TCA Peel - I did it!
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Thu Sep 28, 2006 4:16 pm

Hi Everyone I just thought I would let you all know that I recivied my products from platinum skincare the other day and tonight I decided to bite the bullet and do a peel.
I just did one layer of the 12.5% TCA over my whole face and did a few spot treatments with the 20% TCA ( I did do test patches 1st).
After the peel had been on a few minutes I rinsed my face with tepid water and put on some of the copper serum topped of with some oil.
During the peel I did not feel any stinging, really I have felt more burn with ordinary toners. I didn't see any frosting either. Only now do I feel my skin is getting a little tight and then only very slightly.
I am actually having a hard time figuring out how this could do much good it seems so mild but I will reserve my judgement until a few days have passed.
I will let you all know about my results.

Willowsnow Smile

free skin care · Thu Sep 28, 2006 4:39 pm

Oh! Wowie! Good for you, Missie. Smile

I think you're right on track and understand the effects are cumulative so it's better to take it slower rather than scab your whole face up!!!

I've heard it'll be about 2 days or so when you should start seeing the big peeling so let us know how it goes. Smile

You've given me a good indication of how it might go. I'm still spot treating happily w/the 20% TCA so will have to order the 12.5% to give the whole face a go!

free skin care · Thu Sep 28, 2006 4:41 pm

good job!! The peeling usually begins about 2 days after, just stay moisturized and load on the sunscreen. Hope you get great results!! Very Happy

free skin care · Thu Sep 28, 2006 8:30 pm

Hmmm...I'm a bit baffled that you didn't have much stinging with it. While mine wasn't intolerable, but I definitely couldn't compare it to any toner I've ever used! Did you prep your face with lower acids the week before, or did you jump right in to TCA cold turkey? Definitely keep us updated over the next several days!

Fri Sep 29, 2006 5:36 am

Hi all,

Thanks for responding to my post. it has now been about 12 hours since I did my peel and I seriously doubt that my skin will start to peel. My skin feels completely normal now.
The results I had from the peel so far are that the texture of my skin is slightly refined, it feels quite smooth and moist (not tight at all now) and the pores on my cheeks and nose look a bit smaller. It also seems that my skin tone has evened out a little also so that from a distance in the mirror my skin looks quite nice. The lines round my eyes look just the same though.
I have had no scabs form on the areas I did with the 20% TCA and to be honest putting this on didn't burn me either, the areas look a little smoother though that might just be down to the good exfoliation the TCA gave.
However I do think that to get the results I am looking for I will need to do more than one layer next time.
I hadn't prepped the skin as you suggest TAMgirl. I was thinking about doing it but my kit cam sooner than expected and I had wanted to play it safe the 1st time.
I am not quite sure what to do now. I will give it a few more days to see if anything will happen. If not I will try using the glycolic acid a week in advance, do you think it would be okay to use one of the drugstore 10% Glycolic Acid kits you can buy like L'Oreal ReNoviste Glycolic Peel? This would be more affordable for me at the moment seeing as I have currently spent all my money at platinum skincare!
At the moment though for such a gentle treatment I am very impressed with the results I actually think my skin looks better after one very mild treatment with the TCA than it did after I had a proffessional Gylcolic peel at a salon. So if you are thinking of trying it I would go for it, although it might just be that I have teflon skin Shock

!

I will keep you updated of any further results.

Willow x

free skin care · Fri Sep 29, 2006 6:26 am

Willow, just piping in here on something I noticed last night. I did a 35% fruit acid peel from Diana Yvonne a week or so ago and my reaction was very mild, like yours. I assumed it was due to the fact that I used PSF O2 spray since then and that the peel was less irritating than the glycolic I previously used.

Well, last night, the peeling came on in force! I'm talking more like actual sheets of skin, though small, of course. The skin underneath is nice and pink! This, I believe, is a true peel result and what I was looking for. I think all of my other exfoliation techniques were touching the surface and in my case, it seems, I really needed something to get ahold of the outer layer!!! FYI, I did do my PSF Pumpkin mask yesterday afternoon so that helped as well - decided to because I wanted to loosen the skin further.

So, give it a chance and don't put another peel on right now. I think you could cause trouble with too much even though it appears that nothing's happening. Oh, and regarding the TCA 20% for spot treating, I always soak the little cotton-tipped applicator for a bit then hold it on the scar/mole until it frosts. I leave it that way for a minute or so (not w/the applicator,just frosted), then neutralize w/a baking soda/water mix and rinse. I always neutralize now because I burned myself from not rinsing properly!

free skin care · Fri Sep 29, 2006 4:40 pm

Willow - I would definitely wait a week or so before you put any other acid on your face, just to be sure. However, when you do get ready to prep your skin, I have seen the recommendation of 3-8% glycolic, so I wouldn't go higher than that. Good luck and please keep us posted as the days go on!

Tue Oct 03, 2006 6:50 am

Well Ladies,
it has been 5 days since I did the TCA peel and still haven't had any peeling at all exept on my fingers where I held the pad

. I an pretty confused. The pores on my nose are still looking a little better. I must confess that I went back and put one layer of the 20% over this area, I know it was risky of me but again it didn't even sting much at all.
I would say that everything looks a little better, apart from my eye area which if anything looks a little worse I think a bit more crinkley Sad

.
I still have a way to go with this treatment and next time I am hoping that if I prepare in advance with the gycolic peels that I will be able to get a more dramatic results if I frost and peel a bit more.

scalawaggirl, I will hold off a bit longer to see if my face will follow my fingers int he peeling stakes but if not I might try a glycolic peel at the weekend.

P.S. I saw the shots you posted of your self and there is no way I thought you were forty!
I thought you looked about the same age as me which is 28, keep up the good work!

free skin care · Tue Oct 03, 2006 6:56 am

willowsnow wrote:

Well Ladies,
it has been 5 days since I did the TCA peel and still haven't had any peeling at all exept on my fingers where I held the pad

. I an pretty confused. The pores on my nose are still looking a little better. I must confess that I went back and put one layer of the 20% over this area, I know it was risky of me but again it didn't even sting much at all.
I would say that everything looks a little better, apart from my eye area which if anything looks a little worse I think a bit more crinkley Sad

.
I still have a way to go with this treatment and next time I am hoping that if I prepare in advance with the gycolic peels that I will be able to get a more dramatic results if I frost and peel a bit more.

scalawaggirl, I will hold off a bit longer to see if my face will follow my fingers int he peeling stakes but if not I might try a glycolic peel at the weekend.

P.S. I saw the shots you posted of your self and there is no way I thought you were forty!
I thought you looked about the same age as me which is 28, keep up the good work!

Well, heck! Perhaps, your skin is being a bit resistent. Maybe Tam's recommendation for preparing w/glycolic would be especially poignant in your case. I would give that a whirl and then do another peel (low % glycolic right before the TCA 12.5%).

Thanks for the lovely comments! I've really been working hard on addressing some issues of late and have had great progress. However, I've got to give props to my mom for blessing me with oily skin. While it has its own nightmare qualities/challenges, it has kept the wrinkles at bay. That, exercising and eating supplements, also helped. Smile

free skin care · Tue Oct 03, 2006 7:39 am

I also have done TCA 12.5 peels and not peeled. I have heard of doing 2 layers of the peel, where you do one layer, wait 3 minutes, then put another layer on. I have not done this, but I think some people just have thicker skin, literally! It is only if I put the tca peel on for more than a couple of minutes that I have seen peeling.
I have the 12.5 at home, and have been wanting to try this double layer peel, but waiting til my skin does not have any pimples b4 I do it.

free skin care · Tue Oct 03, 2006 10:28 am

What TCA brand is everyone using? It doesn't sound right to me at all, especially the 20%. I'm using MUAC and if you read the reviews on MUA you won't find any of them that didn't have some peeling. That's why I question the source of the peel. Not all of them are "professional".

free skin care · Tue Oct 03, 2006 10:41 am

Mine is from MUAC

free skin care · Tue Oct 03, 2006 11:05 am

amylola wrote:

I have the 12.5 at home, and have been wanting to try this double layer peel, but waiting til my skin does not have any pimples b4 I do it.

Just curious,why are you not supposed to do a TCA peel if you have pimples? Does this also apply to glycolic acid or lactic acid peels? TIA

free skin care · Tue Oct 03, 2006 11:11 am

I just always figure it is not smart to put an acid on skin that is broken - and I am a picker, so i tend to pick at my pimples, and then do not want them to get worse by putting acid on them!!! I know, kind of gross! Shock

free skin care · Tue Oct 03, 2006 12:42 pm

Where do you purchace the TCA...one brand better than the other? Thanks!

free skin care · Tue Oct 03, 2006 12:56 pm

I get mine from MUAC (makeupartistschoice.com) but I have heard good things about Platinum Skincare (not sure of the website)

Tue Oct 03, 2006 1:43 pm

Hi TAMgirl99,
I am using TCA product purchased from Platinum skincare 12.5% and 20% I am sure that they are reputable as many of the ladies on this forum seem to use them so I am not sure what my problem is. It could be as scalawaggirl suggested that my skin is just more resistant than other peoples. I have had some improvment in pore size even though I have had no peeling.
It really isn't what I expected but I think I will just have to prepare my skin next time and perhaps try another layer of the 12.5 as amylola advised.
I will just persist and hopefully something good will start to happen soon!
Willow

P.S.Scalawaggirl you are an inspiration I will keep trying in the hope that I get results as good as yours! Thanks for posting your pictures!

free skin care · Tue Oct 03, 2006 4:25 pm

Well, I know Platinum Skincare is a great company, although I've never actually seen any reviews on their TCA peels. I just can't imagine anyones skin being that tolerant, but I could be wrong. The one I purchased is from MUAC and I even had some swelling immediately following my peel. I'm doing my second round this Friday night so I'll report back since I'm prepping my skin this week with an 8% glycolic lotion. I would be interested in how the Platinum one compares to MUAC, so please let us know if you ever try MUAC! Very Happy

Wed Oct 04, 2006 8:00 am

Hello Again,
I just thought I would let you know that I have started to notice a tiny bit of peeling today. My skin looks quite scaly up close so it looks like that top layer of skin is finaly drying up. Anything I can do to help loosen up the skin, steaming perhaps or a scrub?
A bit of skin just flaked off to reveal a little scar I though had gone, drat! Still it does look smaller now.
Ah well another exciting post peel day!
Willow

free skin care · Wed Oct 04, 2006 8:17 am

willowsnow wrote:

Hello Again,
I just thought I would let you know that I have started to notice a tiny bit of peeling today. My skin looks quite scaly up close so it looks like that top layer of skin is finaly drying up. Anything I can do to help loosen up the skin, steaming perhaps or a scrub?
A bit of skin just flaked off to reveal a little scar I though had gone, drat! Still it does look smaller now.
Ah well another exciting post peel day!
Willow

Took awhile! Glad to hear that you're finally seeing something from the peel. It very well could be that you need to put a glycolic low-percentage solution on right before the next one to get the most benefit. I do PSF's Pumpkin Enzyme Peel to help melt the dead skin and manual exfoliation (toothbrush, microfiber cloth and a Clarisonic brush) - these all seem to help kick it into high gear. I have heard of people not peeling like you before and conjecture is that some skin is just more resistent. For what it's worth, here's my experience:

1st glycolic - 25% for 1 minute resulted in quite a bit of flaking but no real peeling

2nd glycolic - 25% for 2 minutes resulted in the same as above but more flaking

My glycolic came from MUAC and I found it rather irritating - not bad at all, though, but I didn't like the results. My TCA 20% that I use for scar/mole treatments came from Platinum Skincare - this is where I will reorder my strong peels as I did not really care for the MUAC one (just my personal preference) and I like Platinum's site better, anyway.

3rd fruit acid - 35% for 2 minutes (from Diana Yvonne). This was less irritating than the glycolic for sure and I was able to leave it on for 2 minutes no problem. I decided to spray the PSF O2 AM/PM after this peel for a few days. It worked amazingly well and the result of this one is that I got PEELING rather than just flaking.

The last one is the one (remember, it's a pretty high %) that gave me the true "peel" experience. I had nice pink skin underneath when the skin started coming off. So, I am tempted to do this tonight so I can have a lovely look for the upcoming ceremony but I'm torn because what if I'm still peeling in a few weeks? Bad Grin

I think I will do it! Yeah - push the envelope and leave it on 2-3 minutes this time!

P.S. Glad to be of help and an inspiration! I know it really helps me to hear/see/learn so very happy that you've benefitted.

free skin care · Fri Oct 06, 2006 6:27 pm

Well, I just completed my second 12.5% TCA in my 3 peel series and this time I went ahead and did two layers. I have been using an 8% glycolic lotion for the last week at night to "prep" my skin this time and I have to say that I think it really helped a lot. I really expected it to hurt more and frost extra fast, but it didn't at all. After I put the first layer on, I didn't have any noticeable frosting so after 5 minutes I went ahead and did the second layer. I have to admit that hurt like the devil! Shock

The hair dryer on cool really helped though. When I applied the baking soda/water afterwards it sizzled this time which last time it did not. I guess because I had more on.

I still really didn't have the frosting like I expected, I would say my skin overall just looked a bit more pale/odd. Last time they were very obvious white patches which swelled, which is why I think the glycolic prep really helped. It just appeared to absorb everywhere evenly. I have just applied vitamin E oil mixed with a drop of lavender oil (to prevent possible infection) since I'm staying well away from that Neosporin + pain relief this time. The aftermath with this on seems to give me more relief anyways.

Well, I will report back as I start to molt! Laughing

Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:25 am

Hi everyone,

The summer is coming and this year i decided to go shorts and summer trend. my problem is i have Dark spots on the side and back of my thighs; this is as result of scratching pimples.i did the 50% tca peel but i don't see any peeling yet.

Help please Sad

Thanks
swisszh

free skin care · Mon Mar 29, 2010 8:45 pm

I don't think there is a 50% solution. You would know it if it were.

Tue Mar 30, 2010 5:11 pm

Thank you leathal, i suspected something was not right. anyway do you know anything i could try to get rid of my dark spots on my legs?

Thanks
swissZH

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