25% TCA Peel Vs 35%?

asked 3 years ago by dusty100 in NJ
Latest answer by Lane Smith, MD
Question viewed 6,124 times
Tags: hyperpigmentation, Virtual consultation

Is a TCA 25% peel considered a light to medium depth chemical peel? I have light skin with some hyperpigmentaion due to sun exposure and the 25% TCA Peel I had last week did almost nothing in removing the pigmentation, other then causing my skin to gently flake and make the discoloration lighter (but is still noticeable).

Will a 35% TCA Peel cause the skin to shed the large brown flakes and help better with the pigmentation? Thank you.

2 answers to 25% TCA Peel Vs 35%?

I am not surprised, 25% is very weak, try a stronger peel

I am not surprised that you got little results with your 25% peel. Unless you do many of them, this is often the case. A 35% peel may indeed give you the results you want, depending strongly on how it is applied. In general, the deeper the peel, the stronger the results are. However, the risks—including risk of hyperpigmentation (to much pigment) or hypopigmentation (skin whitening)—also increase along with it. Also, the recovery period is longer with a stronger peel... more

Lane Smith, MD
Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

Maybe not

It is difficult to tell whether the "hyperpigmentation due to sun exposure" you are describing might be melasma (hormone-related pigmentation) or lentigos (sun spots). There are in general, two forms of melasma: superficial and deep. The more superficial melasma is more accessible to chemical peeling agents, whereas the deep pigment is not. Some improvement in your brown spots is still encouraging. The pigment may resolve to your satisfaction with additional TCA 25% peels. ... more

Bryan K. Chen, MD
San Diego Dermatologist

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25% TCA Peel Vs 35%?

I am not surprised, 25% is very weak, try a stronger peel

Maybe not

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