Glossary terms in English

How to Say “刷酸” in English?

 

In English, “刷酸” is commonly referred to as Peeling or more specifically Chemical Peeling.

In daily skincare routines, many girls with acne-prone skin or oily skin have likely tried 刷酸 (Peeling) at some point. However, when done at home, it often leads to issues such as incorrect concentration or improper frequency, which can result in skin irritation or even damage to the skin barrier（皮肤屏障）. Nowadays, many professional aesthetic clinics have included chemical peeling treatments as part of their skin management（皮肤管理） programs.

In aesthetic medicine（医美）, Peeling usually refers to glycolic acid peel（果酸换肤）, a type of chemical exfoliation of the skin（化学剥脱术）. It works by promoting the proliferation and rearrangement of collagen fibers in the dermis, increasing the extracellular matrix, which helps the skin become smoother and more elastic, and also improves scars. It is typically used to remove accumulated cutin（角质） within the pores, minimize pores（缩小毛孔）, reduce inflammation, remove blackheads（黑头）, whiteheads（白头）, and acne（粉刺、痘痘）, and improve wrinkles（细纹） and pigmented lesions（色素沉着）.

Peeling, or more specifically glycolic acid resurfacing, is classified as a type of superficial chemical peel（表浅化学换肤术）, and it is currently one of the most commonly used techniques. The principle involves applying a product with a certain concentration of acid on the skin, which dissolves the protein bonds between corneocytes, accelerating the shedding of the old cutin（老化角质层）, promoting renewal of the keratinocytes and upper epidermal cells, and thus speeding up skin metabolism. It also stimulates the proliferation of elastic fibers（弹性纤维） in the dermis（真皮层）, helping restore and maintain skin health. This method is effective for whitening（美白）, removing acne marks（祛痘印）, pore refining（改善毛孔）, wrinkle reduction（细纹）, blackhead removal（祛黑头）, and treating conditions like acne（痤疮） and melasma（黄褐斑）. It’s also helpful to get familiar with the terms hyperpigmentation（色素沉着过度） and hypopigmentation（色素沉着不足）.

 

Different concentrations of peeling agents act at different skin layers:

1. SUPERFICIAL PEELS（表层刷酸）

These work at the epidermis（表皮层） level and are also known as “the lunchtime peel” due to their minimal downtime. The most common ingredients include hydroxy acids（羟基酸）, which come in various forms, such as:

  • Alpha hydroxy acid (AHA, α-羟基酸)

  • Lactic acid（乳酸）, derived from sour milk

  • Tartaric acid（酒石酸）, extracted from grape skins

Two widely used acids in superficial peeling are:

  • Glycolic acid（乙醇酸）: available in strengths ranging from 30% to 90% with varying pH levels.

  • Salicylic acid（水杨酸）: a beta hydroxy acid (BHA, β-羟基酸), unique in its ability to penetrate into sebaceous glands（皮脂腺）, making it ideal for treating comedonal acne（粉刺性痤疮） on oily areas like the face and scalp.

A combination solution like Jessner’s Solution includes both lactic acid and salicylic acid.

These agents are applied to the skin and penetrate the epidermis, breaking down intercellular bonds and causing the shedding of dead skin cells, revealing fresh, healthy skin underneath.

Common product brands include:

MD Forte, Agera RX, Dermaceutic, Jan Marini, Theraderm Peel, ICP, Mene & Moy, Skinceuticals Gel Peels, Mandel, Cosmedix (Chirally Correct), NeoStrata

Low-strength TCA（Trichloroacetic acid 三氯乙酸） can also be used for superficial peels.

2. MEDIUM DEPTH PEELS（浅真皮层刷酸）

These penetrate into both the epidermis and the superficial dermis（浅真皮层）. The most common agent used is TCA（三氯乙酸） at concentrations up to 50%, though 25%-35% is more common to minimize side effects. TCA can be used alone or combined with other agents like glycolic acid for deeper treatment results.

Common product brands include:

Skintech Peels, Mene & Moy, Compositum, Cosmedix (Chirally Correct), Obagi Blue Peel

3. DEEP PEELS（深真皮层刷酸）

These affect the reticular dermis（网状真皮层） or even deeper. Commonly used agents include phenol（苯酚） or high-strength (40%) TCA. While deep peels can yield dramatic results, they also carry higher risks of complications. In the UK, few doctors are qualified and trained to perform deep chemical peels safely.

In essence, Peeling is a non-surgical procedure（非手术类美容项目） that requires technical expertise and clinical judgment. A skilled and experienced doctor will help choose the best product and concentration for your skin’s condition.

Chemical Peels（化学剥皮） can be tailored to individual needs:

  • Superficial peels: treat minor skin irregularities（轻微皮肤不规则）, discoloration（色素不均）, acne（痤疮）, surface scarring（表浅疤痕）, fine lines（细纹）, and sun spots（日晒斑）.

  • They can also serve as prep for deep peels or enhance the efficacy of invasive procedures（侵袭性手术） such as treating cystic acne（囊性痤疮）, melasma（黄褐斑）, photodamage（光损伤）, dyschromia（色素异常）, and actinic keratosis（光化角化症）.

Post-peel Considerations

After a peeling session, the skin becomes thinner temporarily. During this time, it’s essential to focus on:

  • Moisturizing（保湿）

  • Sun protection（防晒）

  • Anti-sensitivity care（抗敏）

The skin goes through a self-repair cycle (~28 days), and mild chemical exfoliation（化学剥脱） promotes the regeneration of pigment-free healthy epidermis and dermal collagen, ultimately resulting in thicker, more resilient skin. Many people who undergo peeling treatments for acne according to a regulated plan find their skin less prone to breakouts afterwards. However, excessive or frequent at-home peeling may lead to thinning, increased sensitivity, or capillary dilation（毛细血管扩张）. Hence, it is not recommended to DIY peeling too often.

At Ai Beauty Clinic, peeling treatments include glycolic acid（乙醇酸）, fruit acids（果酸）, and PRX-T33. Among these, PRX-T33 is more potent and may cause temporary peeling, whereas glycolic acid is milder. The treatment is safe and effective for the face（面部）, neck（颈部）, and body（身体）, and protocols are well-developed. Concentrations are customized according to skin condition, making peeling one of the most cost-effective options in skin management（皮肤管理）.

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