doing TCA cross at home. are you crazy?

[rockomon123 0]

i hear about so many people doing TCA cross at home, and i just have to think that they're crazy or irresponsible. the fact that it cost 800 dollars(usd) or so at the dermatologist office is for good reason. you can permanantly scar your face with TCA ingredients. why do people still do it?

[holelyface 0]

i hear about so many people doing TCA cross at home, and i just have to think that they're crazy or irresponsible. the fact that it cost 800 dollars(usd) or so at the dermatologist office is for good reason. you can permanantly scar your face with TCA ingredients. why do people still do it?

I did it... and it works... exactly the same way Derm does it...

[Hopesprings 1]

the fact that it cost 800 dollars(usd) or so at the dermatologist office is for good reason. you can permanantly scar your face with TCA ingredients. why do people still do it?

Because of many reasons. Some might do it because they just don't have thousands of dollars to spend. I think many do it because they don't have a doctor in their state that does it (like me).

Basically, if you follow protocol there's no reason to mess up. In the few cases where cross causes more damage (because that's how an individual's skin reacts) it would make no difference whatsoever if a doctor did it the first time or if you did it at home. it seems that in the cases where damage was done, it wasn't because of wrong application but because of a person's skin. There have been many (including me) that have accidentally caused the cross to get out of the scar boundaries and no damage was done. It's only after you've tried it that you know if you're one of those that react well to it, indifferent or badly.

[Holly_08 0]

For the same reasons also that just like me, a derm can make a mistake too. So why pay HIM $800 to make a mistake on my face when I can make the same mistake on my face practically for free?

There is really no science behind it, IMO. Just a few important rules you have to follow and when you got a screwed up face to begin with and you have no other alternatives or economic means, why not try something for cheap and see if you get lucky...

[Hopesprings 1]

For the same reasons also that just like me, a derm can make a mistake too. So why pay HIM $800 to make a mistake on my face when I can make the same mistake on my face practically for free?

bratz, ROFLMAO

I don't know if you meant to be funny but that remark cracks me up

[pennypal 0]

You're right a lot of the topics people do here can cause more scarring. Just about anything that can help scarring can also cause more or different scarring. It's a risk. Knowledge lessons the risk. No one should do anything drastic based on advice from this forum but research it thoroughly first. I don't think anyone with young skin (less than 25) should attempt these procedures. Skin will attempt to heal itself over time. Unfortunately it's the young people who are often the most insecure and desperate.

In may case. I have 2 full blown tcs peels with a plastic surgeon; not I can do my own on spot areas.

Leslie

[Kitty_Collins 1]

For the same reasons also that just like me, a derm can make a mistake too. So why pay HIM $800 to make a mistake on my face when I can make the same mistake on my face practically for free?

There is really no science behind it, IMO. Just a few important rules you have to follow and when you got a screwed up face to begin with and you have no other alternatives or economic means, why not try something for cheap and see if you get lucky...

Because if your derm screws up you can sue. If you screw up you're just... well, screwed.

[rockomon123 0]

For the same reasons also that just like me, a derm can make a mistake too. So why pay HIM $800 to make a mistake on my face when I can make the same mistake on my face practically for free?

There is really no science behind it, IMO. Just a few important rules you have to follow and when you got a screwed up face to begin with and you have no other alternatives or economic means, why not try something for cheap and see if you get lucky...

hmm, there should be a how-to-do-tca-cross subject dedicated in the acne.org website.

[Holly_08 0]

Because if your derm screws up you can sue. If you screw up you're just... well, screwed.

Thats why they have you sign waivers so you can't sue...Peels or any type of cosmetic proceedure carries a risk and that is why a lot of practices outline a careful agreement so that they are protected. Once you sign, you understand this. You have to prove something deep in order to win a case. It ain't that easy.

Anyways, call me neurotic, but I prefer to take my chances. It's not like I'm throwing buckets of acid on my face indiscriminantly; it's controlled. I've already paid blowheaded derms enough of my good earned cash.

HopeSprings...Tad a bit a joke, Largely meant on a serious note. But hey, I laughed too.

[stillhere 1]

I kind of agree that it may seem crazy to try this at home and I am not like many on the board who just bought it and tried it without fully investigating. I read others posts for at least a year and finally decided to try it. I also started with 6% then worked my way up to 15% peels. I also "experimented on a scar by my ear before trying one on my face, I just did my 4th cross on a larger boxcar. I knew this one was different. It burned longer. The scar scabbed a white scab which I always get, falls off a few days later and now the inside of the scar is red and looks BAD. This is my experience but it was slightly similar to the first experience. The scar is basicly re-wounded and it heals again. I wish I had some type of really good cellular healing lotion like revive. ANYWAYS, with my experience, it sometimes looks worse at first, then heals up to look slightly better. I hope it heals quick. When the scar is red in the middle, it has the illision that it is deeper than it acutally is and looks worse untill it begins to heal.

[Denise2 0]

I've done it 5 times to myself and there aren't any special skill sets needed to poke a toothpick into a pit. Seriously.

[Keithr23 0]

Because if your derm screws up you can sue. If you screw up you're just... well, screwed.

Thats why they have you sign waivers so you can't sue...Peels or any type of cosmetic proceedure carries a risk and that is why a lot of practices outline a careful agreement so that they are protected. Once you sign, you understand this. You have to prove something deep in order to win a case. It ain't that easy.

Anyways, call me neurotic, but I prefer to take my chances. It's not like I'm throwing buckets of acid on my face indiscriminantly; it's controlled. I've already paid blowheaded derms enough of my good earned cash.

HopeSprings...Tad a bit a joke, Largely meant on a serious note. But hey, I laughed too.

Your joking. Those waivers are to say that the procedures are being preformed correctly and that u agree to the side effects if there are any. If the doctor burns your face and messes up the procedure then all that shit goes out the window. In any case u can still certainly sue if u are messed up from cosmetic procedures. They are not going to mess your face up with tca unless they are negl and do something wrong.

TCA at home is insane in my opinion. I guess it depends on teh severity of the condition and what u are willing to risk though.

[Holly_08 0]

Your joking. Those waivers are to say that the procedures are being preformed correctly and that u agree to the side effects if there are any. If the doctor burns your face and messes up the procedure then all that shit goes out the window. In any case u can still certainly sue if u are messed up from cosmetic procedures. They are not going to mess your face up with tca unless they are negl and do something wrong.

TCA at home is insane in my opinion. I guess it depends on teh severity of the condition and what u are willing to risk though.

Yea, I didn't mean to say that it isn't possible to sue, but it sure as hell isn't simple. They got their ways man, they got courts backing up doctors from lawsuits...If it were that easy to sue doctors wouldn't be doing risky proceedures. Accidents happen waaay too frequently.

I've done it 5 times to myself and there aren't any special skill sets needed to poke a toothpick into a pit. Seriously.

I believe this too. There are RULES mind you, but no special skills.

[morpho 0]

i did TCA cross (100%) on myself at home, on scars on my forehead and temples, and had no problems. i consulted with a doc about fraxel soon afterwards and showed her what i did w/the cross, and she said it's the same thing they do there. she seemed to think it was interesting and had no problems with me doing it at home.

i totally agree that your skin is going to react how it's going to react, regardless of who is doing the crossing. in some senses if you're someone who has been dealing with scars and treatments for a long time, you're better equipped to judge how your skin will react to something than a doctor who may only have just met you. i bet most of us are actually a lot more careful with our skin than aestheticians or doctors are -- i mean, the stuff i have been advised to do by doctors... many of them *are* trying to make $$$, and so don't necessarily think of long term effects on a patient's skin and whether a procedure actually has the potential to help or not.

[touchthesky_86 0]

I did it at home and 3 crosses later I'm glad I did. It was a risk I was willing to take, but I did an unhealthy amount of research going in so I wasn't worried. I also did a test spot before the real thing.

[beebs 0]

i've done tca at home and it is by far the best thing i've done for my scars. i have about 40% improvement, and am going to cross more.