What is alpha hydroxyl acid and How Can They Treat Brown Spots

Brown spots, even though they produce no pain or discomfort, are very anesthetic and most often are a burden for people who have to deal with them. They influence one’s appearance and may even shake well one’s confidence in themselves. This is why, those having to cope such skin imperfections want to get rid of them as soon as possible, yet without experiencing any further damage of the skin.

One of the most employed method through which the brown spots are removed is by exfoliation of the upper layers of skin. This presupposes the application of a special cream which help the darker layers of skin be removed without affecting the healthy cells. In most cases the creams used contain AHA or alpha hydroxyl acid.

AHA is basically a group of more acids used for treating several skin conditions such as acne, brown spots, scars, fine lines and wrinkles. In this group of AHA we can individuate the glycolic acid – a substance extracted from sugar cane, the lactic acid which is made up from milk, the citric acid – ingredient extracted from citric fruits, tartaric acid which is extracted from grapes, from apples it is extracted the malic acid, while the mandelic acid is extracted from almonds. It addition to treating different skin conditions, these acids are also very effective in moisturizing and nourishing the skin.

From all these acids, by far the most used substance in treating sun spots is the glycolic acid. Yet, the lactic and the citric acid are also used extensively when it comes to removing brown spots. These substances are mainly used in dermatological offices. There, under medical supervision, creams containing higher or lower concentrations of substance (depending on the severity of the issue) are applied on the skin, thus removing the upper layer of skin and leaving the healthy ones to the surface.

There are also home-based bleaching creams which contain AHA, but the concentrations of the active substances are lower, as they are not done under medical supervision, thus the risk of side effects increases significantly. In fact, it is recommended that if you want to exfoliate your skin using one of these products, to choose the one which has a lower quantity of active substance at the beginning, and only if that cream is not successful to try a more concentrate product.