TCA Peels - Three Years, Lessons Learned

I decided to do at home TCA peels after spending a lot of spa facials, and having done at home facials with papaya (extremely light), glycolic (good, but wanted stronger), and microdermabrasion (diamond tip - don't recommend it, much better result with the crystals from the spa).

Having done the TCA for three years now, I cannot stress strongly enough that you really should use the green tea cleansing gel (before the peel, and after), and when you pick (which you will, despite you know you should not), try to not pick where the skin is not fully ready to come off, and use antibiotic cream every single day, a couple times a day. Use a very wet cloth on the skin to accelerate the peeling process once it turns a bit crackly like.

I wanted to have something similar to the effect I had eight years ago with thermage - tightening, and firming. I also wanted to get rid of three persistent age spots. Over the years I have worked on them by doing spot peels with glycolic, and then mild TCA - and they are significantly lighter - but they do harden up a bit more than regular skin, so I ask my esthetician to microdermabrade them extra . She said she could actually see how the skin on them did not come off like it did on the rest of the face. So, you *can* spot treat, but be careful to blend, do NOT pick at the spot when it darkens and cracks, use antibiotic, and if it seems a bit 'thick', ask your esthetician to use extra micodermabrasion on those spots. I can see the collagen increase as after I do the peels, in a month or so, there is increase in firmness - but you MUST drink a lot of water for this to happen.

Skin is remarkably resilient and will heal - and the TCA is absolutely ideal for removing top layers of dead icky skin, and my skin continues to look at least thirty years younger than it is. (I am sixty. My skin looks like that of a child, and people continually compliment it. I am blessed with good skin to begin with but the peels have helped me keep it that way).

I apply extra to the area where crow feet would come, and to the area above the lip. The lip is the hardest, it is the only place where my age shows. It is also very delicate. So, I do it more often, but do not leave the TCA on as long. I do need to make sure I have nothing to do for a week after I do it...cause it looks awful. But...each time I do it, the lines lessen and the collagen building aspect of the peels seems to work.

People ask me how I get my skin this way, and I tell them - tca, and for an exfoliant, I use sugar. That's right. Nothing fancy, just plain sugar. It cleanses and tightens.

So in summary, I wish I'd known before hand that it would take about seven days to be public-viewable :), cause while its crackling up and getting ready to come off, its quite phantom of the operaish. Perfect if you want to be a zombie for some party :). I wish I'd known that the green tea cleanser (i get all my stuff from MUAC) REALLY helps. I wish I'd known that baking soda paste applied after rinsing off the TCA is the best way to neutralize the peel. I wish I'd known that it is ok to do the area of crowsfeet - I only recently learned it is useful for that. I wish I'd realised that drinking lot of water really will make a difference. While I would not recommend TCA for someone who is not really into doing facials or light peels at home, if you are thinking about doing one, if you follow the instructions and use a good quality peel, and set aside the time to do the peel and for the healing (you may not see anything for the first day, or first five days - depends on your skin), you will most likely want to do another. You will learn the time it takes for your own skin to regenerate, and can time your treatments at home to coincide with when your husband is away :), or when you have a long weekend.