TCA 50% arms - day 8

The top of this post is a repeat.  See the bottom for new picture.

I applied 50% TCA chemical peel solution to my arms EIGHT days ago, and here's a BEFORE picture:

Here's a picture just after applying the solution; you can see the redness and the frosting:

...and here's day 3.  The redness has turned brown and leathery.

And here's day 8 of the same arm.  I haven´t taken any because nothing really happened for about three days, and well, it was the weekend.

 I'm very curious to see what effect the 50% will have on my freckles...I'm hoping at least for something...  I should have at least one more post on this arm peel to see before and afters.

Spot treatment for hands - day 1

With the left-over 50% TCA solution I used on the mole on my nose, I decided to spot treat my hands.  I still have lots of small spots that I want to fade.  I don't think this alone will do it, but it will help.

Here's a picture right after the application.  You can see a few areas that frosted, but not all of them.

Here's a picture several hours after the application, when the spots are pink:

I will probably do this several more times before spring.

TCA 50% arms - day 4

The top of this post is a repeat of yesterday.  See the bottom for new picture.

I applied 50% TCA chemical peel solution to my arms a few days ago, and here's a picture before:

Here's a picture just after applying the solution; you can see the redness and the frosting:

...and here's day 3.  The redness has turned brown and leathery.

I'm so glad it's winter, and my arms are hidden because I can do this any time to help remove and repair sun damage I've inflicted on my poor arms.

Day 4, and the arm from the pictures above still isn't peeling.  Here's a picture of my other arm because it has begun to peel:

 I'm very curious to see what effect the 50% will have on my freckles...I'm hoping at least for something...

4th TCA Peel - area 1 done

I applied 25% TCA solution on a problem area on Sunday, and it's Tuesday and done!  It looked so normal until this morning, then it just peeled after I did my oil cleansing.

Here's a close-up picture just after applying the peel on Sunday:

Here's the area this morning after oil cleansing (oil still on my face):

You can see it's a bit darker (easily hidden yesterday with concealer), and starting to peel.  By tonight, it was finished peeling and just barely pink...not really noticeable unless you knew.

Here's a picture on Wednesday (um, sorry about the specs, if you can see them...I'd just eaten about a quarter of a box of dry cereal):

Next week, I'm planning to tackle another problem area.

If you're following my nose-mole progress, I'm still waiting for anything to happen.  I applied the 50% TCA on that Sunday as well, and it hasn't changed.  I'll post a few pix when it does.

4th TCA Peel - area 1

I'm back at it, but this time, I'm doing small problem areas because I can't handle the downtime of anything bigger.  I can deal with a small section of my face turning to leather, then peeling while I'm at work, but I can't hide long enough to do my whole face again until spring break.

So here's one problem area that I applied 25% TCA solution to today:

This is the right side of my chin, under the corner of my mouth, in case you can't tell from the picture.  I took the shot after I had neutralized, so you can see that it stayed frosted for a while.  After about 20 minutes, it was just pink, and this evening, you can't really tell that anything was done...but tomorrow it will start to dry out.

If you want to do peels but can't afford the downtime, consider having your professional do them in sections.  I am doing very small sections not to get an overall peel, but to focus on problem areas, and I have about four areas that I need to do before my next full-face peel during spring break.

I'll let you know how this looks tomorrow with a wider shot, so you can get an idea of how easily it is to camouflage a small area.

TCA 50% arms - day 3

I applied 50% buffered TCA solution to my arms a few days ago, and here's a picture before:

Here's a picture just after applying the solution; you can see the redness and the frosting:

...and here's day 3.  The redness has turned brown and leathery.

I'm so glad it's winter, and my arms are hidden because I can do this any time to help remove and repair sun damage I've inflicted on my poor arms.

The other arms actually looks worse, but this is the arms I included with my earlier blog, so I thought for comparison, this one would be better for those wondering what to expect.

It will probably start peeling within the next few days...hello new skin!

TCA 50% to remove mole - day 3

I thought that the 50% TCA solution would remove the small mole on my nose, but it didn't.  It did cause one layer to peel off...see the picture below:

So I waited a couple more days and then applied the 50% TCA solution again, but this time, I put 5 layers on the remaining mole.  I applied it with a disposable plastic toothpick, just to give you an idea of how small the tip was.  I didn't want to use anything bigger because I didn't want to risk getting the solution anywhere else besides the mole.  It frosted quickly; here's a picture of round two:

I'm hoping this will do it, but I suspect I'll have to do it again.  By the way, after about 15 minutes, the white changes back to a skin color, so there's really no down time with this.

I just want to caution anyone using acid this strong: it can burn your skin severely--it is acid, so don't use it unless you have consulted a professional or you have experience handling this strength acid.

TCA 50% to remove moles

Today I tackled a skin issue that’s been plaguing me for several years: I have a small mole on my nose, and while it’s light in pigment, it still bothers me.  My dermatologist used a laser once, and it scabbed and fell off, but it came back within about two years.  Unfortunately, the before picture was too blurry, but I found this one that I'd taken awhile back for retin-a, so disregard the peeling:

Recently I read an article on a dermatologist's website about using TCA to remove moles and warts, so I mixed a batch of 50% TCA and used a very small plastic tool and applied a single drop to the mole.  The after picture shows the frosting, and oddly enough, it immediately seemed smaller than before:

Before I applied the 50% solution to the mole on my nose, I applied it to a mole on my arm—just to gage my skin’s reaction.  It frosted within a minute, and interestingly, it didn’t hurt at all.  When I applied it to the mole on my nose, that didn’t hurt either.  I thought that perhaps the strength was so high that my body produced endorphins quickly enough to block the pain.  I was wrong!

I decided to use the remaining 50% TCA solution on my arms.  I had toyed with the idea of diluting it to 25% but decided against it since my moles reacted so well…bad decision.  This is buffered TCA, so 50% isn’t as strong as a non- buffered 50% (but still very strong); nonetheless, my arms felt like they were on fire.  No endorphins here.  I concluded that the moles must lack some nerve endings or nociceptors (pain receptors).

Here’s a picture of my left arm before applying the solution.

Within about 1 minute, my arms started to frost and sting like crazy, so I neutralized and ran cold water on them for a few minutes.  They are still tender, but I should get a good peel, and it’s not like I have to worry about anyone seeing them—since we’re in the dead of winter.  Here's the arm after (ouch):

I wouldn’t suggest using 50% TCA on any part of the body unless you are working with a license professional or are fully aware of how your body reacts to TCA at high strengths--and different parts of your body will react differently, as I already knew, but had a painful reminder of today. I probably shouldn't have used it on my arms, but I did, and I'll let you know how the process turns out...

3rd TCA Chemical Peel - Before and After Photos

Here are before and after photos from my 3rd TCA chemical peel.  This peel was 25% solution that I worked up to over a series of months.  I started at 12.5 and also did glycolic 35% and Retin-A .001 in between.

I think I can see more of a difference now than in any of my earlier peels, so I have hope that continuing this will be even better. What do you think?  You can click on the pictures to see more detail.

BEFORE - 12/10/2010

AFTER - 1/11/2011

I am planning to start back on Retin-A this week, and I will do a partial peel again later this month, only on trouble areas.  I will post again then.

3rd TCA Chemical Peel - Day 4

I applied my third TCA chemical peel (25%) on Friday evening.  It’s now Monday, and I’m peeling pretty aggressively now, but it started this morning with just a crack.

This is day 4, so I’m planning to hide out.  Wish this weren’t part of the process, but it is and the best way to deal with it is to avoid making plans.  Clean the house, do laundry, paint those scuffed walls…whatever you can do to keep busy and stay in the house.

This picture is just after I woke, before applying moisturizer; you can see that the skin is just starting to crack:

This is late afternoon.  I’ve been applying moisturizer all day, along with doing lots around the house, so it has been a productive day, even though I’ve been hiding.  It's been helpful to stay busy--it keeps me from pulling off the peeling skin, which can damage the new skin.  I tried to think of it was a natural barrier between me and those pesky UV rays.  Tomorrow I'll have to don sunscreen, so I'm enjoying this day without that step--and all those other steps.

This picture is just before bed.  Most of the frontal peeling is done.  Just the sides tomorrow, but I'll easily be able to go out with moisturizer and sunscreen.

I'll post pictures tomorrow of before and after, if I'm finished peeling on the sides; otherwise, I'll post progress photos.

3rd TCA Chemical Peel - Day 3

Day 3 after a TCA Chemical Peel is really the worst day: the skin looks like leather, no matter how much moisturizer I use.  This is not a good look, so I try to hide on days 3-4.

You can see that the skin looks more leathery where I applied more of the solution.  I did not apply solution to the side of my face, so it looks normal, less red and leathery.


I am also cleansing using the Oil Cleansing Method, which helps, but it doesn't prevent this leathery look.  I like to use Apricot Kernel Oil, and this is the brand I like.

The oil may not prevent the leathery look, but it does help with tightness, and it won't cause acne for me.

3rd TCA Chemical Peel - Day 2

Today, the day after applying my third TCA Chemical Peel (25%), my face is tight and pink, nothing a little concealer and blush can't hide.

I like to put blush on the areas that aren't pink to even it out without having to put a lot of time into concealer, which is also more expensive.

The tightness bothers me more than anything else, so I use lots of moisturizer.  Unfortunately, the moisturizer only minimizes those fine lines that come from the tightness.

To accelerate heeling, if you have a humidifier, use it as much as possible to keep the air and your skin from getting too dry too fast.  You want to give the new skin time to fully develop before the skin starts to crack or peel.  Also, drink lots of water and try to stay away from sugar, which slows down healing.

I'll post pictures tomorrow from day 3.

Chemical Peel Frosting

Several people have asked about frosting, so I wanted to post a picture of what the skin looks like when it frosts during a chemical peel.

This picture is a close up from my third TCA Chemical Peel, using a 25% solution:

You can see the areas are red from the solution, but where the solution has penetrated well, it is a translucent white or milky color.

Ideally, the frosting is uniform, but you can see where the solution dripped down one nostril, there is frosting.  I'm glad I put petroleum jelly on my lips because there is a lot of frosting just above my lips, and it abruptly stops there.

I will post picture tomorrow from day 2 after the peel.

3rd TCA Chemical Peel

Last night, I applied my third TCA chemical peel in this series.  I used a 25% solution, which was really strong.  I took a video, but I pulled out only a few pictures from it.  If you’re interested in seeing the video, let me know, and I’ll send you a link.

If you haven’t read my page on how to do a chemical peel, you should take a look to make sure you prepare for it correctly, which may take up to a month.  I’ve already done that, so I’ll include only the steps that were applicable for this peel. 

1. After preparing my 25% TCA chemical peel and mixing the neutralizer, I cleansed and removed any remaining oils using rubbing alcohol.

2. I apply protection to my lips using petroleum jelly.


3. Using the two swabs, I dip them into the dish and apply in this order: forehead, nose, above lip, cheeks, chin area.  While I use my fingers to apply glycolic acid, I don’t want to do this with TCA chemical peel or I'll peel the tips of my fingers.

4. I let the areas frost before neutralizing.  Frosting is when the skin starts to turn white or looks a bit like a frosted glass.  NOTE: if the three-minute timer rings before frosting has occurred, I have to decide if I want to wait.  I know my reaction when it frosts versus not frosting.  I keep in mind that the longer I leave on the solution, the longer it will take to peel. I NEVER LEAVE THE PEEL ON LONGER THAN FIVE MINUTES.  For this peel, since it was stronger than the others, I didn’t use a timer: I just waited until it frosted, which occurred in less than 1 minute.

5. I apply the neutralizer with my fingers.  This is a mixture of baking soda and water.

6. Then rinse with copious amounts of cool water for about 1-2 minutes and gently blot the face dry with a hand towel.

7. Apply a gentle moisturizer, such as shea butter .

8. Apply sunscreen if it's daytime.

Do not use any peeling agents for at least one week.  If my skin tolerates the peel well, I can do another in 4-5 weeks.  Visit my page Caring for skin after Chemical Peel

I'll post pictures tomorrow of how my face looks the next morning.