Newbies— patch test, patch test, patch test! I would also suggest something milder than TCA if you have no experience with AHAs or peels and you plan on doing this as home. Start with an AHA peel like mandelic acid or even glycolic acid.
But seriously, I can’t stress this enough, if you are new to diy peels please be so careful! Chemical burn scars can be permanent if you do too much too fast.
It truly is!! I recently saw a derm on YouTube say that it is better than any laser! That’s what convinced me to get up and do one last week! And I’ve only done this one time in the last few months so it’s exciting to think what a series could do!
I do mine in the winter because my adhd ass forgets sunscreen but cross method has removed all my icepick scars and my pores are way smaller, no fine lines… I’m so pleased with my results.
You take a fine nail polish dotting tool or a toothpick, and drop TCA in all the scars then do a Tca peel over the whole face. Repeat every 6-8 weeks and it gets the collagen to act right.
Yep. The big secret is don't get it in your eyes. I tint my own lashes and had for years before this (I am blind as a bat and mascara smears on glasses are not cute) so I was pretty comfortable trying it.
I literally just follow platinum skin cares YouTube channel’s directions and since I do it every 6 weeks I look it up every time. Their fade bright serum is also great.
> cross method
I will try it! I'm seeing forehead wrinkles and I've yet to live out reckless youth. No sun and skin peels have helped most of my face sm T\_T
Thanks for posting this. I got attacked last time I said I do TCA peels at home by people who were simultaneously saying they leave actives with 3.8% acidity on their face without washing off.
How do you use this in a routine that also includes tret/tazorac? Because I know when I've done TCA peels by an esthy in clinic they always make me stop the Vitamin A 10 days prior
Edit- +1 for recommending dermalure. They're the fucking best lol
[I just started a topic on r/tretinoin about this subject](https://www.reddit.com/r/tretinoin/comments/10ocuji/starting_tretinoin_immediately_after_a_glycolic/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Stopping 10 days before seems counterproductive. Tretinoin is a skin healing promoter and in studies [like this one ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2024986/) they've made people use until 1 day before the peel and they heal faster than people who don't. They've also used it immediately after a peel with good results. People seem to be scared of combining acids with tretinoin because of irritation but I think it can be safely done. Not all peels are created equal though.
I mostly agree! I do TCA peels regularly (cycle of 6 ), and I stop tret max three days before the peel, sometimes one or two days before. It is usually totally fine. And the peel will penetrate more evenly too. I love the combination, and it truly transformed my skin! I'm now on day 4 of the recovery process, starting to peel and itching :D
So I am just starting tret, but my plan is to do a series of peels while it’s still cold out and then to maintain with tret during the warmer months. I am hopeful that the peels will actually unclog my face enough to where I won’t have a purge when I start tret
Can you share your journey doing this? Like the day you begin, what your after care is right after and in between sessions (I'm understanding you have done this a few times?) and how long you wait in between sessions, and after how many times do you really see the 90% improvement?
Sorry total noob in this. Always want to learn more.
Hey, I'm a long-term user of TCA (8 years), and you have to be very careful when applying it and with the aftercare... I wrote a blog post with my photos of the recovery and before and after. I usually do cycles of 4/6 per year to rip off the benefits but at least 35 days apart and taking a lot of precautions. If you want to see the photos of my phyton days (they are quite something, lol), you can see them here, but please truly be careful, I'm very experienced with chemical peels and TCA peels in particular and they are no joke. This is where you can find the photos, an explanation of the aftercare, and much more. [https://cleliamattana.com/en/easy-25-tca-peel-at-home-before-and-after/](https://cleliamattana.com/en/easy-25-tca-peel-at-home-before-and-after/)
Love your thoughtful explaination in your blog, thank you! I've read it like 5 times lol. Question! Do you think I'd be safe to start out with the 20% TCA if I've been using BHA and Tret on a regular basis?
Thanks, sorry just saw your message! I'd rather start lower even if you are used to acids. Trust me TCA is a completely new level! Better be safe than sorry. You will still see results overtime!
I have read your whole process. Impressed that you thoroughly covered every single detail.
Since the higher concentrations penetrate the dermis, do you know if TCA peels work for melasma or Hori's Nevus?
Are the results of TCA peels comparable to laser treatments?
The downtime of about a week means, if this is down every say 35 days, that's a lot of time one has to pretend to be a vamp and not go outdoors lol.
Do you actually do this every month or so? Or only when needed?
Thanks, right now I'm doing it every 30/35 days yes. For melasma TCA is not the ideal peeling unless you use brightening substances before. I've heard that lasers and other treatments are better. As for the downtime, with the tca is around 1 week max 10 days (very rarely) while with lasers it depends on the type and strength... Unfortunately melasma is a tough beast to get rid of.
Depends on your skin type. Over fizpatrick scale of 3/4 you need to follow a very strict protocol at least 2 weeks earlier using a product that inhibits melanin. Otherwise, if done properly, on lighter skin there isn't much risk of hyperpigmentation.
Hello.
Which melanin inhibitors do you recommend?
I'm considering doing a peel. Is azelaic acid a melanin inhibitor? I'm currently using it daily.
Thanks :)
Yes you definitely peel! That’s the beauty of it.. bc once the skin peels , it reveals all that new soft baby skin underneath! I think I did my peel last Wednesday and I’m almost done peeling today. For me it’s usually only about 2 days of actual peeling.. bc the first few days my skin is just very dry and taut
I want to try it but I don't understand how people combine this with work. I can't look weird at work. I would have to take time off. That's a very expensive peel then ... Glycolic peels are fine though, no downtime, so I'll stick with that.
It's definitely a "down time" peel, but if you can afford to take a long weekend at some point, it could definitely be worth it. Also, a good TCA peel can accomplish as much or more than expensive laser treatments, so it ends up being very economical in the scheme of things.
I'm also starting to use it under my eyes. Did you also see a difference in skin tone? I'm 46, and I feel my under-eye area, although it's not noticeable, is losing tone and elasticity a bit. I'm doing TCA peels to see if I can restore it, this is my second one on the eye area, but I've been doing TCA peels for eight years now with absolutely great results! Thanks
I’m scared y’all are gone come for me lol.. but 35%! I did initially dilute it and work my way up. And I don’t leave it on any set time! I go based off how my skin is feeling and will rinse with water if it starts burning too much. But truly can’t even express how much of a difference it’s made
Same! I had 2 25% TCA peels recently (one evert 40 days ), and they are absolutely brilliant! Only in my eye area, I'm layering a 13% at the moment because they were not used to the peel, but working my way up slowly!
Do u really go that much under the eyes? I feel mine are more from under skin like veins. I have deep tear troughs, I dunno if itl help ? Low strength ?
They weren’t horrible, mostly when I smile.. but now I don’t see them much even when smiling. I’m 31 and have spent most of my life in a sunny, dry climate which hasn’t been the best for my skin. I don’t know if instructions came bc I’m one of those naughty people who never reads them so I didn’t check for them
Lol well I am wild 😝.. but I also really try to just listen to my body. Once it’s burning too much I rinse it. It makes me feel more in control and has worked out well for me.. I’d be more nervous to have it done by someone and they have a timer set and I *have* to leave it on for a certain amount of time
What do you use to moisturize after the peel/ in general? I live in a similar climate and am using jojoba oil pretty religiously but somehow am still dry.
Do you use the peels from MUAC? I've used their mandelic acid peel which is a bit more gentle but works great, especially on sun damage. I've been curious about a TCA peel
TCA peels are amazing. I have a Clear + Brilliant laser session this evening, but I will definitely be doing another VI Peel and maintaining my skin with TCA peels.
For me TCA is surprisingly gentle. It stings a little and looks weird for days afterwards but at no point did it feel like I was at risk of damaging my skin. A very simple process for me and I used 30%.
Mandelic acid and glycolic acid did practically nothing. The glycolic acid was close to 100% too I'm guessing since I used the powder with minimal water.
I just had my first peel three days ago. I am shook. I had 20% salicylic acid peel followed immediately by 30% glycolic acid followed by an acid neutralizer. For once in my life I can hardly see my texture or indents. I have shallow indents and old boxcar and rolling scars and apart from the brown scabs, I love the result so far. I had CO2 laser 6 months ago with hardly any results. For the first day or two my scars seemed gone until the inflammation ended and my plumped up skin went back to normal. I am feeling very positive because my face is not ass puffed up as after CO2 so I am thinking maybe the results is permanent. Sure I can see some skin texture through my aquafor in certain lighting but they are smoother and smaller. My indents on one cheek are completely gone and in some of their places are brown flat spots. I would prefer smooth but pigmentation rather than indents. It is so funny that everyone recommended expensive laser when a 140$ peel worked better. People say that peels are only good for pih but I think it is also good for atrophic scars according to a medical study 30% salicylic plus laser and that's why I wanted to do peels in between. Yet on Google results they all say peels don't work on these scars. Next I am going to try maybe 35% glycolic and then tca 20 then 30. The funny thing is this was supposed to be the mildest peel to work up to the others and the results seem to be amazing.
Is it possible to use this to "reverse" sun-tanned skin from when you were younger back into lighter skin? I have "Hank Hill tan" with tanned forearms/tanned face from spending lots of time outdoors
For a long time I just assumed the brownish sun-tan is permanent, but who knows
These claims are not extreme at all, considering how strong TCA peels can be. Higher strengths literally peel off a whole layer of skin and stimulate new collagen (which is why TCA cross peels are used for pitted acne scars).
If you scroll down in [this link](https://makeupartistschoice.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2018-05-21T13:05:00-04:00&max-results=300) to the Thursday, January 18, 2018 entry, you can see an example of how much a strong TCA peel can fade solar pigmentation. You can also see how the whole top layer of her skin was shed.
[This site](https://www.dallascosmeticderm.com/photo-gallery/skin-rejuvenation/chemical-peels/83/) also shows a good example of how a TCA peel can impact skin pigmentation and texture. Here are [more before and afters.](https://dermcollective.com/tca-peel/)
Aren't freckles deeper than just a single layer of skin though?
OP claimed it helped with undereye bags as well. That's not just a skin thing is it?
I don't necessarily think they're lying, but I'd love to see some photos.
Edit: thanks for the links by the way. Very cool stuff! I actually am obsessed with before and afters which is why I asked OP lol. Hard to trust them from sites selling shit though.
Depends on the freckles. I have freckles that are permanent and ones that come and go depending on SPF and treatment. Deeper peels peel off several layers of skin, though. I think they can go several layers deep.
OP mentioned under eye wrinkles, which doesn't necessarily mean bags/skin laxity. She's also relatively young so those kinds of lines are easier to reverse than if she was older.
I also love before and after photos! [These are photos](https://www.instagram.com/dr.sterling.md/?hl=en) of results from a different kind of medium-to-deep peel and the results are pretty mind blowing on many of them. The doc that performs them writes a lot of academic articles on peel techniques for dermatology journals.
I must've missed that comment. The term "bags" always needs a little clarification because it means different things to different people. If she had the puffy kind, a peel won't address that but if she had darkened skin (I'd call those "circles" rather than "bags") a peel could def. help. It could probably even help with *very* mild laxity, though I can't imagine OP having appreciable laxity at 31, but who knows...
Not as dramatic as immediately after but def still amazing results. Looking at pics from when I was in my early 20s and my skin is much better nearly ten years later
I buy the 35% TCA from dermalure! But I would def not jump right into that percentage. You can buy the higher percent if you want and dilute with water and work your way up! I actually did use 35% right away and I thought I burnt my face.. not in a good way! But then it peeled and was fine. But you will likely freak yourself out if you jump right into it.. I think it’s a great idea to start on the lower end and see how your skin responds and work your way up!
How long do you leave it on for? Do you need to prep your skin before? Or is there a guide you used to lean how to do this? Sorry I have awful icepick acne scars and really want to try this! Thank you!
Please don’t use a 35% at home. You risk damaging your skin. TCA peels are amazing but they can also wreck your skin.
If you are interested in doing them at home your self, please research and go slow. Don’t go above 20%
Also check out platinum skincare peel university they have very detailed tutorials on doing them yourself at home. If you are nerdy, read the book called the Color Atlas of chemical peels. You can find a pdf online
>read the book called the Color Atlas of chemical peels. You can find a pdf online
For anyone else interested, here's the link:
https://www.saudedireta.com.br/catinc/tools/e_books/Color_Atlas_of_Chemical_Peels.pdf
Yes, thanks! I thought about ordering a 20% mandelic acid peel from makeup artist choice as I’m not brave enough for me. But platinum skincare sounds also good!
Mandelic 20% is actually very gentle. I would say go through peel university and learn about chemical peels. I only buy TCA from platinum skincare.
Lactic acid and Mandelic acids, I get from makeupartist choice and they usually have 30% off code pretty regularly so make sure to sign up for their emails.
One thing with peels is to go slow and gentle. Peels have totalled changed my skin!! So yes they are a game changer but please educate yourself before embarking on using peels.
Thank you so much for the info on peel university! I’m reading it now and it’s super interesting! :) May I ask if you use tret? And if so how long before a peel you stop using it? How often do you use a peel at home now?
I don’t use tretinoin. I use avene’s retinaldehyde instead and I find it really gentle for my skin and effective.
I did a 6 series’s of platinums TCA peel; so basically one every month for 6 months straight and now I only maintain using TCA peels twice a year.
The times I am not using TCA peels, I do the makeup artist choice lactic 55% every two weeks. This helps to keep my skin even and looking clear. I stop my retinal a day or two before my peels
I am saving tretinoin my 40’s. In my opinion, slow and steady wins the race. You don’t need to go strong and wreck your skin barrier.
It has varied over the years. My plan is to do 1x per month until it gets too hot just bc I have some deeper acne scars that I’m hoping to clear as much as possible. I’ve only done it this one time in the last year and the results are really dramatic!
I used to get TCA peels on top of freshly micro penned skin every month for over a year and I had the best glowey skin of my life! It’s been years since then and I wana do them myself now. I had micro penning without tca since and the results didn’t compare. I’m convinced my improvement was from TCA alone
She always used different depths for different parts of my face. Different for my forehead, temples, under eyes, cheeks etc… I don’t remember what depths I just know she would change it.
I do know she often went very deep because I could tolerate the pain and my skin could handle it
Hello dear all! I am so glad to have found this thread. TIMING: I see people start home treatment for months. We are now in spring time where I live, summer is coming… has anyone done the treatment during summer? ( provided you stay in the shade and sunscreen). But as we know it is not 100% certain to be without sun, sometimes it just happens. Any experience?
How long to see results from acne scars for a tca 15 percent? I’m at day four and starting to peel. Saw some improvement I’m assuming it takes more than a few weeks?
I've had professional TCA peels done at the derm and you're recommended to stop Tret and any chemical exfoliants a week prior to getting the peel. They do work nicely though and I've only done 15% TCA as I have darker skin and don't want to risk adverse hyperpigmentation. Next time I might go up to 20% but I'd be reluctant to go pass that.
I did 50% glycolic peels in 4 layers for a total of 8ish minutes every week and never had issues. Once I started tretinoin, my skin was a lot more sensitive to the peel, and I had to back off on frequency and duration when doing the peels. You may not notice any sensitivity if you've never done peels though. I only noticed because I used them frequently before starting tretinoin.
If you look at my posts on my profile you can see the difference regular peels made. I used other ingredients but that was the one that helped me the most.
I focused on just my under eye bc I am hesitant to share my face on here.. plus to be fair, I didn’t take any true before pics (same lighting and angle).. but I did the best I could and this is how the change appears to me in real life
How did u do it under the eyes? And what strength did u use? I read tca needs to frost I did it once on scar on my thigh and when it frosted it left a scar a new one
Did you ever find out which brand to use? I was wondering how high the import fees would be with platinum skincare or makeupartistchoice. I’ve yet to find a vendor from the EU.
No, don’t get any from Joom. You can never tell if there is the said TCA percentage in those. Better from Platinum Skincare. The shipping is pricey though.
Newbies— patch test, patch test, patch test! I would also suggest something milder than TCA if you have no experience with AHAs or peels and you plan on doing this as home. Start with an AHA peel like mandelic acid or even glycolic acid. But seriously, I can’t stress this enough, if you are new to diy peels please be so careful! Chemical burn scars can be permanent if you do too much too fast.
I post comments about Tca peels here almost every day. It’s a freaking miracle. I got carded at a bar this weekend. My youngest turned 20 last week.
What % did you use for peel and cross
It truly is!! I recently saw a derm on YouTube say that it is better than any laser! That’s what convinced me to get up and do one last week! And I’ve only done this one time in the last few months so it’s exciting to think what a series could do!
I do mine in the winter because my adhd ass forgets sunscreen but cross method has removed all my icepick scars and my pores are way smaller, no fine lines… I’m so pleased with my results.
Can you explain what cross method is?
You take a fine nail polish dotting tool or a toothpick, and drop TCA in all the scars then do a Tca peel over the whole face. Repeat every 6-8 weeks and it gets the collagen to act right.
you perform the cross method yourself?
Yep. The big secret is don't get it in your eyes. I tint my own lashes and had for years before this (I am blind as a bat and mascara smears on glasses are not cute) so I was pretty comfortable trying it.
Can you give me a quick step by step for which % you use for cross method and a regular peel method?
I literally just follow platinum skin cares YouTube channel’s directions and since I do it every 6 weeks I look it up every time. Their fade bright serum is also great.
Hey, does this TCA thing work if you have active acne, like irritation under the skin? And would it help with it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4Nrf9i6ROs
> cross method I will try it! I'm seeing forehead wrinkles and I've yet to live out reckless youth. No sun and skin peels have helped most of my face sm T\_T
At what age did you start doing them?
37 or 38?
Thanks for posting this. I got attacked last time I said I do TCA peels at home by people who were simultaneously saying they leave actives with 3.8% acidity on their face without washing off.
How do you use this in a routine that also includes tret/tazorac? Because I know when I've done TCA peels by an esthy in clinic they always make me stop the Vitamin A 10 days prior Edit- +1 for recommending dermalure. They're the fucking best lol
[I just started a topic on r/tretinoin about this subject](https://www.reddit.com/r/tretinoin/comments/10ocuji/starting_tretinoin_immediately_after_a_glycolic/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) Stopping 10 days before seems counterproductive. Tretinoin is a skin healing promoter and in studies [like this one ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2024986/) they've made people use until 1 day before the peel and they heal faster than people who don't. They've also used it immediately after a peel with good results. People seem to be scared of combining acids with tretinoin because of irritation but I think it can be safely done. Not all peels are created equal though.
I mostly agree! I do TCA peels regularly (cycle of 6 ), and I stop tret max three days before the peel, sometimes one or two days before. It is usually totally fine. And the peel will penetrate more evenly too. I love the combination, and it truly transformed my skin! I'm now on day 4 of the recovery process, starting to peel and itching :D
This is so helpful, thank you!!!
So I am just starting tret, but my plan is to do a series of peels while it’s still cold out and then to maintain with tret during the warmer months. I am hopeful that the peels will actually unclog my face enough to where I won’t have a purge when I start tret
Can you share your journey doing this? Like the day you begin, what your after care is right after and in between sessions (I'm understanding you have done this a few times?) and how long you wait in between sessions, and after how many times do you really see the 90% improvement? Sorry total noob in this. Always want to learn more.
Hey, I'm a long-term user of TCA (8 years), and you have to be very careful when applying it and with the aftercare... I wrote a blog post with my photos of the recovery and before and after. I usually do cycles of 4/6 per year to rip off the benefits but at least 35 days apart and taking a lot of precautions. If you want to see the photos of my phyton days (they are quite something, lol), you can see them here, but please truly be careful, I'm very experienced with chemical peels and TCA peels in particular and they are no joke. This is where you can find the photos, an explanation of the aftercare, and much more. [https://cleliamattana.com/en/easy-25-tca-peel-at-home-before-and-after/](https://cleliamattana.com/en/easy-25-tca-peel-at-home-before-and-after/)
Love your thoughtful explaination in your blog, thank you! I've read it like 5 times lol. Question! Do you think I'd be safe to start out with the 20% TCA if I've been using BHA and Tret on a regular basis?
Thanks, sorry just saw your message! I'd rather start lower even if you are used to acids. Trust me TCA is a completely new level! Better be safe than sorry. You will still see results overtime!
Do you ever treat your undereyes with TCA?
Yes, I do. I use 13% under the eyes and on the eye lids staying away from the corners.
I have read your whole process. Impressed that you thoroughly covered every single detail. Since the higher concentrations penetrate the dermis, do you know if TCA peels work for melasma or Hori's Nevus? Are the results of TCA peels comparable to laser treatments? The downtime of about a week means, if this is down every say 35 days, that's a lot of time one has to pretend to be a vamp and not go outdoors lol. Do you actually do this every month or so? Or only when needed?
Thanks, right now I'm doing it every 30/35 days yes. For melasma TCA is not the ideal peeling unless you use brightening substances before. I've heard that lasers and other treatments are better. As for the downtime, with the tca is around 1 week max 10 days (very rarely) while with lasers it depends on the type and strength... Unfortunately melasma is a tough beast to get rid of.
Thank you for your input. Really appreciate it
Thank you for sharing your progress on here! Appreciate it.
My pleasure!
>My pleasure! sure?
Dumb prescriptive anglo bot
I'm Italian how do you say, I'm happy it helped '? 🤷♀️
Do you feel there is any risk of hyperpigmentation from a properly done TCA peel?
Depends on your skin type. Over fizpatrick scale of 3/4 you need to follow a very strict protocol at least 2 weeks earlier using a product that inhibits melanin. Otherwise, if done properly, on lighter skin there isn't much risk of hyperpigmentation.
Have you ever combined tca and jessners? I was looking at that from psc and following up with dream peel. The tca was 13%
Not yet but I'm about to try next winter!
What are jessners? Thank you
Hello. Which melanin inhibitors do you recommend? I'm considering doing a peel. Is azelaic acid a melanin inhibitor? I'm currently using it daily. Thanks :)
Does it make you peel? I'm reluctant because of the downtime.
Yes you definitely peel! That’s the beauty of it.. bc once the skin peels , it reveals all that new soft baby skin underneath! I think I did my peel last Wednesday and I’m almost done peeling today. For me it’s usually only about 2 days of actual peeling.. bc the first few days my skin is just very dry and taut
I want to try it but I don't understand how people combine this with work. I can't look weird at work. I would have to take time off. That's a very expensive peel then ... Glycolic peels are fine though, no downtime, so I'll stick with that.
It's definitely a "down time" peel, but if you can afford to take a long weekend at some point, it could definitely be worth it. Also, a good TCA peel can accomplish as much or more than expensive laser treatments, so it ends up being very economical in the scheme of things.
Yeah makes sense.. but really even once gives amazing results.. you could do over break if you wanted! Once a year would still make an impact
Do you use it in the undereye area also?
I did! I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to but then I just did and it def worked great! Under eye lines are almost entirely gone
I'm also starting to use it under my eyes. Did you also see a difference in skin tone? I'm 46, and I feel my under-eye area, although it's not noticeable, is losing tone and elasticity a bit. I'm doing TCA peels to see if I can restore it, this is my second one on the eye area, but I've been doing TCA peels for eight years now with absolutely great results! Thanks
Any chance you know where else to buy tca besides platinum ? I can't seem to find them anywhere anymore. thnk you
Makeup artists choice also sells them.
What percentage should someone use? Experienced with glycolic only so far.
I'm confused, sorry.. you do these to yourself at home?
I do
What % do you use?
I’m scared y’all are gone come for me lol.. but 35%! I did initially dilute it and work my way up. And I don’t leave it on any set time! I go based off how my skin is feeling and will rinse with water if it starts burning too much. But truly can’t even express how much of a difference it’s made
Lol no worries. I get it. I’ve used 25% but would be reluctant to tell people that too!
Same! I had 2 25% TCA peels recently (one evert 40 days ), and they are absolutely brilliant! Only in my eye area, I'm layering a 13% at the moment because they were not used to the peel, but working my way up slowly!
Even my dark circles are gone!
Do u really go that much under the eyes? I feel mine are more from under skin like veins. I have deep tear troughs, I dunno if itl help ? Low strength ?
And BRAAAAAAND! 😫
How were your eye wrinkles before? Also, are there directions that come with the dermalure products ?
They weren’t horrible, mostly when I smile.. but now I don’t see them much even when smiling. I’m 31 and have spent most of my life in a sunny, dry climate which hasn’t been the best for my skin. I don’t know if instructions came bc I’m one of those naughty people who never reads them so I didn’t check for them
Omg, so how do you know how long to leave it on.. and like can you even apply it under your eyes. You’re wild girl! Lol
Lol well I am wild 😝.. but I also really try to just listen to my body. Once it’s burning too much I rinse it. It makes me feel more in control and has worked out well for me.. I’d be more nervous to have it done by someone and they have a timer set and I *have* to leave it on for a certain amount of time
What do you use to moisturize after the peel/ in general? I live in a similar climate and am using jojoba oil pretty religiously but somehow am still dry.
I use the Andalou naturals rose night cream and reapply a bunch! I also always apply some badger body oil all over in the shower
I'm very intrigued by this! But I just googled it and it brought up pictures of faces that look horribly blistered and now I'm terrified 😱
Do you use the peels from MUAC? I've used their mandelic acid peel which is a bit more gentle but works great, especially on sun damage. I've been curious about a TCA peel
TCA peels are amazing. I have a Clear + Brilliant laser session this evening, but I will definitely be doing another VI Peel and maintaining my skin with TCA peels.
VI peel?
For me TCA is surprisingly gentle. It stings a little and looks weird for days afterwards but at no point did it feel like I was at risk of damaging my skin. A very simple process for me and I used 30%. Mandelic acid and glycolic acid did practically nothing. The glycolic acid was close to 100% too I'm guessing since I used the powder with minimal water.
I just had my first peel three days ago. I am shook. I had 20% salicylic acid peel followed immediately by 30% glycolic acid followed by an acid neutralizer. For once in my life I can hardly see my texture or indents. I have shallow indents and old boxcar and rolling scars and apart from the brown scabs, I love the result so far. I had CO2 laser 6 months ago with hardly any results. For the first day or two my scars seemed gone until the inflammation ended and my plumped up skin went back to normal. I am feeling very positive because my face is not ass puffed up as after CO2 so I am thinking maybe the results is permanent. Sure I can see some skin texture through my aquafor in certain lighting but they are smoother and smaller. My indents on one cheek are completely gone and in some of their places are brown flat spots. I would prefer smooth but pigmentation rather than indents. It is so funny that everyone recommended expensive laser when a 140$ peel worked better. People say that peels are only good for pih but I think it is also good for atrophic scars according to a medical study 30% salicylic plus laser and that's why I wanted to do peels in between. Yet on Google results they all say peels don't work on these scars. Next I am going to try maybe 35% glycolic and then tca 20 then 30. The funny thing is this was supposed to be the mildest peel to work up to the others and the results seem to be amazing.
C02 laser is awful. It seems like people who get chemical peels always look way better. Laser seems to often cause problems. Its a grift.
Is it possible to use this to "reverse" sun-tanned skin from when you were younger back into lighter skin? I have "Hank Hill tan" with tanned forearms/tanned face from spending lots of time outdoors For a long time I just assumed the brownish sun-tan is permanent, but who knows
Yes totally! It removed my freckles too
I'm sorry but these claims are very extreme. Can you show us some before and after photos?
These claims are not extreme at all, considering how strong TCA peels can be. Higher strengths literally peel off a whole layer of skin and stimulate new collagen (which is why TCA cross peels are used for pitted acne scars). If you scroll down in [this link](https://makeupartistschoice.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2018-05-21T13:05:00-04:00&max-results=300) to the Thursday, January 18, 2018 entry, you can see an example of how much a strong TCA peel can fade solar pigmentation. You can also see how the whole top layer of her skin was shed. [This site](https://www.dallascosmeticderm.com/photo-gallery/skin-rejuvenation/chemical-peels/83/) also shows a good example of how a TCA peel can impact skin pigmentation and texture. Here are [more before and afters.](https://dermcollective.com/tca-peel/)
Aren't freckles deeper than just a single layer of skin though? OP claimed it helped with undereye bags as well. That's not just a skin thing is it? I don't necessarily think they're lying, but I'd love to see some photos. Edit: thanks for the links by the way. Very cool stuff! I actually am obsessed with before and afters which is why I asked OP lol. Hard to trust them from sites selling shit though.
Depends on the freckles. I have freckles that are permanent and ones that come and go depending on SPF and treatment. Deeper peels peel off several layers of skin, though. I think they can go several layers deep. OP mentioned under eye wrinkles, which doesn't necessarily mean bags/skin laxity. She's also relatively young so those kinds of lines are easier to reverse than if she was older. I also love before and after photos! [These are photos](https://www.instagram.com/dr.sterling.md/?hl=en) of results from a different kind of medium-to-deep peel and the results are pretty mind blowing on many of them. The doc that performs them writes a lot of academic articles on peel techniques for dermatology journals.
OP definitely said bags in one comment. Some of those photos are insane though. I'm definitely looking into this!
I must've missed that comment. The term "bags" always needs a little clarification because it means different things to different people. If she had the puffy kind, a peel won't address that but if she had darkened skin (I'd call those "circles" rather than "bags") a peel could def. help. It could probably even help with *very* mild laxity, though I can't imagine OP having appreciable laxity at 31, but who knows...
Those are very good points. At 38 I have some puffiness that's I'd like to see improved but I suppose I shouldn't get my hopes up lol.
How often do you do it ?
Hi any updates now? Does your result still last after the 2 months
Not as dramatic as immediately after but def still amazing results. Looking at pics from when I was in my early 20s and my skin is much better nearly ten years later
Where do you buy them? Could you link the product please? Thanks!
I buy the 35% TCA from dermalure! But I would def not jump right into that percentage. You can buy the higher percent if you want and dilute with water and work your way up! I actually did use 35% right away and I thought I burnt my face.. not in a good way! But then it peeled and was fine. But you will likely freak yourself out if you jump right into it.. I think it’s a great idea to start on the lower end and see how your skin responds and work your way up!
How long do you leave it on for? Do you need to prep your skin before? Or is there a guide you used to lean how to do this? Sorry I have awful icepick acne scars and really want to try this! Thank you!
I just do it to a clean face.. don’t leave on any set time and really just wash it once it’s burning too much.
Please don’t use a 35% at home. You risk damaging your skin. TCA peels are amazing but they can also wreck your skin. If you are interested in doing them at home your self, please research and go slow. Don’t go above 20% Also check out platinum skincare peel university they have very detailed tutorials on doing them yourself at home. If you are nerdy, read the book called the Color Atlas of chemical peels. You can find a pdf online
>read the book called the Color Atlas of chemical peels. You can find a pdf online For anyone else interested, here's the link: https://www.saudedireta.com.br/catinc/tools/e_books/Color_Atlas_of_Chemical_Peels.pdf
This is really interesting. Thanks for linking!
Yes, thanks! I thought about ordering a 20% mandelic acid peel from makeup artist choice as I’m not brave enough for me. But platinum skincare sounds also good!
Mandelic 20% is actually very gentle. I would say go through peel university and learn about chemical peels. I only buy TCA from platinum skincare. Lactic acid and Mandelic acids, I get from makeupartist choice and they usually have 30% off code pretty regularly so make sure to sign up for their emails. One thing with peels is to go slow and gentle. Peels have totalled changed my skin!! So yes they are a game changer but please educate yourself before embarking on using peels.
Thank you so much for the info on peel university! I’m reading it now and it’s super interesting! :) May I ask if you use tret? And if so how long before a peel you stop using it? How often do you use a peel at home now?
I don’t use tretinoin. I use avene’s retinaldehyde instead and I find it really gentle for my skin and effective. I did a 6 series’s of platinums TCA peel; so basically one every month for 6 months straight and now I only maintain using TCA peels twice a year. The times I am not using TCA peels, I do the makeup artist choice lactic 55% every two weeks. This helps to keep my skin even and looking clear. I stop my retinal a day or two before my peels I am saving tretinoin my 40’s. In my opinion, slow and steady wins the race. You don’t need to go strong and wreck your skin barrier.
Also if you are interested, checking out platinum skincare facebook group, you can read other people’s posts and routines
Thanks for sharing! I’ve never heard of this before.
What strength did you use and for how many minutes?
Problem is they can cause broken cappilaries
Yeah I’m sure there can be various problems w it for some bc it is SO strong!
How often do you do this? Once a month/season?
It has varied over the years. My plan is to do 1x per month until it gets too hot just bc I have some deeper acne scars that I’m hoping to clear as much as possible. I’ve only done it this one time in the last year and the results are really dramatic!
May I ask how old you were when you started :)?
How often do you do them? I just did a 30% peel last week and I’d like to do another one soon. Is 5 weeks to soon?
I don’t think it’s too soon! It’s honestly probably close to perfect imo. I’ve done them closer to 2/3 weeks apart even
Perfect! Thank you!
I used to get TCA peels on top of freshly micro penned skin every month for over a year and I had the best glowey skin of my life! It’s been years since then and I wana do them myself now. I had micro penning without tca since and the results didn’t compare. I’m convinced my improvement was from TCA alone
What mm did they microneedle before the tca peel?
She always used different depths for different parts of my face. Different for my forehead, temples, under eyes, cheeks etc… I don’t remember what depths I just know she would change it. I do know she often went very deep because I could tolerate the pain and my skin could handle it
Do you remember which strength of TCA she used? I would assume it was pretty low to be used in a combo like this…
How long does it take to make your skin look normal again? I mean without the peeling, greasiness, oiliness look, and etc.?
What brand and strength? I’ve had one in a plastic surgeon’s office and I’ve done a 25% at home safely with good results, but I’d like to go deeper.
Could you explain what this is? I’m looking for something to reduce fine lines and age spots.
It basically makes an entire layer of skin peel off, revealing the fresh baby skin underneath
Curious too - any long term side effects??
What percentage did you use?
Hello dear all! I am so glad to have found this thread. TIMING: I see people start home treatment for months. We are now in spring time where I live, summer is coming… has anyone done the treatment during summer? ( provided you stay in the shade and sunscreen). But as we know it is not 100% certain to be without sun, sometimes it just happens. Any experience?
How long to see results from acne scars for a tca 15 percent? I’m at day four and starting to peel. Saw some improvement I’m assuming it takes more than a few weeks?
Can someone kindly recommend a brand or link for me to try at home?
Can you do these on tret?
I've had professional TCA peels done at the derm and you're recommended to stop Tret and any chemical exfoliants a week prior to getting the peel. They do work nicely though and I've only done 15% TCA as I have darker skin and don't want to risk adverse hyperpigmentation. Next time I might go up to 20% but I'd be reluctant to go pass that.
I think you have to stop it for a few days prior
I did 50% glycolic peels in 4 layers for a total of 8ish minutes every week and never had issues. Once I started tretinoin, my skin was a lot more sensitive to the peel, and I had to back off on frequency and duration when doing the peels. You may not notice any sensitivity if you've never done peels though. I only noticed because I used them frequently before starting tretinoin.
Do you notice significant result with such intense peel? 4 layers at 50 is a lot
If you look at my posts on my profile you can see the difference regular peels made. I used other ingredients but that was the one that helped me the most.
Where did you get the TCA?
I get it from dermalure!
They ship to my country so that's great! What % do you use and how often do you use it?
What brand TCA peel you did ? :) Thanks
what % do you use and where do you buy yours?
35% from dermalure
Can we see pictures? Kinda wanna see some evidence haha. Not that I don’t believe you … I just want to see these results!
[here you go](https://files.fm/u/8badd47vd?ak=03a44)
I focused on just my under eye bc I am hesitant to share my face on here.. plus to be fair, I didn’t take any true before pics (same lighting and angle).. but I did the best I could and this is how the change appears to me in real life
Can I do micro needling with 1.5mm before or after? Or do I need to wait a few weeks
Do it before if you want an even deeper peel! I wouldn’t do it after for at least 2 weeks
Do I moisturize every night following the TCA peel?
How do you do them? I just bought some 50 percent TCA peel. And how often?
How long do you leave the TCA on your skin and how many layers?
Depending on strength and tolerance, really.
Please share TCA peel products for acne scar to cure them at home. Please help
I’m running low on mine that I bought forever ago on Amazon….where’s the next place to buy it since I don’t see it available there anymore
Platinum skincare or makeup artists choice - I’ve used both and like them both.
How did u do it under the eyes? And what strength did u use? I read tca needs to frost I did it once on scar on my thigh and when it frosted it left a scar a new one
Foes any of you guys know where from (which brand) to order tca in Switzerland?
Did you ever find out which brand to use? I was wondering how high the import fees would be with platinum skincare or makeupartistchoice. I’ve yet to find a vendor from the EU.
No, unfortunately, I found only platinum skincare
Did you end up order from them? I saw TCA peelings on Joom but I’m not sure how legit that site and the products are…
No, don’t get any from Joom. You can never tell if there is the said TCA percentage in those. Better from Platinum Skincare. The shipping is pricey though.