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Afraid I Burnt my Skin with 25% TCA Peel

I applied the TCA 25% solution, quickly and I fear not evenly. In less than 1 min. my left cheek started to frost and I had too take it off, It burned very, very, badly. My left cheek turned brown as soon as I rinsed off the solution. The procedure was done 24 hours ago. Is it normal for my skin to turn brown so fast? My right cheek bone today is brown as well. I am keeping Emu oil and A&D ointment on my face. I will start with the vinegar rinses tom. Thanks in advance for your time~

Doctor Answers 2

See a doctor immediately.

August 9th, 2010
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TCA is nothing to play with and since you have no training, you are playing with it! The damage can be mitigated under the care of an expert (I'd suggest a board certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon who does a lot of peels). Without proper care, you will scar or at least have persistent discoloration. Unfortunatley, it will cost you a lot more to fix your complication than if you had seen a doctor for the treatment.

Web reference: http://www.drmarylupo.com

Mary P. Lupo, MD


New Orleans Dermatologist
5.0 out of 5 stars 18 reviews

Strong peels should be done under medical supervision

August 9th, 2010
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25% TCA is a powerful peel that should be done by a medical professional.  Improper use can cause infections, permanent scarring, and pigment irregularities. Proper use requires understnding about the layers of the skin and the proper depth of penetration. This is extremely important with TCA because it will keep going deeper and deeper until it is neutralized - and it does not "self-neutralize".  I have treated several patient with deep burns from self-administered TCA. 

Matthew Schulman, MD

Matthew Schulman, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon
4.9 out of 5 stars 326 reviews

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