TCA peels are a type of chemical peel performed using trichloroacetic acid. They are considered a medium-depth peel. They’re used to treat sun damage, hyperpigmentation or discoloration of the skin, fine lines and wrinkles and precancerous growths. The TCA chemical peel is often used to treat mild to moderate acne and can sometimes improve the appearance of mild acne scars.
What You Can Expect from a TCA Peel
TCA peels can help to improve skin tone and texture. They can help to rejuvenate the skin to make it look brighter and younger. They can improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, and hyperpigmentation problems like melasma. They can treat mild acne by helping to keep pores clean. TCA peels are considered safe for those with darker complexions. Like other chemical peels, however, TCA peels carry a small risk of permanent skin lightening and demarcation lines when used on those with darker skin.
Drawbacks of TCA Chemical Peels
TCA chemical peels are usually not an effective treatment for deep wrinkles and moderate to severe scarring. Phenol peels can improve the appearance of deep wrinkles and more severe scarring.
You may need to receive more than one TCA peel to achieve the desired results. Two or three peels are generally sufficient when one peel doesn’t achieve the desired results. If you receive multiple peels, you’ll probably have to wait for at least three months between them.
While the results of medium-depth TCA peels may last a lot longer than the results of mild peels, they won’t last forever. You will need to repeat the peel every six months to one year, at minimum, to maintain results.
How TCA Peels Are Performed
TCA chemical peels generally take 15 to 60 minutes to perform, depending on the size of the area to be treated. TCA peels can be performed on the whole face, or they may be performed only on parts of the face, such as around the mouth and eyes.
To perform the procedure, a dermatologist applies trichloroacetic acid solution to the treatment area. The dermatologist will allow the acid to burn down through epidermis, or upper layer of your skin, and into the dermis, or underlying layer of your skin. Most TCA peels remove the epidermis and a small portion of the dermis. Once your peel has burned down to the appropriate depth, the dermatologist will neutralize the acid with a cold saline solution. The chemical solution is usually left in place for two to ten minutes before neutralization.
You may experience some discomfort and burning during this procedure, and you may need a local anesthetic. Following the procedure, the dermatologist will apply ointment to your face to protect it while it heals.
You may continue to feel moderate pain in the hours following a TCA peel. Over-the-counter pain relievers should help.
Recovering from a TCA Peel
During the recovery period, you will need to keep your face clean to prevent infection. Wash your face twice a day with a gentle cleanser. Your dermatologist will send you home with an ointment that you can use to keep your face moist while it heals.
The surface skin of your face may harden and appear discolored for up to two weeks following your TCA peel. This skin will crack and flake off. You should have completely new skin on the treated area within two weeks of your peel. The new skin may appear extremely pink. This pinkness may take several weeks to completely fade.
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