POSTED UNDER TCA Peel REVIEWS
Starting TCA Cross
ORIGINAL POST
Take a look at the photographs, and you'll the see...
BFSkinnerOctober 16, 2016
$157
Take a look at the photographs, and you'll the see the problem: My face -- and especially my nose -- looks like a bulletin board that's had too many thumb tacks pushed into it over the years.
I bought the TCA Scar kit from Platinum Skin Care, and have just started to apply the 15% Glycolic-Hyaluronic Serum. The Platinum experts say that's a good prep for the 30% Cross that I'll do in days to come.
Not looking to regain the skin that I had when I came into this world. (Yes, I know that's impossible.) Nevertheless, I have a strong sense that therapy will improve the general situation quite a bit.
Will keep you posted. Wish me luck: My 68 year-old face needs it!
I bought the TCA Scar kit from Platinum Skin Care, and have just started to apply the 15% Glycolic-Hyaluronic Serum. The Platinum experts say that's a good prep for the 30% Cross that I'll do in days to come.
Not looking to regain the skin that I had when I came into this world. (Yes, I know that's impossible.) Nevertheless, I have a strong sense that therapy will improve the general situation quite a bit.
Will keep you posted. Wish me luck: My 68 year-old face needs it!
UPDATED FROM BFSkinner
First TCA Cross, a few weeks later...
BFSkinnerNovember 1, 2016
Well, I have a few comments at this point:
1. Yes, I do see slight improvements in various scars, but it's only been a few weeks since my first treatment.
2. The scabbing wasn't as bad as I anticipated, and that may be because the TCA was only 30%.
3. Going slow does not bother me. Having seen what 30% can do, I shudder to think of what 100% would be like... even when it's applied by an experienced dermatologist.
One big advantage of going slow is that I didn't have to leave work for a week or more, since I wasn't treating ALL the scars at once. Treating just a few at a time was fine for me.
4. My best guess is that it will take the better part of a year to build up the collagen in all my icepick scars.
5. A couple of tips for people who are treating themselves at home:
-- Put the bottle down when you're applying the acid. In other words, don't carry the bottle in one hand while you apply that TCA with the other. This seems like a simple and obvious notion, but you want to avoid even the slightest possibility that you might spill some of that stuff on yourself accidentally.
-- Also: I found it helpful to steady my application hand -- the one holding the toothpick. The way I did this was to brace it against the mirror (the WALL mirror, not one that's holding a portable mirror in the other hand).
6. Right after the little scabs fell off, some scars looked worse (i.e., deeper) because they were more reddish inside.
That didn't bother me because I spackled the holes with my favorite cosmetic -- a concealer that I've used every day for the last 40 years (literally). What is it? Good old ChapStick Classic. (http://www.chapstick.com/products/classics). That may or may not work for you, depending on your skin color, but for my Fitzpatrick Type II coloration, the ChapStick fills up those icepicks very well.
In fact, if my TCA Cross closes up those icepick scars to the appearance level of what I get from ChapStick, I'll be delighted.
1. Yes, I do see slight improvements in various scars, but it's only been a few weeks since my first treatment.
2. The scabbing wasn't as bad as I anticipated, and that may be because the TCA was only 30%.
3. Going slow does not bother me. Having seen what 30% can do, I shudder to think of what 100% would be like... even when it's applied by an experienced dermatologist.
One big advantage of going slow is that I didn't have to leave work for a week or more, since I wasn't treating ALL the scars at once. Treating just a few at a time was fine for me.
4. My best guess is that it will take the better part of a year to build up the collagen in all my icepick scars.
5. A couple of tips for people who are treating themselves at home:
-- Put the bottle down when you're applying the acid. In other words, don't carry the bottle in one hand while you apply that TCA with the other. This seems like a simple and obvious notion, but you want to avoid even the slightest possibility that you might spill some of that stuff on yourself accidentally.
-- Also: I found it helpful to steady my application hand -- the one holding the toothpick. The way I did this was to brace it against the mirror (the WALL mirror, not one that's holding a portable mirror in the other hand).
6. Right after the little scabs fell off, some scars looked worse (i.e., deeper) because they were more reddish inside.
That didn't bother me because I spackled the holes with my favorite cosmetic -- a concealer that I've used every day for the last 40 years (literally). What is it? Good old ChapStick Classic. (http://www.chapstick.com/products/classics). That may or may not work for you, depending on your skin color, but for my Fitzpatrick Type II coloration, the ChapStick fills up those icepicks very well.
In fact, if my TCA Cross closes up those icepick scars to the appearance level of what I get from ChapStick, I'll be delighted.
Replies (5)
November 2, 2016
Wow, you got me interested with your chapstick classic!? But what? How?? I have some icepicks scars that I can't fill with make-up, it's making me crazy, those holes are the first things I see when I look in a mirror, so you just put it in to fill the holes? Then apply concealer over it? --WANT ALL YOUR CHAPSTICK TIPS-- If this work for me, this will be a godsend. I'm post 5 home TCA CROSS at 50%, started 6-7 months ago, and I fortunately do see some scars change and raise up, but it takes a long time. I'm seeing it as a long term work, but I get impatient and discouraged sometimes. Much much luck with yours!
November 2, 2016
Thank you so much for sharing these photos, they look just like my own nose and I have considered doing a home treatment for some time. Would you please keep us updates with more images as you proceed with the TCA Cross?
thank you
thank you
January 3, 2017
"Going slow does not bother me. Having seen what 30% can do, I shudder to think of what 100% would be like... even when it's applied by an experienced dermatologist." No one would use 100% TCA, ever! I believe the maximum is 50% but that is super risky and must be done by a doctor. Personally, I would never do more than 20% on myself. But you are right about going slow. I think it's better to do a series of treatments, and to layer or leave on for longer a weaker concentration of TCA (like 15%) than to think a one-time done of 30% is going to transform your skin - it won't. It takes time. TCA will do very little to help ice pick scars, by the way. It can actually make them worse by making them appear wider but slightly more shallow. You're better off micro-needling, if you're looking to treat them at home. But that also takes years of properly timed needling sessions that allow collagen to form.
January 15, 2017
This person is referring to TCA CROSS method, not a peel. 100% is used frequently on the CROSS method with very good results. You may want to look it up! :)
September 12, 2018
For anyone in 2018 reading the above comment, there are many dermatologists that would use 100% for TCA cross, and TCA is a great option for ice pick scars. This person is completely wrong. A quick google search of 100% TCA will bring up a variety of studies to support my claim.
UPDATED FROM BFSkinner
ChapStick...and Copper!
BFSkinnerNovember 2, 2016
Two points to make, Maria Fran:
1. The ChapStick thing is ridiculously easy. You just shave a tiny amount off the top with your fingernail, and then just wipe this stuff across the top of your icepick scar. It's that simple.
I remember when I first got the idea to use it. I was at a party (in 1976!), and had to use the bathroom. As I was washing up, I noticed a tube of ChapStick in a tray next to the sink.
Earlier that week, I had been looking for a concealer, but couldn't find anything that worked. So, when I saw the ChapStick, I thought... "Hmmm? Wonder if that would work?"
40 years later, I'm still using it... and NO ONE during that entire time has ever said anything about it. Why? Because I honestly don't think anyone has noticed! (It blends in that well.) But I guarantee you: If I were to go to work without it, people for sure would be surprised by the number and depth of the holes in my skin.
So, anyway, give it a try. If it doesn't work, you will be out one dollar!
2. Now, about the copper. I made a couple of major discoveries today, only minutes after posting that review. In the Scar Kit that I bought from Platinum Skin Care, there is one item that I had hardly used at all. It's the little bottle of Super Cop 2X.
The only time I did use it, the icepick scar turned a little blue-ish, so that kind of turned me off.
Mistake.
Read this book: https://amzn.com/B00VMX97DU
Reverse Skin Aging - What Copper Peptides Can Do For You by Dr. Loren Pickart
I'm now totally convinced that -- as good as TCA Cross may be -- when that treatment is followed with copper peptide and emu oil (also in the kit), you've got some really powerful healing potential there.
Check out this page:
https://www.platinumskincare.com/copper-super-cop-2x/
Good luck!
1. The ChapStick thing is ridiculously easy. You just shave a tiny amount off the top with your fingernail, and then just wipe this stuff across the top of your icepick scar. It's that simple.
I remember when I first got the idea to use it. I was at a party (in 1976!), and had to use the bathroom. As I was washing up, I noticed a tube of ChapStick in a tray next to the sink.
Earlier that week, I had been looking for a concealer, but couldn't find anything that worked. So, when I saw the ChapStick, I thought... "Hmmm? Wonder if that would work?"
40 years later, I'm still using it... and NO ONE during that entire time has ever said anything about it. Why? Because I honestly don't think anyone has noticed! (It blends in that well.) But I guarantee you: If I were to go to work without it, people for sure would be surprised by the number and depth of the holes in my skin.
So, anyway, give it a try. If it doesn't work, you will be out one dollar!
2. Now, about the copper. I made a couple of major discoveries today, only minutes after posting that review. In the Scar Kit that I bought from Platinum Skin Care, there is one item that I had hardly used at all. It's the little bottle of Super Cop 2X.
The only time I did use it, the icepick scar turned a little blue-ish, so that kind of turned me off.
Mistake.
Read this book: https://amzn.com/B00VMX97DU
Reverse Skin Aging - What Copper Peptides Can Do For You by Dr. Loren Pickart
I'm now totally convinced that -- as good as TCA Cross may be -- when that treatment is followed with copper peptide and emu oil (also in the kit), you've got some really powerful healing potential there.
Check out this page:
https://www.platinumskincare.com/copper-super-cop-2x/
Good luck!
Replies (15)
January 18, 2017
good info. any other updates as far as progress? would love more pics! thanks.
January 18, 2017
Thanks for keeping up with my progress.
Well, to be honest with you, I'm really torn. Kind of at a fork in the road, and not sure which path to take.
In a nutshell: I'm evaluating two treatment philosophies that seem contradictory. Both stimulate fibroblasts to generate more collagen, but they do that in very different ways.
TCA Cross is a kind of brute-force method, whereas the topical application of copper peptides works over a L-O-N-G period of time. I'm a somewhat impatient person, so my inclination is to go the TCA route... except that I'm really worried about making bigger holes than what I started with -- even given the TCA concentration of just 30%.
If you read anything by Loren Pickart, you'll see that he's very much against anything that burns the skin. He emphasizes that it's important to "BABY" the skin. That's great, and I'm using his peptide products, but again: I can see that closure of my icepick scars will take a really long time. Probably several years or longer; and even then, they will only partially close.
So, the bottom line is: For right now, I'm just applying peptide serum after needling. Yes, it's true that I bought a "Scar Kit", which includes both TCA 30% and SuperCop2X, but at the moment, I'm only using the SuperCop.
Maybe I'll try the TCA again on just one hole (and then continue on with the SuperCop in that particular location). We'll see, and I'll keep you posted.
Well, to be honest with you, I'm really torn. Kind of at a fork in the road, and not sure which path to take.
In a nutshell: I'm evaluating two treatment philosophies that seem contradictory. Both stimulate fibroblasts to generate more collagen, but they do that in very different ways.
TCA Cross is a kind of brute-force method, whereas the topical application of copper peptides works over a L-O-N-G period of time. I'm a somewhat impatient person, so my inclination is to go the TCA route... except that I'm really worried about making bigger holes than what I started with -- even given the TCA concentration of just 30%.
If you read anything by Loren Pickart, you'll see that he's very much against anything that burns the skin. He emphasizes that it's important to "BABY" the skin. That's great, and I'm using his peptide products, but again: I can see that closure of my icepick scars will take a really long time. Probably several years or longer; and even then, they will only partially close.
So, the bottom line is: For right now, I'm just applying peptide serum after needling. Yes, it's true that I bought a "Scar Kit", which includes both TCA 30% and SuperCop2X, but at the moment, I'm only using the SuperCop.
Maybe I'll try the TCA again on just one hole (and then continue on with the SuperCop in that particular location). We'll see, and I'll keep you posted.
August 6, 2017
Hello, would love and update since your last update.
Hope all is going well. Thanks.
Hope all is going well. Thanks.
August 7, 2017
Thank you so much for keeping up with my on-going story!
As it happens, I DO have some news to report. Instead of going the TCA Cross route -- either self-applied or derm-done -- I opted for a cosmetic solution; specifically: Dermaflage.
VERY happy with the results. My face wasn't ripped up... it didn't cost a fortune... it works right away... and the visual results are just wonderful.
The only downside -- if you want to call it that -- would be that I apply it daily. In other words, it's not a permanent alteration of my skin. so the ice pick scars are still there.
This does not bother me, however. I had been filling those scars with ChapStick for over 40 years -- several times a day! This Dermaflage is WAY better than that, and the correction to my appearance is almost undetectable.
So, ultimately, it's a matter of choice. I can well imagine that some people might say: "Well, you haven't permanently fixed your problem", and that's true. Nevertheless, I'll take this cosmetic solution any day over the alternative, which is painful -- both to my wallet and my face!
As it happens, I DO have some news to report. Instead of going the TCA Cross route -- either self-applied or derm-done -- I opted for a cosmetic solution; specifically: Dermaflage.
VERY happy with the results. My face wasn't ripped up... it didn't cost a fortune... it works right away... and the visual results are just wonderful.
The only downside -- if you want to call it that -- would be that I apply it daily. In other words, it's not a permanent alteration of my skin. so the ice pick scars are still there.
This does not bother me, however. I had been filling those scars with ChapStick for over 40 years -- several times a day! This Dermaflage is WAY better than that, and the correction to my appearance is almost undetectable.
So, ultimately, it's a matter of choice. I can well imagine that some people might say: "Well, you haven't permanently fixed your problem", and that's true. Nevertheless, I'll take this cosmetic solution any day over the alternative, which is painful -- both to my wallet and my face!
February 23, 2018
Can't wait to see some after pictures. I have also been treating my icepicks scars at home with 30%. I performed my treatment 1 month ago and my icepick scars are still pink/red where I used the 30% TCA. I think this is put the toothpick in the icepick scar more than one, maybe 3 times, so I think this was too much acid in one treatment session. The redness is slowly fading with the use of Retin A and hydroquinone 2% at night and a Vitamin C serum during the day.
For my next treatment I will only put acid in the icepick hole once! I also emu oil along with Mederma Scar gel during the first week to aid in healing.
I'm sure your as excited as I am about healing your scars at home. It's a slow and steady process. Consistency is key rather than trying to do to much in one treatment.
Best wishes!
For my next treatment I will only put acid in the icepick hole once! I also emu oil along with Mederma Scar gel during the first week to aid in healing.
I'm sure your as excited as I am about healing your scars at home. It's a slow and steady process. Consistency is key rather than trying to do to much in one treatment.
Best wishes!
February 24, 2018
Well, I've got to say two things: One is that you're an inspiration, and two, that I chickened out. When I first got the TCA30, I was determined to see if I could do a little improvement on some of my icepick scars... but I didn't really go after it as actively as you described in your post. Reason: I thought -- Uh-oh! What if I make these problems worse and not better?
It's almost like I'm hearing two voices inside my head! One says: "What's the big deal? It's 30%. Just put a teeny-tiny dot of liquid in one hole, and over LONG amounts of time, add further tiny applications to slowly build up the inner walls of the hole."
The other voice is the voice of my dermatologist who said "OH NO! DON'T TRY ANYTHING LIKE THAT YOURSELF! Go to a doctor."
So, I'm kind of stuck. Even if I COULD find a local derm who will do TCA these days, it would cost a fortune and take many office visits to pursue that treatment path.
In the mean time, Dermaflage and ChapStick do a great job of concealment, temporary though it is.
But anyway, enough of this babbling. Aereth, do keep us informed, and best wishes for a successful treatment.
It's almost like I'm hearing two voices inside my head! One says: "What's the big deal? It's 30%. Just put a teeny-tiny dot of liquid in one hole, and over LONG amounts of time, add further tiny applications to slowly build up the inner walls of the hole."
The other voice is the voice of my dermatologist who said "OH NO! DON'T TRY ANYTHING LIKE THAT YOURSELF! Go to a doctor."
So, I'm kind of stuck. Even if I COULD find a local derm who will do TCA these days, it would cost a fortune and take many office visits to pursue that treatment path.
In the mean time, Dermaflage and ChapStick do a great job of concealment, temporary though it is.
But anyway, enough of this babbling. Aereth, do keep us informed, and best wishes for a successful treatment.
Replies (7)
I had much bad scars on my face. For those type of scars TCA cross works very well. You have to get this done by a professional only. Also there is a new great technology for overall scar removal called Fractional RF microneedling and it is going wonders for me. Ask your derm...
Good Luck