I've only done 25% TCA peels on my face and I am not sure that I would want to go with a 35% TCA peel due to the possibility of scarring and prolonged downtime.

Sometimes stronger is not always better.

I have done four 25% TCA peels at home and it takes a full five days to go through the peeling process. I know that we all want the fastest healing process possible, but I think that taking a slower, more conservative approach may be in your best interests.

Matt

I've only done 25% TCA peels on my face and I am not sure that I would want to go with a 35% TCA peel due to the possibility of scarring and prolonged downtime.

Sometimes stronger is not always better.

I have done four 25% TCA peels at home and it takes a full five days to go through the peeling process. I know that we all want the fastest healing process possible, but I think that taking a slower, more conservative approach may be in your best interests.

Matt

Mr Matt, many thanks for your response. You're a legend on these boards! Congrats on your scar success!

I do trust the PS and I'm not as concerned with the peel strength. I just don't want to go through with the pre-peel prep and post-peel downtime if it's not going to make a difference in my scarring. How did the peels help you?

Freshstart, that is the problem I find with Realself. It is a fantastic site in terms of reading about people's real experiences, but the contradicting information from the doctors is head messing! A lot of the time though, the doctors will state nothing will work apart from the treatments they promote in their surgery - usually lasers!

From what I can gather from my own research regarding peels is that they will not help much with acne scars, but can be a fantastic tool in the right hands and patient to help with the overall texture of the skin. This in itself will help the scars look better. That is my theory and what I hope for anyway.

I am surprised your PS recommended 35% the first time round, I would think to start low and see how you tolerate it and build up would be the safest option.

Keep us updated.

I've done subcision and filler with a PS and am happy with results on my left cheek so far but not so much on my right. He suggests a 35% TCA peel next for my shallow scarring and slight hyperpigmentation. I've read up on it A LOT and am disappointed when I see doctor comments (mostly on RealSelf) that TCA doesn't work for indented scarring or you can't sculpt scars with peels. My PS says this isn't true. He has all the tools and toys so there is no reason to sell me on a cheaper modality.

Can anyone comment on experience with a peel of this strength? Mainly for shallow rolling type scars...most of which are only noticeable in just the right light. I've attached a photo of my worst scar in bad light. image.jpgimage.jpg

Freshstart, some of my scarring is similar to yours. I did a few Easy TCA peels so it was a lower strength but I still had to go through the downtime peeling period (5 days i think) and it didn't make any difference whatsoever to shallow scarring.

I'm researching the Spectra peel at the moment which I'm hoping will help the scarring I have.

I've done subcision and filler with a PS and am happy with results on my left cheek so far but not so much on my right. He suggests a 35% TCA peel next for my shallow scarring and slight hyperpigmentation. I've read up on it A LOT and am disappointed when I see doctor comments (mostly on RealSelf) that TCA doesn't work for indented scarring or you can't sculpt scars with peels. My PS says this isn't true. He has all the tools and toys so there is no reason to sell me on a cheaper modality.

Can anyone comment on experience with a peel of this strength? Mainly for shallow rolling type scars...most of which are only noticeable in just the right light. I've attached a photo of my worst scar in bad light. image.jpgimage.jpg

Freshstart, some of my scarring is similar to yours. I did a few Easy TCA peels so it was a lower strength but I still had to go through the downtime peeling period (5 days i think) and it didn't make any difference whatsoever to shallow scarring.

I'm researching the Spectra peel at the moment which I'm hoping will help the scarring I have.

Thanks for replying Taurus Girl. I think my peel is a lot stronger than the Easy Peel so perhaps I will see results? I hope so! Good luck with the Spectra laser peel!

Freshstart, that is the problem I find with Realself. It is a fantastic site in terms of reading about people's real experiences, but the contradicting information from the doctors is head messing! A lot of the time though, the doctors will state nothing will work apart from the treatments they promote in their surgery - usually lasers!

From what I can gather from my own research regarding peels is that they will not help much with acne scars, but can be a fantastic tool in the right hands and patient to help with the overall texture of the skin. This in itself will help the scars look better. That is my theory and what I hope for anyway.

I am surprised your PS recommended 35% the first time round, I would think to start low and see how you tolerate it and build up would be the safest option.

Keep us updated.

Spot on...

honestly i think starting low like what people said is a waste of time and money if you gonna start then do it at a medium level or something that will show better results then low

35% will not be a problem if your doctor knows what hes doing

Freshstart, that is the problem I find with Realself. It is a fantastic site in terms of reading about people's real experiences, but the contradicting information from the doctors is head messing! A lot of the time though, the doctors will state nothing will work apart from the treatments they promote in their surgery - usually lasers!

From what I can gather from my own research regarding peels is that they will not help much with acne scars, but can be a fantastic tool in the right hands and patient to help with the overall texture of the skin. This in itself will help the scars look better. That is my theory and what I hope for anyway.

I am surprised your PS recommended 35% the first time round, I would think to start low and see how you tolerate it and build up would be the safest option.

Keep us updated.

OMG, is RealSelf not the most frustrating website??? I sometimes wonder why I bother with it.

I think he's going hardcore because I'm so desperate for improvement...especially on that cheek scar in particular. The PS is experienced so I do trust his judgement. However, I am concerned that I had to ask him for anti-viral (I get cold sores and think he should have asked me about this) and he doesn't seem to see the risk in doing the peel in the summer (when it's hard to avoid the sun). I feel like I'm not exactly being prepped properly.

And will it really do anything for my scars? I'm tired of all the dead ends!!

My other option is to do spot Profractional treatments at 600 microns at a different clinic. The downtime will be a lot easier to manage (2 weeks with the peel will be hard with 2 small kids) but again, will I see results? And should I be worried about spot treatments?

Argh, the world of scar treatments can be so difficult to navigate!

I've only done 25% TCA peels on my face and I am not sure that I would want to go with a 35% TCA peel due to the possibility of scarring and prolonged downtime.

Sometimes stronger is not always better.

I have done four 25% TCA peels at home and it takes a full five days to go through the peeling process. I know that we all want the fastest healing process possible, but I think that taking a slower, more conservative approach may be in your best interests.

Matt

Mr Matt, many thanks for your response. You're a legend on these boards! Congrats on your scar success!

I do trust the PS and I'm not as concerned with the peel strength. I just don't want to go through with the pre-peel prep and post-peel downtime if it's not going to make a difference in my scarring. How did the peels help you?

Chemical peels, in and of themselves, are not going to do much for your scarring especially if you have tethered scarring. I don't believe that I did any of my 25% TCA peels until after my last subcison treatment. My TCA peels have helped my skin tone and have helped develop collagen, but I can't say that the peels truly did anything for my scarring.

I have done several chemical peels at home including TCA peels up to 45% (don't recommend this high). I am an Asian, have brownish skin tone. I did ~45% TCA peel about 9 days ago and the result is bittersweet. It did create more scarring as most people warned on the nose, and probably some more on the cheek. I do notice more even skin texture, but at a tremendous cost of redness, which I hope will subside in a few weeks.

The problem with TCA peel is that while it may elevate the scars by stimulating collagen production, there is no way for you to control how high the skin would come up after the peel. For instance, if you have several boxcar scars and you perform TCA peel on them, skin will fill up to certain level within the scar, but most likely not to the full extent. Thus, the boxcar scar you had previously would turn into rolling scar in the best case scenario.

In addition, when you perform full face peel, the treatment covers areas that are perfectly fine; areas with no scar, smooth texture, and your natural skin tone. When those unscathed areas are treated with peels, it creates a lot of potential to do damage. This also ties back into the previous point I mentioned since TCA peel first damages your skin by doing some work in the epidermis.

The worst thing about first two poitns I made is when the boxcar(or icepick) scars connect with areas that had no scars as they turn into rolling scars. I am not sure if this would make sense, but think of it as a clay dough. As scars in two different areas heal, they start connecting with each other, whicih results in one large rolling scar instead of an original scar + fine region.

In the end, I think TCA peels are decent at making your scars look less prevalent at a cost of redness, potential uneven texture, and more scarring. I have not done any professional TCA peels, so maybe doctors have certain tools that can alleviate the problems I have mentioned.

I have done several chemical peels at home including TCA peels up to 45% (don't recommend this high). I am an Asian, have brownish skin tone. I did ~45% TCA peel about 9 days ago and the result is bittersweet. It did create more scarring as most people warned on the nose, and probably some more on the cheek. I do notice more even skin texture, but at a tremendous cost of redness, which I hope will subside in a few weeks.

The problem with TCA peel is that while it may elevate the scars by stimulating collagen production, there is no way for you to control how high the skin would come up after the peel. For instance, if you have several boxcar scars and you perform TCA peel on them, skin will fill up to certain level within the scar, but most likely not to the full extent. Thus, the boxcar scar you had previously would turn into rolling scar in the best case scenario.

In addition, when you perform full face peel, the treatment covers areas that are perfectly fine; areas with no scar, smooth texture, and your natural skin tone. When those unscathed areas are treated with peels, it creates a lot of potential to do damage. This also ties back into the previous point I mentioned since TCA peel first damages your skin by doing some work in the epidermis.

The worst thing about first two poitns I made is when the boxcar(or icepick) scars connect with areas that had no scars as they turn into rolling scars. I am not sure if this would make sense, but think of it as a clay dough. As scars in two different areas heal, they start connecting with each other, whicih results in one large rolling scar instead of an original scar + fine region.

In the end, I think TCA peels are decent at making your scars look less prevalent at a cost of redness, potential uneven texture, and more scarring. I have not done any professional TCA peels, so maybe doctors have certain tools that can alleviate the problems I have mentioned.

Are you saying you actually applied 45% TCA to your entire face? Or are you saying you applied the 45% TCA only to the scarred pits, in effect doing a milder version of TCA Cross? I don't have a lot of knowledge about chemical peels, but anything above 35% TCA for at home peel sounds incredibly risky. I'm not sure a doctor would even attempt 45% TCA on an Asian patient.

Is the additional scarring from the TCA hypertrophic scarring (elevated) or indented scarring?

Good luck with your healing.

honestly i think starting low like what people said is a waste of time and money if you gonna start then do it at a medium level or something that will show better results then low

35% will not be a problem if your doctor knows what hes doing

I understand what you are saying here regarding results. What I meant by saying it is perhaps better to start at a low percentage is to see if you can tolerate the peel. Some people respond better to different acids. It's also a way to prepare your skin and build up slowly before doing a high percentage. Wouldn't it be awful to do dive into a high strength peel, react to it and end up with more of an issue than before?

Freshstart, that is the problem I find with Realself. It is a fantastic site in terms of reading about people's real experiences, but the contradicting information from the doctors is head messing! A lot of the time though, the doctors will state nothing will work apart from the treatments they promote in their surgery - usually lasers!

From what I can gather from my own research regarding peels is that they will not help much with acne scars, but can be a fantastic tool in the right hands and patient to help with the overall texture of the skin. This in itself will help the scars look better. That is my theory and what I hope for anyway.

I am surprised your PS recommended 35% the first time round, I would think to start low and see how you tolerate it and build up would be the safest option.

Keep us updated.

OMG, is RealSelf not the most frustrating website??? I sometimes wonder why I bother with it.

I think he's going hardcore because I'm so desperate for improvement...especially on that cheek scar in particular. The PS is experienced so I do trust his judgement. However, I am concerned that I had to ask him for anti-viral (I get cold sores and think he should have asked me about this) and he doesn't seem to see the risk in doing the peel in the summer (when it's hard to avoid the sun). I feel like I'm not exactly being prepped properly.

And will it really do anything for my scars? I'm tired of all the dead ends!!

My other option is to do spot Profractional treatments at 600 microns at a different clinic. The downtime will be a lot easier to manage (2 weeks with the peel will be hard with 2 small kids) but again, will I see results? And should I be worried about spot treatments?

Argh, the world of scar treatments can be so difficult to navigate!

Haha yes, Realself really is frustrating and I now don't take much notice of the doctor's predicted answers, most of them use the site to tout for business. What amazes and angers me also is the casual responses to people that have had disastrous results ..... "CO2 laser might help with the damage, etc". There shouldn't be such damage in the first place from a treatment! And do they think the majority of us have 50k and time to fix it!

I would also be worried about him not giving you information regarding anti-virals, etc. It's fortunate we now have the internet and can at least research ourselves and make sure we ask such questions. Regarding prep treatment, this is different among different doctors. Some say that preparing with Retin A etc, allows the acid to penetrate deeper, so for a first peel it's better to not actually do this.

All in all, you are right, 'the world of acne scar treatments can be difficult to navigate". It's so frustrating. I think your best bet is to not build your hopes up with the peels. If you are expecting your scars to dissappear, you will be dissapointed. If you are hoping for a better tone/texture, you could be very pleased. This is what I am hoping for with peels - I am thinking of my acne scars themselves as a seperate avenue entirely.

I have never researched profractional treatments as I will not personally touch lasers so can't comment on that.

I wish you much luck. One day with perserverance we will all get to a point where we can live with our faces. Mr Matt's journey proves it is possible.

honestly i think starting low like what people said is a waste of time and money if you gonna start then do it at a medium level or something that will show better results then low

35% will not be a problem if your doctor knows what hes doing

I understand what you are saying here regarding results. What I meant by saying it is perhaps better to start at a low percentage is to see if you can tolerate the peel. Some people respond better to different acids. It's also a way to prepare your skin and build up slowly before doing a high percentage. Wouldn't it be awful to do dive into a high strength peel, react to it and end up with more of an issue than before?

>

Freshstart, that is the problem I find with Realself. It is a fantastic site in terms of reading about people's real experiences, but the contradicting information from the doctors is head messing! A lot of the time though, the doctors will state nothing will work apart from the treatments they promote in their surgery - usually lasers!

From what I can gather from my own research regarding peels is that they will not help much with acne scars, but can be a fantastic tool in the right hands and patient to help with the overall texture of the skin. This in itself will help the scars look better. That is my theory and what I hope for anyway.

I am surprised your PS recommended 35% the first time round, I would think to start low and see how you tolerate it and build up would be the safest option.

Keep us updated.

OMG, is RealSelf not the most frustrating website??? I sometimes wonder why I bother with it.

I think he's going hardcore because I'm so desperate for improvement...especially on that cheek scar in particular. The PS is experienced so I do trust his judgement. However, I am concerned that I had to ask him for anti-viral (I get cold sores and think he should have asked me about this) and he doesn't seem to see the risk in doing the peel in the summer (when it's hard to avoid the sun). I feel like I'm not exactly being prepped properly.

And will it really do anything for my scars? I'm tired of all the dead ends!!

My other option is to do spot Profractional treatments at 600 microns at a different clinic. The downtime will be a lot easier to manage (2 weeks with the peel will be hard with 2 small kids) but again, will I see results? And should I be worried about spot treatments?

Argh, the world of scar treatments can be so difficult to navigate!

Haha yes, Realself really is frustrating and I now don't take much notice of the doctor's predicted answers, most of them use the site to tout for business. What amazes and angers me also is the casual responses to people that have had disastrous results ..... "CO2 laser might help with the damage, etc". There shouldn't be such damage in the first place from a treatment! And do they think the majority of us have 50k and time to fix it!

I would also be worried about him not giving you information regarding anti-virals, etc. It's fortunate we now have the internet and can at least research ourselves and make sure we ask such questions. Regarding prep treatment, this is different among different doctors. Some say that preparing with Retin A etc, allows the acid to penetrate deeper, so for a first peel it's better to not actually do this.

All in all, you are right, 'the world of acne scar treatments can be difficult to navigate". It's so frustrating. I think your best bet is to not build your hopes up with the peels. If you are expecting your scars to dissappear, you will be dissapointed. If you are hoping for a better tone/texture, you could be very pleased. This is what I am hoping for with peels - I am thinking of my acne scars themselves as a seperate avenue entirely.

I have never researched profractional treatments as I will not personally touch lasers so can't comment on that.

I wish you much luck. One day with perserverance we will all get to a point where we can live with our faces. Mr Matt's journey proves it is possible.

thats why i said start at a medium lvl %

starting at like 10-15 you wont get any benefit you looking for meanwhile waiting the downtime

so i would start from 20-35% if you wanted to do it and get your moneys worth also i recommend learning how do to do it at home and save money if you want its easy

honestly i think starting low like what people said is a waste of time and money if you gonna start then do it at a medium level or something that will show better results then low

35% will not be a problem if your doctor knows what hes doing

I understand what you are saying here regarding results. What I meant by saying it is perhaps better to start at a low percentage is to see if you can tolerate the peel. Some people respond better to different acids. It's also a way to prepare your skin and build up slowly before doing a high percentage. Wouldn't it be awful to do dive into a high strength peel, react to it and end up with more of an issue than before?

>

Freshstart, that is the problem I find with Realself. It is a fantastic site in terms of reading about people's real experiences, but the contradicting information from the doctors is head messing! A lot of the time though, the doctors will state nothing will work apart from the treatments they promote in their surgery - usually lasers!

From what I can gather from my own research regarding peels is that they will not help much with acne scars, but can be a fantastic tool in the right hands and patient to help with the overall texture of the skin. This in itself will help the scars look better. That is my theory and what I hope for anyway.

I am surprised your PS recommended 35% the first time round, I would think to start low and see how you tolerate it and build up would be the safest option.

Keep us updated.

OMG, is RealSelf not the most frustrating website??? I sometimes wonder why I bother with it.

I think he's going hardcore because I'm so desperate for improvement...especially on that cheek scar in particular. The PS is experienced so I do trust his judgement. However, I am concerned that I had to ask him for anti-viral (I get cold sores and think he should have asked me about this) and he doesn't seem to see the risk in doing the peel in the summer (when it's hard to avoid the sun). I feel like I'm not exactly being prepped properly.

And will it really do anything for my scars? I'm tired of all the dead ends!!

My other option is to do spot Profractional treatments at 600 microns at a different clinic. The downtime will be a lot easier to manage (2 weeks with the peel will be hard with 2 small kids) but again, will I see results? And should I be worried about spot treatments?

Argh, the world of scar treatments can be so difficult to navigate!

Haha yes, Realself really is frustrating and I now don't take much notice of the doctor's predicted answers, most of them use the site to tout for business. What amazes and angers me also is the casual responses to people that have had disastrous results ..... "CO2 laser might help with the damage, etc". There shouldn't be such damage in the first place from a treatment! And do they think the majority of us have 50k and time to fix it!

I would also be worried about him not giving you information regarding anti-virals, etc. It's fortunate we now have the internet and can at least research ourselves and make sure we ask such questions. Regarding prep treatment, this is different among different doctors. Some say that preparing with Retin A etc, allows the acid to penetrate deeper, so for a first peel it's better to not actually do this.

All in all, you are right, 'the world of acne scar treatments can be difficult to navigate". It's so frustrating. I think your best bet is to not build your hopes up with the peels. If you are expecting your scars to dissappear, you will be dissapointed. If you are hoping for a better tone/texture, you could be very pleased. This is what I am hoping for with peels - I am thinking of my acne scars themselves as a seperate avenue entirely.

I have never researched profractional treatments as I will not personally touch lasers so can't comment on that.

I wish you much luck. One day with perserverance we will all get to a point where we can live with our faces. Mr Matt's journey proves it is possible.

thats why i said start at a medium lvl %

starting at like 10-15 you wont get any benefit you looking for meanwhile waiting the downtime

so i would start from 20-35% if you wanted to do it and get your moneys worth also i recommend learning how do to do it at home and save money if you want its easy

The thing as well is to acknowledge that the peels you buy online, even from the genuine sites are never as strong as those done by a PS. A 25% peel online is not the same as 25% by a PS.

Are you saying you actually applied 45% TCA to your entire face? Or are you saying you applied the 45% TCA only to the scarred pits, in effect doing a milder version of TCA Cross? I don't have a lot of knowledge about chemical peels, but anything above 35% TCA for at home peel sounds incredibly risky. I'm not sure a doctor would even attempt 45% TCA on an Asian patient.

Is the additional scarring from the TCA hypertrophic scarring (elevated) or indented scarring?

Good luck with your healing.

I did full cheek, both right and left sides and only on the scarred areas for my nose. It seems like 35% TCA peel is a standard for doctors where as CROSS can go as high as 100%. I knew it was a risky move since I have dark skin tone, but I was successful at removing red marks from 30% TCA peel with a laser treatment called Legato. So I thought I would give 45% a try.

The additional scars from the TCA are indented, not hypertrophic. Maybe it will go away as skin starts healing, maybe it won't. I do not recommend using high concentrated TCA solution for nose, especially for peeling. If you really want to try CROSS (whatever the % might be) on your nose, use a toothpick, not a cotton swab nor a q-tip.

On 4/12/2014 at 9:40 PM, NearlyDefeated said:

On 4/12/2014 at 8:49 PM, LeadingForce said:

On 4/12/2014 at 8:37 PM, NearlyDefeated said:

On 4/12/2014 at 3:22 AM, LeadingForce said:

honestly i think starting low like what people said is a waste of time and money if you gonna start then do it at a medium level or something that will show better results then low

35% will not be a problem if your doctor knows what hes doing

I understand what you are saying here regarding results. What I meant by saying it is perhaps better to start at a low percentage is to see if you can tolerate the peel. Some people respond better to different acids. It's also a way to prepare your skin and build up slowly before doing a high percentage. Wouldn't it be awful to do dive into a high strength peel, react to it and end up with more of an issue than before?

FreshStart2014 said:

>

>

On 4/12/2014 at 12:53 AM, NearlyDefeated said:

Freshstart, that is the problem I find with Realself. It is a fantastic site in terms of reading about people's real experiences, but the contradicting information from the doctors is head messing! A lot of the time though, the doctors will state nothing will work apart from the treatments they promote in their surgery - usually lasers!

From what I can gather from my own research regarding peels is that they will not help much with acne scars, but can be a fantastic tool in the right hands and patient to help with the overall texture of the skin. This in itself will help the scars look better. That is my theory and what I hope for anyway.

I am surprised your PS recommended 35% the first time round, I would think to start low and see how you tolerate it and build up would be the safest option.

Keep us updated.

OMG, is RealSelf not the most frustrating website??? I sometimes wonder why I bother with it.

I think he's going hardcore because I'm so desperate for improvement...especially on that cheek scar in particular. The PS is experienced so I do trust his judgement. However, I am concerned that I had to ask him for anti-viral (I get cold sores and think he should have asked me about this) and he doesn't seem to see the risk in doing the peel in the summer (when it's hard to avoid the sun). I feel like I'm not exactly being prepped properly.

And will it really do anything for my scars? I'm tired of all the dead ends!!

My other option is to do spot Profractional treatments at 600 microns at a different clinic. The downtime will be a lot easier to manage (2 weeks with the peel will be hard with 2 small kids) but again, will I see results? And should I be worried about spot treatments?

Argh, the world of scar treatments can be so difficult to navigate!lockquote>

Haha yes, Realself really is frustrating and I now don't take much notice of the doctor's predicted answers, most of them use the site to tout for business. What amazes and angers me also is the casual responses to people that have had disastrous results ..... "CO2 laser might help with the damage, etc". There shouldn't be such damage in the first place from a treatment! And do they think the majority of us have 50k and time to fix it!

I would also be worried about him not giving you information regarding anti-virals, etc. It's fortunate we now have the internet and can at least research ourselves and make sure we ask such questions. Regarding prep treatment, this is different among different doctors. Some say that preparing with Retin A etc, allows the acid to penetrate deeper, so for a first peel it's better to not actually do this.

All in all, you are right, 'the world of acne scar treatments can be difficult to navigate". It's so frustrating. I think your best bet is to not build your hopes up with the peels. If you are expecting your scars to dissappear, you will be dissapointed. If you are hoping for a better tone/texture, you could be very pleased. This is what I am hoping for with peels - I am thinking of my acne scars themselves as a seperate avenue entirely.

I have never researched profractional treatments as I will not personally touch lasers so can't comment on that.

I wish you much luck. One day with perserverance we will all get to a point where we can live with our faces. Mr Matt's journey proves it is possible.

thats why i said start at a medium lvl %

starting at like 10-15 you wont get any benefit you looking for meanwhile waiting the downtime

so i would start from 20-35% if you wanted to do it and get your moneys worth also i recommend learning how do to do it at home and save money if you want its easy

The thing as well is to acknowledge that the peels you buy online, even from the genuine sites are never as strong as those done by a PS. A 25% peel online is not the same as 25% by a PS.

actually they still work great and if 25% isnt as strong as 25% by a ps you can buy a 30% then

https://www.amazon.com/Skin-Obsession-Chemical-Peel-Home/dp/B0019IC2N0/

i use this brand and it works great

I definitely want to try a peel(s) at some point. I might do it at home one day but I think I'll try a professional peel first though.

This convo has got me wondering if I should try the laser spot treatments (only $200 a treatment) first and save the peel for the fall/winter. Think that might be a good option?

Sorry to hear that you got some additional indented scarring from the TCA 45%. I hope it is not too bad. Are you able to wear makeup and disguise the redness?

 

Are you saying you actually applied 45% TCA to your entire face? Or are you saying you applied the 45% TCA only to the scarred pits, in effect doing a milder version of TCA Cross? I don't have a lot of knowledge about chemical peels, but anything above 35% TCA for at home peel sounds incredibly risky. I'm not sure a doctor would even attempt 45% TCA on an Asian patient.

Is the additional scarring from the TCA hypertrophic scarring (elevated) or indented scarring?

Good luck with your healing.

I did full cheek, both right and left sides and only on the scarred areas for my nose. It seems like 35% TCA peel is a standard for doctors where as CROSS can go as high as 100%. I knew it was a risky move since I have dark skin tone, but I was successful at removing red marks from 30% TCA peel with a laser treatment called Legato. So I thought I would give 45% a try.

The additional scars from the TCA are indented, not hypertrophic. Maybe it will go away as skin starts healing, maybe it won't. I do not recommend using high concentrated TCA solution for nose, especially for peeling. If you really want to try CROSS (whatever the % might be) on your nose, use a toothpick, not a cotton swab nor a q-tip.

I think your skin looks great! 25% tca peels are weak. I have had many. 35%tca is stronger and should be used with more caution. Its not going to make scars disappear however it might help with overall skin tone/texture. Based on your pic I would leave well enough alone. Lasers and peels are more for treating discoloration/wrinkles and only mildly helpful for scarring IMO unless you plan on doing multiple treatments.