those of you who have used TCA peel..
I did a patch test on Saturday eve (TCA 12.5% from MUAC). It’s Wed already and the only thing I see is slight roughness on the area I treated (pic attached)… my skin did not turn red or anything after application…does it mean its too mild for my skin.. I ve been using glycolic and lactic acid peels for over a yr ( I think) .. Did you guys start off with one layer or two?.. how long did it take you guys to shed that skin… it seems mines gonna take forever
Peeling would usually start day 3-4. Total healing time 7-10 days. But this can vary from person to person.
Always start off with 1 layer. Once you have done at least a few 1 layer, full-face peels without any problems.....the move up to 2 layers. Looks like it's barely starting to form the brown crust (on your jaw). For now just continue to keep the area moisturized and make sure you apply a good sunscreen during the day when going out.
Question: Did your skin frost (turn white)? How long did you leave the TCA for?
^ ah ok....your skin tolerated it very well then (at least in the jaw area). Since it didn't frost....you may not even get any actual peeling. Unfortunatley you're just going to have to wait and see how it looks in a week or so.
BTW, when you do your entire face, at least the 1st time do 1 layer. I know with my face....the outer borders (child, outer cheeks, forehead) is tougher than inner cheeks. The areas that do NOT frost after 5 minutes....you can apply a 2nd layer on those areas.
If the skin peels before it's ready....the odds of scarring increases. That's why I always keep it moisturized afterwards. I'd rather it peel a few days later versus peels quickly and have something go wrong. But like I said, with TCA/frosting....my skin started peeling on day 3-4 and is totally done by day 7-10. Also, when the skin frosts and scabs....it can leave your entire face feeling very tight and even itchy. Not a comfortable feeling. Keeping it moisturized makes it much more bearable for me.
Thanks Paheli. I am gonna give it a go tonight. I decided ill just do one layer this time as I am pretty sure I will freak out at the sight of frosting.
I ended up doing it on the same day (wed jun 12). My left cheek frosted as soon as I put it on so I neutralized that part right away and left the tca on on the rest of the face for good 5 minutes. This pic was taken on the 2nd day post peel. You can see light flaking around the mouth and kind of wrinkled skin. The only brown patch I got was on the area that frosted. Honestly, it was not too bad and I was not too conscious going outside or going to work etc. For the most part, I just kept my face drenched in Vit E oil ( and sun block of course) and left my hair down to hide flaking. oh I have active acne so I think it caused purging post peel. : ( It’s been almost 2 weeks and I am STILL peeling ( my forehead and outer side of the face are being stubborn!) I really wanted to do another tca peel next month but I guess not because of the extremely long downtime for me. I’ll just keep on using lactic/glycolic peels and retin A to treat acne and then use TCA peel as a spot treatment for acne scars.
Day 4. At that point, nothing really happened on the right side of the face. (Okay, I am not that ugly. I darkened it and kept the skin taut in this pic).
na, I just felt a slight burning sensation. It did not hurt me as much coz I have a high pain threshold and tough skin I guess. You should watch YT videos where people use fan and what not to ease the pain (not trying to scare you, its diff for everybody)
Wow....you did a great job with the peel and also describing the process! My forehead/outer face was also the last to peel. BTW, with TCA, even when you're done peeling....the skin still needs time to heal on a cellular level. Personally I would wait at least 8-10 weeks in between peels (assuming the face frosted/actually peeled etc.). It's always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to dealing with these acids.
And yes, the downtime is awful with TCA! :( That's the main reason I don't do it often....actually, the last time I was able to do it was over a year ago. Lactic/Glycolic are much easier.
Once you're completely done with peeling....please post your thoughts on the results. :)
okay, so I am breaking out like crazy. Even if it did lighten the old scars ( I can't tell just yet), I think I scarred my skin even more by picking at my skin ( I should have known better!).
nadz I am battling adult acne.. so I thought it won’t be futile to update further.. but since u asked..
my skin was almost flawless for few days.. scars lightened and pores shrunk considerably.. but then even if I am not using all those peels, I still have some good days where you can’t even tell If I ever suffer with acne and have acne scars.. so TCA might be a contributing factor in lightening those scars, but not a major contributing factor I believe. I think I am only wearing powder foundation in these pics..
but then my acne came back with a vengeance.. I am on Retin a currently.. and if I am ever able to control acne . .I’ll go back and give TCA another shot.
^ Yea TCA isn't really meant for acne. It's more for getting rid of hyperpigmentation/evening out skin tone. Retin A is your best bet for acne. If you want a peel.....you should stick with glycolic OR lactic.
How long have you been on the RA? Are you seeing any positive results so far?
Try minocyclin. Its an antibiotic for acne and it has worked wonders for me. Since i dont have insurance here in the USA, it was wayyyyyy cheaper for me to get it from Pakistan. The name of the drug there is called "WELLCODOX"
Like you forced it to peel?
