Second 15% TCA peel update? Or is this the third? I don't know.
The peeling process is going well. As you might have guessed I have decided not to follow instructions (typical) and have been busying myself with using my face as a science experiment.
Day 4: my skin was showing signs of flaking but I could tell that there would not be any amazing results. My forehead was tight and moderately wrinkly, but not in the way it looks when it is going to slough. Thus, it seemed like a good idea to slap on two more layers of the TCA solution. This time it hurt and a few patches frosted. JOY.
Days 5-8: Some pretty good peeling, some flaking. Scary looking face. Very scary. Have I emphasized the scary? Really unpleasant to the point that I really did not want to leave the house. However, I discovered an interesting technique that is probably just a huge waste of time and money but I enjoy doing it anyway: slather scary face with triple antibiotic ointment. I know, I know, it is a petroleum product. My bad. But it is helping my face not hurt and significantly decreases the appearance of reptile skin*. Some of the cystic nodules are healing nicely and there has also been a bit of purging by way of white heads around my jawline and chin, which is where I break out ALL THE TIME. The new skin that has emerged is soft, smooth and pink. The skin that sloughed off of my neck was thin and wispy...sort of like fairy wings. Well, okay, more like a thin layer of glue that you let dry on your hand so you could peel it off later, except a little thinner.
Day 9: My forehead does not want to peel. It continues to hang out and mock me in its quasi-wrinkly, semi-gross state. The only peeling it has agreed to is around the hair line. Not impressed. My cheeks are on the same bandwagon as my forehead, although this is understandable since I did put as many layers on them. Purging continues. So what did I do? Three more layers of peel solution. This is the last time, I swear.
Day 10: Gnarly! But not in the awesome way. My face feels VERY tight.
Day 11: Horror. I went to the dentist today and, while I had my mouth open for a very long time, all of the surrounding skin got really dry and crackly. The dentist came in and decided to feel my jawline (checking for tumors? who knows) and this really bothered me because she was rubbing off any moisture I had left; I was also embarrassed because she kept touching my zits. My face is red and blotchy and uber terrible. Forehead is still on strike and my cheeks refuse to let go of their nasty patches. Maybe they will reconsider at some point in the near future.
Extras:
-I have had to keep my hair out of my face due to all of the ointments and moisturizers I keep putting on. If you try this at home, do not expect to have fabulous hair during your peeling process. Keep it out of your face to avoid irritation and getting greasy face products all over your locks.
-Blackheads. Do you have them? Because I do, all over my nose and some renegades on my cheeks and forehead. The blackheads on my nose (where they are most prominent) have decreased in size and the peel has made it easier to extract the renegades. Blackheads are pretty impossible to get rid of and they run in my family (on the nose), but it is nice to know they can be treated in some capacity. My regular skincare regimen just does not affect them too much.
-I really love the green tea soap that came in my kit. It is actually a bar soap that they say is NOT soap...okay? Un-soap soap. Anyway, it is non-irritating and does not sting. I tried using my regular cleanser and it stung. This soap seems to be somewhat moisturizing and lathers really nicely. The next time I buy something from the website I will probably pick up one of these bars.
www.makeupartistschoice.com/products/Soap_Free_Botanical_Bar-38-33.html
-I might be breaking out moreso because it getting close to "that time of the month." Not sure.
I will update again in a few days.
*This is what I do when I want to appear in public: (1) Make sure face and neck are freshly washed and dry (2) Apply daily SPF moisturizer and let the skin absorb it (3) Apply a thin layer of Neosporin/your favorite generic triple antibiotic ointment (4) Mix a small amount of foundation with some moisturizer and apply like you regularly would if you wear foundation.
If you prefer to forego foundation your face will look super great with the application of the ointment, just in a shiny-great kind of way. I apply the foundation because my skin tone is uneven. Anyway, personally, I feel more confident being shiny and less peely looking.
Day 4: my skin was showing signs of flaking but I could tell that there would not be any amazing results. My forehead was tight and moderately wrinkly, but not in the way it looks when it is going to slough. Thus, it seemed like a good idea to slap on two more layers of the TCA solution. This time it hurt and a few patches frosted. JOY.
Days 5-8: Some pretty good peeling, some flaking. Scary looking face. Very scary. Have I emphasized the scary? Really unpleasant to the point that I really did not want to leave the house. However, I discovered an interesting technique that is probably just a huge waste of time and money but I enjoy doing it anyway: slather scary face with triple antibiotic ointment. I know, I know, it is a petroleum product. My bad. But it is helping my face not hurt and significantly decreases the appearance of reptile skin*. Some of the cystic nodules are healing nicely and there has also been a bit of purging by way of white heads around my jawline and chin, which is where I break out ALL THE TIME. The new skin that has emerged is soft, smooth and pink. The skin that sloughed off of my neck was thin and wispy...sort of like fairy wings. Well, okay, more like a thin layer of glue that you let dry on your hand so you could peel it off later, except a little thinner.
Day 9: My forehead does not want to peel. It continues to hang out and mock me in its quasi-wrinkly, semi-gross state. The only peeling it has agreed to is around the hair line. Not impressed. My cheeks are on the same bandwagon as my forehead, although this is understandable since I did put as many layers on them. Purging continues. So what did I do? Three more layers of peel solution. This is the last time, I swear.
Day 10: Gnarly! But not in the awesome way. My face feels VERY tight.
Day 11: Horror. I went to the dentist today and, while I had my mouth open for a very long time, all of the surrounding skin got really dry and crackly. The dentist came in and decided to feel my jawline (checking for tumors? who knows) and this really bothered me because she was rubbing off any moisture I had left; I was also embarrassed because she kept touching my zits. My face is red and blotchy and uber terrible. Forehead is still on strike and my cheeks refuse to let go of their nasty patches. Maybe they will reconsider at some point in the near future.
Extras:
-I have had to keep my hair out of my face due to all of the ointments and moisturizers I keep putting on. If you try this at home, do not expect to have fabulous hair during your peeling process. Keep it out of your face to avoid irritation and getting greasy face products all over your locks.
-Blackheads. Do you have them? Because I do, all over my nose and some renegades on my cheeks and forehead. The blackheads on my nose (where they are most prominent) have decreased in size and the peel has made it easier to extract the renegades. Blackheads are pretty impossible to get rid of and they run in my family (on the nose), but it is nice to know they can be treated in some capacity. My regular skincare regimen just does not affect them too much.
-I really love the green tea soap that came in my kit. It is actually a bar soap that they say is NOT soap...okay? Un-soap soap. Anyway, it is non-irritating and does not sting. I tried using my regular cleanser and it stung. This soap seems to be somewhat moisturizing and lathers really nicely. The next time I buy something from the website I will probably pick up one of these bars.
www.makeupartistschoice.com/products/Soap_Free_Botanical_Bar-38-33.html
-I might be breaking out moreso because it getting close to "that time of the month." Not sure.
I will update again in a few days.
*This is what I do when I want to appear in public: (1) Make sure face and neck are freshly washed and dry (2) Apply daily SPF moisturizer and let the skin absorb it (3) Apply a thin layer of Neosporin/your favorite generic triple antibiotic ointment (4) Mix a small amount of foundation with some moisturizer and apply like you regularly would if you wear foundation.
If you prefer to forego foundation your face will look super great with the application of the ointment, just in a shiny-great kind of way. I apply the foundation because my skin tone is uneven. Anyway, personally, I feel more confident being shiny and less peely looking.