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what is suppose to be the worst day day 4? for peeling?
I don't know. I haven't started peeling yet but today, for some reason, is a psychologically difficult day. My face is a greasy, swollen, red/brown, itchy mess. But again this is the normal progression after this type of procedure. It just doesn't feel good. Ugh. 
Anyway, enough whining. I cannot even imagine what ablative laser treatments are like. I will keep everyone posted over the next few days.
Thank you Matt. You are right. Today is DAY 3 of theTCA PEEL and I can see I will be peeling soon. I slept on the couch (as opposed to my bed as I had been doing) last night and kept my head more elevated. That has made a big difference. The swelling has gone down a bit and I got a better night's rest. It seems that would have a been a common sense thing to do at the start but at least I know now. The itching has reduced as well. I think the restless sleeping was the cause of yesterday's "mood". So here is what I have learned on Day 3: Make sure to have somewhere to sleep where your head will be elevated and you can position yourself comfortably. Sleep is vital to healing (and sanity).
hey matt i've taken a couple of nights off from retin a and my skin is super dry should i take a few more nights off ...i'm seeing great results though
Rob. If your skin is still dry take another night or two off. Ive learned it is better to work WITH your skin rather than AGAINST it. I believe rest breaks are good as they may allow some more collagen to grow in between the inflammatory inducing state of retin-a.
451: Your symptoms are completely normal at this stage of the game. Your skin will continue to tighten and turn a darker color of brown while tightening up, crinkling, and then peeling like crazy on days 3 and 4. Matt
Hey Matt, you nailed it. It is Day 4 and everything you described is happening. I am peeling and itching. Today's mantras are "do not pick" and "do not scratch". It seems everything is going according to plan. The TCA peel recovery has been more intense than what I experienced with the subcision but most of the peeling should be done by this evening or tomorrow. 
what is suppose to be the worst day day 4? for peeling?
Rob, now I can answer your question. Yes, day 4 is when the magic starts to happen.
Day 5: Not too much to report. I have been peeling a lot and should be done by tonight or tomorrow. I am just letting my skin come off at its own pace. Two things that don't mix with a TCA peel: an obsessive/compulsive personality and impatience. My cheeks (of course) are the last to peel and I want so badly to see what is happening under there. But it will shed soon. Patience. Patience. Patience. The itching has finally subsided. I am still keeping the skin very moist. I have managed to get most of the vaseline out of my hair so that makes me feel a little more human. Too soon to tell about the degree of improvement but from what I am seeing thus far I am optimistic. If anyone has any questions please feel free to ask. I will do my best to answer.
i would like to do this ...does it matter where you order your peel?
Rob, I had my done through a dermatologist but Matt did home peels. I bet he will answer your question soon.
Day 6: Well I have basically completed the peeling process. My face is very red and I don't know if the permanent results should be evident now or if this a wait X month(s) and see situation. I am trying to withhold an opinion because if I had to make one today it would be one of disappointment. Tomorrow I have a follow up visit with Dr. Berlin so maybe that will offer some clarity. Then I am going to not think about skin for a month or so.
Matt (or anyone that has experienced a TCA peel) What did your skin look like on day 6? Did your skin improve over time after the peel or was it "what you see immediately after the peeling is what you get"? Thank you in advance for your help.
i would like to do this ...does it matter where you order your peel?Rob, I had my done through a dermatologist but Matt did home peels. I bet he will answer your question soon.
Day 6: Well I have basically completed the peeling process. My face is very red and I don't know if the permanent results should be evident now or if this a wait X month(s) and see situation. I am trying to withhold an opinion because if I had to make one today it would be one of disappointment. Tomorrow I have a follow up visit with Dr. Berlin so maybe that will offer some clarity. Then I am going to not think about skin for a month or so.
Matt (or anyone that has experienced a TCA peel) What did your skin look like on day 6? Did your skin improve over time after the peel or was it "what you see immediately after the peeling is what you get"? Thank you in advance for your help.
The underlying skin that was revealed as a result of the 25 percent TCA peel was somewhat pink and very healthy looking. There was a little bit of residual swelling but not much. The collagen development process begins over the next several weeks and months.
I am a HUGE proponent of TCA peels myself - they are a good complement to subcision treatments but wouldn't do anything by themselves if used alone to treat deep rolling scars.
One thing that I have learned is this: Acne scarring requires a wide variety of modalities and time to see the maximum benefit.
In my case, multiple subcision treatments combined with dermarolling, chemical peels, TCA CROSS, laser treatments, topical vitamins A and C resulted in improvement that I could live with.
I do not want to discourage anyone from doing a TCA peel. I would consider doing more peels and subcisions but for the moment I think I just need to let my skin rest. It is still red and seems a bit swollen. This is preventing me from being able to objectively judge any improvement. Also, my skin is bumpy and I was hoping that would be resolved as soon as the peeling was completed. However, I don't believe it is realistic to think that every bump will disappear within 6 days. As I have been reading about TCA peels today, I have noticed that many people feel a sense of disappointment immediately after the peeling has ended. It is an uncomfortable process and the scars virtually disappear when the skin scabs over giving you a false sense of hope. So when on day 6, you see the scarring come back it is disheartening. On a positive note, I am still optimistic about the eventual result. It has only been 5 weeks since the subcision and 1 week since the TCA peel. I will revaluate the situation in a month. Good luck to everyone on this journey.
On 2/20/2013 at 2:38 PM, panos said:
Day 7
This will be my last post for a while.
I had my follow visit today. My face is red but the derm said that was good. He said the redness meant collagen was forming. So yay! Also, what I am seeing right now will not be the final results. I go back in a month for re-evaluation
A few things:
As I was getting into my car after my appointment, I caught a glimpse of my face in the car window and I have to say it looked a lot smoother. I didn't experience the usual anxiety I get when I catch an unintended glimpse of myself.
The TCA peel seemed to take care of most of the blackheads.
I start using the retin-a again in a week. Dr. Berlin said this will help stimulate collagen.
This was an unpleasant week but I would (probably will) do it again. (Now that I know what to expect.) I think the first time you do anything is the most difficult.
So now it is collagen making time. I will be focusing on eating a very clean diet, exercising, getting good quality rest, and making sure I laugh at least once a day.
