First TCA Peel 15%
The application of my first TCA peel was a little anticlimactic. The instructions were very specific and said to only apply one layer for the first peel. I was also supposed to do a little patch test 24 hours beforehand but I did not bother with it; I already have experience with peels and use 15% glycolic acid and 5-8% salicylic acid on a regular basis (I am already exfoliated really well). TCA peels work better if they are preceeded by regular exfoliation with glycolic, salicylic and/or lactic acids. This is a little different from Jessners Peels; for these you should use retinoids beforehand but not for a week before peel application.
What happened...
First steps: removed makeup (cetaphil), cleansed with the soap provided in the kit, dried skin thoroughly, put moisturizers on eyelids, below eyes, put on lip balm. Putting moisturizers on sensitive areas will prevent the solution from getting on places where it might cause a lot of discomfort or damage. I applied the first layer (with q-tips) to my face, jawline and neck and waited for five minutes. The solution actually felt a little cooling and "minty" feeling and there was hardly any discomfort except for my cheeks; they got really red and hot, which is normal (for me). This is a sign to not apply any more of the solution to the area. No frosting occurred so I applied a second layer (except to the cheeks). More waiting, very slight discomfort (tingly burning), still no frosting. I read the directions again and noticed that there was a blurb that said I could leave the peel on until frosting OR pronounced feelings of discomfort. Again, more waiting, maybe about fifteen or twenty minutes. Any discomfort faded and my face felt fine. Back to the bathroom I went to apply a third and final layer. Still, NO FROSTING. *Sad face*
I rinsed off and put on some neosporin and a very emollient moisturizer that I had from the Jessners peel kit. Oddly, once I rinsed off my face started getting red and itchy. After applying the neosporin and moisturizer it calmed down quickly.
A couple of reminders/helpful hints
1) Make sure skin is clean and completely dry before applying the peel solution. Some peel kits include a special cleanser. The TCA peel kit included a special "soap free" cleanser that I used before and after peel application.
2) Some peels have different cleansing directions depending on the type and where it is purchased from. Neutralizing the peel is a very important step that can never be skipped when you are ready to remove the peel. Neutralizing the peel is done by either splashing the face with cool or tepid water, or splashing the face with a sink full of cool or tepid water with a few teaspoons of baking soda. The baking soda tends to neutralize peels faster than regular water but it is not necessarily any better than regular tap water. Always neutralize the peel before cleansing at the end. Some peel instructions say to forego any type of soap cleansing because it might cause a chemical reaction and further irritate the skin.
3) When neutralizing or cleansing post-peel, do not scrub the face with anything abrasive, including washcloths. If you want to use a washcloth dab it on the face.
Some thoughts...
15% TCA peels are sort of in the middle between lower and higher strengths. The strengths come in 8%, 12.5%, 15%, 18%, 21%, 24% and 30%. From what I have read it is pretty uncommon for people to go up to the 30%; 18 and 21% are considered to be pretty strong. The site I bought the peel from recommended starting at the lowest strength but I chose something a little stronger because I have pretty good knowledge of peels and skincare in general.
If nothing significant happens and I only flake instead of peel, I will do the peel again in another week and see what happens with 4+ layers.
Today, my skin feels a little tight but looks fine, no redness or other obvious signs of a chemical peel.
Updates to follow.
What happened...
First steps: removed makeup (cetaphil), cleansed with the soap provided in the kit, dried skin thoroughly, put moisturizers on eyelids, below eyes, put on lip balm. Putting moisturizers on sensitive areas will prevent the solution from getting on places where it might cause a lot of discomfort or damage. I applied the first layer (with q-tips) to my face, jawline and neck and waited for five minutes. The solution actually felt a little cooling and "minty" feeling and there was hardly any discomfort except for my cheeks; they got really red and hot, which is normal (for me). This is a sign to not apply any more of the solution to the area. No frosting occurred so I applied a second layer (except to the cheeks). More waiting, very slight discomfort (tingly burning), still no frosting. I read the directions again and noticed that there was a blurb that said I could leave the peel on until frosting OR pronounced feelings of discomfort. Again, more waiting, maybe about fifteen or twenty minutes. Any discomfort faded and my face felt fine. Back to the bathroom I went to apply a third and final layer. Still, NO FROSTING. *Sad face*
I rinsed off and put on some neosporin and a very emollient moisturizer that I had from the Jessners peel kit. Oddly, once I rinsed off my face started getting red and itchy. After applying the neosporin and moisturizer it calmed down quickly.
A couple of reminders/helpful hints
1) Make sure skin is clean and completely dry before applying the peel solution. Some peel kits include a special cleanser. The TCA peel kit included a special "soap free" cleanser that I used before and after peel application.
2) Some peels have different cleansing directions depending on the type and where it is purchased from. Neutralizing the peel is a very important step that can never be skipped when you are ready to remove the peel. Neutralizing the peel is done by either splashing the face with cool or tepid water, or splashing the face with a sink full of cool or tepid water with a few teaspoons of baking soda. The baking soda tends to neutralize peels faster than regular water but it is not necessarily any better than regular tap water. Always neutralize the peel before cleansing at the end. Some peel instructions say to forego any type of soap cleansing because it might cause a chemical reaction and further irritate the skin.
3) When neutralizing or cleansing post-peel, do not scrub the face with anything abrasive, including washcloths. If you want to use a washcloth dab it on the face.
Some thoughts...
15% TCA peels are sort of in the middle between lower and higher strengths. The strengths come in 8%, 12.5%, 15%, 18%, 21%, 24% and 30%. From what I have read it is pretty uncommon for people to go up to the 30%; 18 and 21% are considered to be pretty strong. The site I bought the peel from recommended starting at the lowest strength but I chose something a little stronger because I have pretty good knowledge of peels and skincare in general.
If nothing significant happens and I only flake instead of peel, I will do the peel again in another week and see what happens with 4+ layers.
Today, my skin feels a little tight but looks fine, no redness or other obvious signs of a chemical peel.
Updates to follow.