Are the Red Raw Spots Normal After 35% TCA Peel?

Question

TCA peel - My skin didn't really resembled leather or turn brown; it was just flaky. Now I have a few red areas that look like raw skin. They are very pink. What can I do to help it heal and will it scar?

Sapna A. Patel, MD · Answer

Red raw spots are not super common. I see this more often if the peel went too deep, if there was secondary trauma to the peeling skin ie. scratching it while sleeping, or  if proper post-peel wound care was not followed. You must make sure areas stay moist at all times as this facilitates and speeds up the healing process. You also want to avoid picking off the skin that is peeling

Bryan K. Chen, MD · Answer

The red areas likely represent skin that absorbed the peel solution to a greater depth than the other areas.  I would suggest that you discuss this matter with the individual who performed your chemical peel.  To help prevent scarring, I would start applying a mid-potency cortisone cream to the red areas for 2 weeks only.  At 2 weeks after the peel, I would start applying a small amount of tretinoin cream in the evening on top of a layer of bland moisturizer.  At this point, you also should be moisturizing your face frequently throughout the day as well as performing dilute vinegar soaks twice daily.  I suggest frequent follow-up during the healing phase of any resurfacing procedure to ensure things go smoothly.
Good luck.

Are the Red Raw Spots Normal After 35% TCA Peel?

Answers (2)

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