thioglycolic acid

Action and Spectrum

Actions and Spectrum: 

Thioglycolic acid has diverse functions based on its application. In hair removal products, it breaks down keratin’s disulfide bonds. 

Drug Interaction

Adverse Reaction

Frequency not defined 

Hypoglycemia 

Skin rash 

Wheezing 

Coughing 

Nausea 

Diarrhea 

Black Box Warning

Black box warning  

None  

Contraindication / Caution

Contraindication/Caution: 

None  

Pregnancy / Lactation

Pregnancy Warnings: 

Pregnancy category: N/A 

Lactation: Excretion of the drug into the human breast milk is unknown 

Pregnancy categories: 

• Category A: Satisfactory and well-controlled studies show no evidence of risk to the fetus in the first trimester or in the later trimester. 
• Category B: No evidence of risk to fetus found in animal reproduction studies and there are not enough studies on pregnant women. 
• Category C: Adverse effects on the fetus found with evidence in animal reproduction studies and no adequate evidence for an effect in humans, care must be taken for potential risks in pregnant women. 
• Category D: There is adequate data available with sufficient evidence of human fetal risk from various platforms, but despite potential risks may be used only in emergency cases for potential benefits. 
• Category X: Drugs listed in this category clearly outweigh risks over benefits. These category drugs should be prohibited for pregnant women. 
• Category N: There is no data available for the drug under this category. 

Pharmacology

Pharmacology: 

Thioglycolic acid does not have pharmacological applications for medicinal use. Because it is predominantly utilized in cosmetic and industrial purposes.  

Pharmacodynamics: 

Limited information is available.  

Pharmacokinetics: 

Limited is available on ADME.  

Adminstartion

Administration:  

Thioglycolic acid is applied topically in cosmetic formulations. 

Patient Information Leaflet

Patient information leaflet  

Generic Name: thioglycolic acid 

Why do we use thioglycolic acid? 

Thioglycolic acid is indicated in the cosmetic industry. It is effective in depilatory creams for hair removal and hair styling. 

It is used in chemical peels as a chemical exfoliant for skin treatment.