Peculiarities of peeling with the use of trichloroacetic acid, indications and contraindications. Preliminary preparation and procedure algorithm. How to care for your face after chemical rejuvenation? Potential problems and complications. It is better to undergo TCA peels in late autumn or winter to avoid excessive UV exposure. The number of sessions is determined individually. If 2 courses are required, then the interval between them is at least a month. Rejuvenation with trichloroacetic acid is allowed to be done no more than 2 times a year.
Indications for peeling with trichloroacetic acid
If the main goal is rejuvenation, then trichloroacetic peels are the best choice.
Indications for acid exfoliation:
- Mesh of wrinkles on the face and crow's feet;
- Increased oily skin and related problems - enlarged pores, acne;
- Decreased elasticity and loss of skin tone;
- Scars or scars after acne, chickenpox, minor burns and mechanical damage;
- Excessive pigmentation and hypersensitivity to ultraviolet light;
- Thickening of the stratum corneum.
The final decision on the need for the procedure, especially when it comes to young skin, is made after consultation with a beautician.
Contraindications for TCA peeling with acids
There are many contraindications to the procedure.
These include:
- Age under 25, so as not to disrupt the natural processes of the epidermis;
- Predisposition to the formation of keloid scars;
- Frequent appearance of papillomas, growth of warts on the face or neck;
- Frequent inflammatory processes in which abscesses form;
- Dermatitis of various etiologies - infectious or organic;
- Propensity to develop an allergic reaction;
- Diseases in history: hypertension, diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, convulsive readiness, neuropsychiatric disorders, oncological processes in the body, tuberculosis, syphilis;
You can not do chemical peeling against the background of radiation therapy, radiotherapy, while taking a course of antibiotics and sulfonamides, exacerbation of herpes and neurodermatitis.
It is worth postponing the procedure if the temperature rises, if you have visited a solarium or sunbathed on the beach during the week before. During pregnancy and lactation, chemical peeling is prohibited!
How is a trichloroacetic acid chemical peel done?
Preparation for the procedure begins in advance. If you neglect the recommendations, you will not be able to get the desired result.
The sequence of necessary measures before rejuvenation:
- Already 30-40 days before the start of the session, they switch to cosmetics with acids - preferably with fruit. It is advisable to undergo salon facial cleansing procedures with hydroxyl acids.
- All this time, intense exposure to ultraviolet radiation should be avoided. You will have to give up sunbathing and solarium, going outside even on cloudy days, use UV-protected skin products.
- Sharp temperature changes are undesirable for the body, therefore, for three weeks before the peeling, you cannot visit baths and saunas, or swim in the ice-hole.
- A week before the procedure, they refuse to manipulate the skin of the face: correction of eyebrows, removal of excess hair.
- It is recommended to drink antiviral drugs to prevent the exacerbation of herpes, and drugs to strengthen the vascular walls and accelerate peripheral blood flow: Ascorutin, Cinnarizin, Vitrum Cardio, vitamin E.
The possibility of using anesthesia is discussed in advance. At a concentration of acid above 20%, the sensations are quite painful, and the patient is warned about this. With a low pain threshold, anesthetics are also applied with superficial peeling.
In the office, the patient is placed on a couch. With the help of gel products, cosmetic and household dirt is thoroughly removed, and then the face is thoroughly treated with antiseptics. If necessary, use a local anesthetic. Only then the peeling composition is applied in an even layer.
The fact that a chemical reaction has begun is indicated by frost - a change in the color of the surface of the face under the cosmetic substance. Pink frost with superficial peeling, pink-white with medium peel, white with deep peeling.
After the end of the exposure, the acid is neutralized, and then agents are applied to accelerate regeneration: a special mask, anti-inflammatory or moisturizing cream. The duration of the procedure is from 5 to 10 minutes. If you are afraid to do the procedure, then try using cosmetics, for example, Maxclinic Lifting Stick with collagen. This is an innovative face-lift with direct action collagen.
Skin care after TCA peeling
The rehabilitation period after the rejuvenation procedure with trichloroacetic acid is quite long, so it is advisable to take care of the vacation in advance. It takes at least 2 weeks to recover from a superficial peel, and from 3 to 5 weeks after a medium and deep peel.
After TCA peeling, the face begins to ache within 15-20 minutes - the effect of anesthesia ends. During this time, the use of analgesics may be required. The skin swells, reddens intensely, begins to get wet. This is a natural process, because the surface layer is burned out during the procedure. Do not touch the affected area; a crust should form. During this period, they do not wash, only gently wipe their eyes and lips with a damp cloth so as not to disturb the surrounding areas.
After 2-3 days, the crust will completely form, and care must be taken that it does not peel off, but leaves evenly. For this, emollients are applied to the face: D-Panthenol-3 or Bepanten. You can already wash your face, only not with water, but with special products, ampoule serums or hydrophilic oils. They don't wipe their face, they get wet.
On days 4-5, emollients are alternated with the use of formulations with regenerating and anti-inflammatory components: salicylic-zinc paste, cosmetics with an extract of pharmacy chamomile, aloe vera, witch hazel.
With a frequent exacerbation of herpes, antiviral agents are connected to the treatment - Acyclovir or Viferon ointments. Preparations with ceramides help to retain moisture in the skin.
In no case should you tear off the film yourself. In this case, there will be no effect from the procedure, but on the contrary, new scars may form. When the crust begins to flake off, you can already go outside. At this stage, it is necessary to apply a sunscreen with a high level of UV protection. The skin at this time is still pinkish, a little swollen. If the recovery is slow, then the rejuvenation is supplemented with biorevitalization. That is, hyaluronic acid is injected into the upper layer of the skin. This stimulates the production of elastin and collagen and prevents moisture loss.
Biorevitalization after surface peeling is carried out after 7-10 days, after the middle one - after 12-14 days. After deep exposure, additional cosmetic manipulations are recommended by the doctor after evaluating the clinical picture. The use of care products can be adjusted.
The exfoliation of the crust occurs unevenly, at first in places with active work of the muscles - near the lips, on the eyelids, on the cheeks, on the forehead. Regardless of the stage of exfoliation, creams and medications are applied to the entire face.
It is impossible during the rehabilitation period:
- Visit the sauna, bathhouse, pool, gym, solarium, swim in natural reservoirs;
- Use decorative cosmetics;
- Align the line of the eyebrows.
Complete restoration of the skin takes 2 to 4 weeks. Only after the expiration of the term can the results of chemical peeling be evaluated. If problems persist, the beautician may recommend repeating the procedure.
TCA peeling effect and consequences
If you follow all the recommendations for skin care, then after peeling the face will be of an even healthy color, age spots and irregularities will disappear, pores will significantly narrow and the beginning age-related changes will completely disappear, and deep wrinkles will decrease. According to the patients' reviews, you become 5-7 years younger.
Cosmetologists warn in advance about the possible consequences of the procedure and how to cope with them.
Complications are not:
- The appearance of edema, which increases by the end of the first day. Knowing about the tendency to allergic manifestations, two days before the session and three days after, they take antihistamines. Antiallergic drugs of rapid action will symptomatically help: Suprastin, Tavegil, Fenkarol, Claritin.
- The dryness of the skin is increased, it is even difficult to open the mouth. In this case, it is advised to increase the use of emollients and eat liquid food for 2-3 days so as not to damage the crust.
- Intense flaking. For skin care, you need to use oils - rosehip or sea buckthorn with anti-inflammatory and nourishing effects.
Complications after TCA peeling are:
- Residual scars after acne and chickenpox, scars and age spots. In this case, it can be concluded that trichloroacetic acid is ineffective for the skin type, and another way of rejuvenation should be sought.
- Increased pigmentation and increased sensitivity to ultraviolet light. It passes within a year if you refuse to go to the beach and protect your skin from the sun with special creams with an SPF of at least 50.
- The appearance of a clear line (demarcation) between the peeled areas. It passes gradually over the course of 2-3 months. The only way to disguise is to use decorative cosmetics: foundation powder, cream. BB creams accelerate recovery.
- Formation of white spots on the face (more often appear with deep influences). "Treatment" is the same as with the demarcation line, but it does not always help. In rare cases, the chemical attack destroys the melanin-producing cells and the stains remain permanently. The complication is more common in dark-skinned clients.
- The manifestation of an acute inflammatory process occurs when an infection is introduced due to violations of recommendations for facial care.
- Fractures on the skin, pseudo-wrinkles, scars appear when the crust is traumatized. To eliminate them, you will have to spend money on additional procedures that the cosmetologist will recommend, for example, mesotherapy.
Complication can be caused by individual intolerance to trichloroacetic acid, increased sensitivity of the skin, insufficient production of sebum, revealed during the procedure. In each case, treatment is prescribed individually.
Real patient reviews of TCA peeling
Despite the fact that TCA peeling is considered a rather "tough" procedure, the number of its fans is growing. The painfulness of the manipulation and the long period of rehabilitation do not scare women in pursuit of beauty, since cleansing the skin with trichloroacetic acid, as a rule, gives an excellent result.
Veronica, 33 years old
Since the age of 15, I have quite problematic skin. There were no acne, but there were always “subcutaneous tissue”. Of course, I foolishly tried to crush them. So I got a bunch of skin problems. At one point, I realized that the arsenal of decorative cosmetics is no longer able to hide scars, pockmarks and redness on the face. The skin looked very unhealthy. I went to a beautician, and they advised me to do TCA peeling. I read different reviews about him, but still took a chance. The procedure itself lasts 20 minutes - cleansing, applying acid. A minute after the skin treatment, I almost ran away from the clinic - the pain is terrible! But maybe this is my pain threshold. Then a white bloom appeared on the skin, therefore, the process began. The doctor let me go home, forbidding me to wash for two days. The face on the first day was as if the wasps had bitten me. Then the swelling subsided a little, on the third day a crust appeared. And then she began to climb literally in pieces. I smeared my face with Bepanten. A week after the procedure, it was already possible to go outside - the skin is still renewing, but there is little noticeable damage. But the result exceeded all my expectations! Small scars are completely gone, and large ones have become much less noticeable! I definitely recommend TCA peeling.
Ekaterina, 36 years old
I did chemical peels several times. So I decided to try TCA, although it was scary after all the terrible photos - the consequences of the procedure that can be found on the Internet. I have enlarged pores and acne often. I wanted to even out the relief and eliminate pigmentation. I did peeling with 15% TCA. As soon as the acid was applied, I had to actively fan myself, because my skin burned very much. After the appearance of plaque, the substance is washed off. The next day there was a feeling that the skin was badly burned in the sun - red and inflamed. Then for several days my face climbed, and I had to walk with the child (I am on maternity leave) in the evenings, so that in the dark no one could see or be frightened. I used a special healing cream with calendula, which was given to me in the salon. Result? Awesome! The skin has become much smoother, smoothed, the color has become uniform. The pores, however, have not become smaller, but in general, I feel ten years younger!
Olga, 29 years old
I did TCA peeling 25%. I had a lot of acne as a teenager. I then drank a course of special drugs, and, it seems, everything went away. But traces remained … I decided to peel with trichloroacetic acid. The whole procedure is quick. It didn't hurt unbearably. Smeared, washed off and sent home. In the evening, the skin was swollen and reddened. The next day, tightness, small peeling appeared. I smeared my face with Avene cream and sprinkled with thermal water. Gradually, the dead layers peeled off and a new, delicate skin peeped out under them. The crusts completely peeled off somewhere on the tenth day. The cleansed skin turned out to be very smooth, even, uniform. I even stopped applying foundation. True, I had to take careful care of my face for about a month: I used sunscreen and generally tried to appear less in the sun. Both the solarium and the sauna are all banned in the next couple of months after the procedure.
Photos before and after peeling with trichloroacetic acid
How TCA peeling is done - watch the video:
It should be borne in mind that the regenerative capacity of the skin decreases with age, and the risk of complications increases. Therefore, before deciding on the procedure, you should weigh your capabilities, assess your health and consult a beautician. To return youth is great, one course is enough for 3-5 years. But still, before contacting a beautician, you should weigh all the pros and cons of TCA peeling.
