Chemical peels

[lolaB]

Does anyone have experience with any sort of chemical peel? I'm considering some TCA peels to get rid of some unwanted texture. Any insight would be awesome. :]

 

[vicky1804]

Iv had Glycolic if that counts. I started getting them to help even out my skin tone, reduce acne scarring and help with my large pores.

I loved them, saw improve better and quicker the more I had.

 

[lolaB]

That does count, thanks! How many have you had? I'm debating between getting several light AHA peels vs. just a few medium TCA peels. TCA peels are around $300 each, but I'm told I would only need 3-4. 

 

[Andi]

It depends on what kind of improvement you´re looking for and the state your skin is in. From what I remember your skin looks pretty damn good already though!

I´ve done 40% glycolic, 65% lactic acid and 8.5 as well as 15% TCA peels (I did all of them myself).

I had some post-acne hyperpigmentation and uneven skintone to get rid of, and the TCA peels gave me the biggest improvement (along with Retin-A, which evened out my skintone tremendously). Glycolic & Lactic didn´t do much besides some very minimal skintone improvement. I mainly use those for exfoliation & maintenance.

Although TCA peels are relatively safe, there is a slight risk of unwanted hyperpigmentation in dark skinned people. Therefore, your dermatologist/aesthetician will probably give you some hydroquinone for prep and/or aftercare, and sunblock is a must for several weeks after the peel of course. And there is usually also a prep regimen of Retin-A or glycolic serums to ensure even penetration of the TCA.

Do you already know where you want to get the peels done?

 

[lolaB]

Thanks Andi! I mostly wan't to get rid of some post-acne texture on my forehead and even out my skintone. I was told that TCA peels are better for darker skin than Phenol because there is less of a risk for hyper pigmentation. Confirm? Yes, I know where I'm getting the peels done. It was originally recommended to me for LASIK, but they also offer a bunch of other cosmetic procedures, so I figured I'd get them done at the same place. 

 

[Andi]

Originally Posted by lolaB /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Thanks Andi! I mostly wan't to get rid of some post-acne texture on my forehead and even out my skintone. I was told that TCA peels are better for darker skin than Phenol because there is less of a risk for hyper pigmentation. Confirm? Yes, I know where I'm getting the peels done. It was originally recommended to me for LASIK, but they also offer a bunch of other cosmetic procedures, so I figured I'd get them done at the same place. 

Phenol is the deepest type of peel, it´s only done for severe wrinkles and severe sun damage. And it comes with a risk of hypopigmentation, among other risks.

I would think TCA peels would be a good option for you, they´re a good value for money too- they go deeper than glycolic, so the improvement will be greater. A lot of places also do mixtures of chemical agents, like TCA+Retinoic Acid etc. So you can pretty much get peels custom-made for your skintype and your skin issue.

Whenever you do get the peels done you should definitely post a thread about it! I´m curious what % TCA they give you and what the pre- and aftercare looks like.

And be prepared for social downtime. My skin takes seemingly forever to shed after I do a TCA peel, even with proper prep care. It´s pretty annoying cause there´s crepey skin for days, then almost a week of heavy flaking, but the results are worth it. I don´t get these kind of results with anything else I put on my skin.

 

[vicky1804]

Sorry Lola, I forgot id posted. I was only able to have 3 done at one monthly intervals. I saw slight improvement after the first one but the improvement happed quicker and more noticably after each treatment.

Im looking to buy some so I can do it at home as I love how it makes my skin look.