I have sebaceous hyperplasia. I am caramel colored, so should i get a TCA peel?

Question

okay so i diagnosed myself with sebacious hyperplasia, so the only thing left for me to get rid of it is to do a tca peel, should i do it? i am a caramel skin perplexion.

Nelson Lee Novick, MD · Answer

First, I would suggest that, since there are many different causes for small bumps on the skin, you should get a "second opinion" from a board certified dermatologist to ensure that you do indeed have sebaceous hyperplasia. If so, chemical peels would be of no value whatever and in a person of color risks resulting in protracted hyperpigmentation and even permanent hypopigmentation. For more than three decades, I have been successfully managing confirmed sebaceous hyperplasia using electrocautery to flatten numerous mounds of sebaceous hyperplasia and to smooth them to point that they no longer project above the surrounding normal skin. Healing is generally quick and the results quite gratifying.Because sebaceous hyperplasia is an orange yellow color, and because only the surface of the bump is being flattened (in order to avoid scarring by going down to the depth of the lesions), there is usually a residual orange-yellow color that remains at each treatment site. Nonetheless, the improvement is typically substantial. Every two to five years these areas (and new ones that will likely appear elsewhere) will often require retreatment to re-flatten them.An alternative approach that I have also used successfully in selected patients is to insert an epilating needle (the width of a hair follicle) down the depth of the sebaceous hyperplasia bump and to apply a short burst of electric current sufficient to shrink the lesion without affecting the surrounding normal tissue--a form of electrolysis. The advantage of this approach is that the potential exists to eliminate the sebacesous hyperplasia obviating the need for retreatment a couple of years down the road. The downside is a small, but real risk of creating a pit scar at the site. In general, I typically perform a test of each method on a couple of relatively inconspicuous spots in order to determine which method is best for a particular individual.

David Hansen, MD · Answer

Sebaceous hyperplasia really only responds to electrofulguration or laser zapping and is temporary. Usually you need to get it done yearly.

I have sebaceous hyperplasia. I am caramel colored, so should i get a TCA peel?

Answers (2)

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about TCA Peel

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

I have sebaceous hyperplasia. I am caramel colored, so should i get a TCA peel?

Answers (2)

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about TCA Peel

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.