TCA peel

[single&happy]

This is my personal experience of my own TCA peel and in no way am I
offering advice or suggesting that this is better or worse than any
other methods.


I live in uk and have just 'invested' in a course of tca peels at a
clinic called transform. Basically i wanted to get a more even skin
tone and remove some old scarring from pimples and bad sessions of
electrolosys on my chin. This my 50th birthday present to myself.

I went to a couple of places for a consultation and unlike this ANAIS
instructions it was informed that very few clinics (in uk anyway) use
a very stong solution as a one off treatment causing a scab over the
whole face. The reason was if you pick it or it gets pulled off too
soon there is a great risk of scarring. So I was informed that they
use a mild solution but not sure what strength and do a course of 4
treatments. Leaving 7 to 10 days between each treatment. I chose to
leave 7 days although after my first treatment I felt it would have
been wise to have left it a little longer but I needed to have the
course completed before I start a new job so I did not have that
option.

The reason I have been given for having 4 treatments is as I was
told: "When you have scar tissue and the first peel works the body
remembers the scar and starts to repair the skin as it was before so
while it is still thinking about repairing the scar you then have the
second peel which then reaches a bit deeper that the first one and so
on til you finally have the fourth. Hopefully by the fourth peel the
scar 'memory' has been obliterated". I suppose it would depend on how
deep your scars are but for me the treatment seems to be going really
well and I am very pleased with the results I just have one more to
go.

At the clinic the tca solution is applied to my face and am asked to
stand it as long as I can so there is no set time pushed on me that I
have to suffer for as everyone is different and has different
thickness of skin also different pain threshold. The first one I had
I managed to last three minutes but I must say I think I did have
quite a deep peel and my face was very sore on the third day after the
peel and then I peeled a little a 2nd time so the second one I was
very wary but all was fine and I kept it on for one minute.

The day you peel varies too. The clinic told me to expect to peel on
the third day. First one I peeled on the third day, next one I peeled
on the second day and third one I peeled mainly on fourth day which is
today as I write this.

Another difference with our advice and I am by no means suggesting you
do the same; I have not been restricted with wearing makeup during my
treatment. On day of peel I go to the clinic with my foundation on,
tca is applied on top of whatever makeup is on my face. Then after
the 'frosting' has subsided they apply sun block on my face. I must
not put anything on my face for the rest of that day and must not get
it wet and stay out of the sun. The following morning wash/cleanse as
normal and apply the moisturising creams and factor 50 sun block given
to me by the clinic. Then I can apply my makeup as I wish. I have
been glad about this as I have continued to go about my normal daily
life. Only on the third day after my first peel did I feel I needed
to hide away and thankfully it was a weekend. I have been having my
peels done on a wednesday so most of the peeling happens over the
weekend.

The peeling that happens is just like you would peel after being a bit
burnt by the sun, not all areas of the face peel at the same time.

I have mixed a little pot of a rich night moisturiser mixed with
sudocrem, my own liz earl sun block and a bit of foundation, I carry
this everywhere I go just in case my face starts to fall off. Also I
have found after putting on the creams in the morning after a couple
of hours my face starts to feel tight and drying out so out comes my
pot and Ive plastered my face in cream. I found that if I can keep my
face quite greasy, although I look a bit shiny, its been better than
cracking, and my skin seems to stay on my face better until I wash.

Well the total cost of this treatment was £700 paid up front. Yep if
I had seen this web site before I could have saved myself a lot of
cash but then I may have been a bit scared of what was going on and
its pretty important not to mess about with your face if your not sure
wot yr doin cos you cant hide it under clothes. At the present time I
dont regret it I am pleased with the results so far, my 4th and final
peel is on wed in three days time so I am going to try and bare it for
as long as I can and take some pain killers before I go, (maybe I
shouldnt do that).

Ive tried not to tell people what I am having done, some people have
noticed that my skin looks much better. No one has asked me why my
face is peeling so I think my makeup and cream has worked well, that
or people are just too polite to say anything.

If you are thinking of having or doing a TCA peel I hope this
information helps you and good luck.