“Chemical peel is great but it's too much to maintain the look”
Chemical peel: NOT worth it
Pain: Mild
I had a TCA peel at my dermatologist’s office three months ago. I’d seen her previously for rosacea and acne scarring. When I discovered beauty forums online I learned about chemical peels and decided to ask her. She recommended it for my fine lines (I’m not getting any younger) but she also said it might help the acne scars.
The peel was great! It didn’t hurt like I expected but there was some burning. Actually, a good sign. I peeled completely within 3-5 days and my skin was soft and pink for a few weeks after.
Anyway, I like what I’ve seen so far but I do think the maintenance is a pain. I have gone through three bottles of high SPF sunscreen and I constantly smell like a beach bum... not so bad except I live nowhere near the ocean! I think even the unscented sunscreen smells and it feels greasy too. This also means I have had to be careful about putting on makeup, lotions, moisturizers, everything, and with all that gunk on my face my acne has begun to come back for the first time in years.
I’m also not too pleased with how long this has lasted. I am already seeing the old skin come back and I’ve begun breaking out in my T-zone. I think the next step is to try an at-home peel (cheaper) but I am a tad worried about doing it myself. I don’t know. I will have to decide soon if I want to maintain my look.
Jul 24, 2007Comments and replies (1)
unregistered guest
2 Jan 2008
Hi, I was in a similar situation as yourself. I suggest you order glycolic acid online, start with a low strength like 25% then work your way up. Use the glycolic for once a week to maintain the results of the TCA peel and to help prevent breakouts. If you can afford to go to a spa once a week to get the peel done then I would probably go to the spa once a week to get it done by them. If not there are plenty of places to buy online. I use ebay as they are the cheapest, but make sure that you research the person you are buying from even if they have good feedback. I am currently using 70% glycolic acid peel once a week and my skin looks ravishing. After the peel i coat my skin heavily with vaseline for 3 hours then I wipe off most of it and go to bed. My skin looks great the next morning. however i suggest coating your skin with 100% pure aloe vera if your skin is really sensitive/prone to break out mixed in with a bit of neosporin. I believe you get the aloe vera at gnc or a vitamin store. i recommend this weekly plan: 1st week 25% 2-3 minutes 25% 5-6 minutes 25% 7-10 minutes break 50% 2-3 minutes 50% 5-6 minutes 50% 7-10 minutes break 70% 2-3 minutes 70% 5-6 minutes last week 70% 10 minutes indefinitely 70% 10 minutes I suggest you do alot of your own research on the internet, i have spent many hours just reading about it and other peoples experiences. also if your skin is very oily then I also suggest putting Salicylic acid 2% on your skin every night to maintain the peel.