4 replies to this topic

[ScrewUAcne89]

I'm new to this site so here is a quick breakdown of my battle with acne over the past 6 years:

I'm 23, had severe acne in high school and did 7 months on Accutane my senior year, had 6 Fraxel treatments soon after )which i learned to have been a big mistake right after Accutane), I started breaking out again around college graduation so I did another 6 months of Accutane. This time I waited 6 months before having a very pricey CO2 Laser Resurfacing performed. It has now been about 2 months since that procedure and I still can't look into a mirror when under a lightbulb without it ruining my day. After all this money wasted on dermatologists trying to convince me to do more laser treatments I've decided to take matters into my own hands and recently purchased a 25% TCA Peel. I've never done a peel before, is it irrational to try this on my own? Do TCA peels actually work on boxcar type acne scars?

Thanks for any advice

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Edited by ScrewUAcne89, 07 December 2012 - 11:40 AM.

[FruitBiscuits]

I don't think TCA Peel would help your scars. They look like mix of rolling/box scars to me. I say go for Subcision. Pick a highly skilled doctor for this treatment, because not every doctor can perform subcision well. And maybe change your doctor...look around and get other opinions. Good luck OP!

[Quirky Fox]

Hiya!

I agree with FruitBiscuits, subscision is great and I too see a mix of rolling/box-car scars. You could combine this with a Hyaluronic Acid based filler like Restylane for even better results. Peels are generally risky and the downtime is significant. If you didn't get the results you were after with all those laser treatments (especially CO2) then peels will be a waste of money.

Home treatments scare me. The thought of something going wrong turns me off ever trying it. If you're confident and if you've done your research then it's up to you but be very careful.

I too have had multiple Fraxel sessions (Re:Store) and was not really happy with my outcome. I'm now going through Dermarolling treatments and am very excited with the progress already made.

Good luck!

Edited by Quirky Fox, 07 December 2012 - 08:16 PM.

[Relentless Rasta]

Tca peels helped me a LOT espescially shallow scarring most have dissapeared with regular use and helped my complexion/texture, it wont do anything for deep scars but can make them appear softer this is what i found to be the case in my experience and it was 2 years ago nearly that i first did a tca peel and my shallow scars have not reappeared which some people think they do, everyone is different good luck!

[Acnepolis]

I've done many tca peels over the years. They have improved some of my shallow scars at least. But you shouldn't expect much, 1 peel isn't likely to make a visible difference, you'll need to do several before there's a visible difference and even then it may not improve some scars at all. But seeing how cheap they are I think it's a good idea to do a tca peel twice a year or something. The downtime is still annoying and you need to start with low strength peels to learn to know your skin and the procedure as there are risks as well.