Tried using a higher concentration of glycolic acid on my own face and got burned... literally

I thought I knew what I was doing. I've been an esthetician for about 6 years and I've used 30% glycolic peels on clients tons of times without issue. So last week I decided to bump it up to 50% on my own skin because I wanted faster results on some hyperpigmentation. Big mistake. I left it on for 4 minutes like I do with clients and my face turned bright red and started peeling in patches within 2 days. Now I'm sitting here with uneven skin tone and a lesson learned about how home use is different than in a controlled setting with a fan and neutralizer ready. Has anyone else tried higher strengths on themselves and gotten humbled?

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seth_green851h ago

Oh man that sounds rough! I actually think you might be mixing up how glycolic acid works at higher percentages. The thing is 30% and 50% aren't just a little different, they're a whole different ballgame in terms of how fast they penetrate. At 50% you really only need like 1-2 minutes max on yourself if you're not used to it, not the full 4 minutes you use on clients. And the neutralizer step is huge too, most people don't realize how fast that acid keeps working until it's fully stopped. Hope your skin heals up quick, I've been there and it sucks but it'll bounce back.