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Glycolic acid is an
Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA), is a skin exfoliant and therefore also exfoliates pigment.
It is an active ingredient in many OTC products in concentration varying from 6% to 10% and is quite a useful pigment lightening as well as antiageing ingredient in these creams.
Glycolic acid is also available OTC as cleansing pads/wipes in concentrations of 10% or 20%.
Apart from AHA's /Glycolic acid she should also use a broad spectrum sunscreen throughout the day. Sun protection adds up to the overall response of pigment reducing agents.
Besides, she may also opt for a few sessions of chemical peeling from a
dermatologist.
A dermatologist usually uses higher concentrations of glycolic acid for peeling purposes i.e 35% or 50% and even 70% as compared to that available in creams and therefore better results.
However, these higher strength glycolic peels are not recommended for home use because it can cause side effects like burn and pigmentation.
While using all these products and chemical peeling it is essential to protect the skin from sun, with a broad spectrum sunscreen.
Regards