Medium strength TCA chemical peels can improve many different types of skin conditions but a real chemical skin peel takes long time to heal and recover from
One type of skin peel call a TCA peel can be effective in improving many skin conditions, including fine wrinkles, blotchy pigmentation, sun damage, dull weathered skin, freckling skin, shallow acne scars and even that brown
If you decided that you were interested in getting a TCA chemical peel, you would definitely need to have a consultation with a skin doctor who does peels (usually a plastic surgeon or a dermatologist). A medium TCA chemical peel is a serious undertaking and is totally different from the “lunch-time” peels that are walk in, walk out mild facial peels. A TCA peel should not be confused with a mild superficial glycolic acid peel or an at home salicylic chemical peel. They are totally different procedures and should not be confused with one another. Furthermore, if you are getting a real TCA peel I am not so sure that an esthetician or cosmetic skin care clinic would be the place to go to unless they had been doing TCA peels for years.
I also would not try a stronger chemical peel at home as I have seen the peel chemicals sold directly over the internet. Application of the chemical to the skin is really not all that complicated, but nonetheless I would be way too scared to do any kind of significant peel procedure to myself without an experience doctor and would not recommend trying this at home (no way). If the strength is not right you could heal poorly and it seems too risky. Besides which, chemical peels are not all that expensive anyways so it’s worth the cost of getting it done by a pro.
I will go over the pricing for chemical peels in a following blog article but the skin peels cost can be $300-$500 dollars for a specific area of the face such as around the eyes or around the mouth, and in the ball bark of $1500 for the whole face. In Los Angeles, New York or Beverly Hills you could pay $3000 for a TCA face peel but in another part of the country like in the Mid West you could pay as little as $750 for the same exact procedure. Typical of most plastic surgery procedures, it really depends what part of the county you are in and how renowned the doctor you use is. The more famous and well known dermatologists and plastic surgeons can obviously charge more money for chemical peels.
You definitely need a good doctor for this as you don’t want to mess up your skin. The doctor will examine your skin and discuss with you the potential benefits and risks of a TCA peel for you particular skin type and the skin condition you are trying to improve. He would do the peel on you only if you were a good candidate for a chemical peel. All though a peel can significantly improve the appearance of your skin, some problems are much deeper than others. Depending on how superficial or serious your skin issue is, you may need more than one peel over the years to achieve your best results.
You skin is a living organ and you have millions and millions of cells which turn over. Every single day thousands of cells die and fall off. They get replaced by new cells below. But as we age, this replacing unfortunately gets more random, haphazard and slowed down. Older women are unable to effectively shed skin flaws such as dark blotches from sun damage. The skin and complexion of a woman eventually looks more dull and lifeless.
The purpose and function of getting a skin peel then is to perform a controlled but forced shedding of several layers of damaged cells. What happens when this is accomplished is that you expose a new fresh layer of skin that has a smoother texture and more even color to it. Supposedly, the peel itself can stimulate new cells to have to grow which can thereby tighten the skin which in turn decreases wrinkling. Some natural beauty proponents despise chemical peels as they believe it damages the skin irreparably whereas proponents of the chemical peels believe that it promotes better skin. If really depends who you talk to as to whether they think a chemical peel or good for your skin or caustic for your skin.
TCA which stands for Trichloroacetic Acid is touted as a non-toxic chemical which has been used to perform skin peels for over 30 years. I am not sure what is meant by non-toxic but needless to say the tca peel is pretty serious and intense for the skin and not to be taken on for the faint hearted. Proponents of the chemical peel claim that a TCA peel can create a fresh natural appearing complexion while supposedly preserving the normal skin color. They are often referred to as “freshening peels”. I personally think TCA peels can help but they are very serious and not without risk. For example, a longer than expected healing process and hyper-pigmentation (such as red and/or dark splotches) are just two of the most common complication of skin peels. In the next post we will go into common questions and answers, what to expect before and after, healing, complications and pricing of TCA peels.
TCA chemical peels (unlike milder glycolic acid, salicylic acid, microdermabrasion) are serious undertakings but can revitalize your skin effectively. Healing: patience and humor!
