therefore, those who use glycolic acid to treat scars should review the nature of the skin, step by step, first try it at a low concentration, check the tolerance of the skin, and then adjust it as appropriate.
In short, glycolic acid does have potential for the improvement of scars. However, if you want to receive the full power, you need to understand the reasons and make good use of it, so that the skin can return to good condition without scarring.