Here are some frequently asked questions regarding our TCA chemical peels. If you don’t find the answer to your question please feel free to contact us anytime.
Chemical peels are a fairly quick and easy process. The chemical solution is only on your skin for a couple of minutes. Depending on the strength of the solution and the type of chemical being used, you can expect to leave it on your skin for somewhere between 2 and 5 minutes. You may feel a burning sensation while the peel is on your skin. When this time is up, you want to thoroughly rinse your skin with cold water. Do not worry if your skin appears light or white on the surface, this is just the peel working and the white or frosted color (as it is called) will subside within about 30 minutes.
Everyone feels a burn when they apply a chemical peel to their skin. The burning sensation should remain tolerable, and it should only persist for a few minutes. If you are worried about pain or discomfort, rinse off your solution after the minimum time has passed. You can also cool the skin with a fan or some have been known to even stand in front of an open freezer which can help to minimize the burning quite a bit.
In the days leading up to the chemical peel you want to make sure that you take it easy on your skin. Do not do any other treatments that will irritate your skin, and try to limit sun exposure. You can also start applying a gentle acid cream or lotion to your skin to begin preparing the skin for a more over all even penetration of the solution thus giving you better skin exfoliation/peeling.
The first thing to do is to make sure that you have thoroughly rinsed the chemical off your skin with cold water. If any of it remains on your skin, I will certainly cause irritation and may even cause chemical burns. After the treatment, you want to treat your skin gently only using your finger tips to cleanse the skin throughout the coming days, and make sure to keep it clean to prevent any bacteria forming on the skin which could cause an infection but washing with warm soapy water twice a day will prevent that. Do not use any harsh cleansers. One of the best ways to keep your skin moist and clean is to apply an antibiotic daily before you go to sleep. Finally, when your skin has healed do not go out in the sun without a good sunscreen with a high SPF for the next 6 months as the skin will be very sun sensitive which can result in dark sun spots.
The amount of time you wait between peels depends on the strength of the solution you used. TCA peels, which use the most powerful solutions require a waiting time of at least four weeks and as long as 7 or 8 weeks. Use your best judgment. If after four weeks your skin still shows signs of irritation, wait until you know that your skin has completely healed before you apply the next peel. Doing another chemical peel too soon can result in over burning your skin. So patience is the key!
Keeping in mind that you should not do a peel on skin that is already irritated, multiple peels will help to improve the look of your skin. Doing a second peel will penetrate even deeper into your skin, greatly improving the look of your skin. If you still have significant scars or signs of aging, more peels will help to slowly reduce their appearance over time. Who wouldn’t want their skin to look younger and younger as time goes by? That’s the gift that we all can achieve if you are willing to put in the time it takes to do a good chemical home peel