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154 of 160 people found this review helpful
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Two Thumbs Up
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Albuquerque,
NM
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April 06, 2010
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| Treatment: |
Trichloroacetic Acid (TCA)
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Pain Level: Moderate
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Location: Face
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I Would Do It Again!
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Hello, I hope that my experience with TCA peels may assist folks with their own decisions about
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Hello, I hope that my experience with TCA peels may assist folks with their own decisions about whether to peel or not to peel! I am middle aged, with a fair Irish complexion, and have significant sun damage. I have been an ardent sun block user for years now, but still needed measures to reduce impacts from my past bad habits in the sun. I purchased a package of 6 peels from my dermatologist, for approximately $275.00. I do not recommend attempting this procedure via a do-it-yourself process, although it appears that there are scads of products sold over the internet for just that purpose. Going through your dermo may be more expensive, but it is also your one and only face! Don't take unnecessary risks. (By the way, I am not an MD, and in fact, in general, despise the medical profession. I am trained as a scientist however.)
Prior to treatment, my sun damage consisted of splotchiness, uneven redness, remnant freckling, and lines around my eyes, forehead, and lips. I had been experimenting with Botox and light lip injections to fill out those nasty stubborn little lip lines. I also had a miserable time finding moisturizers - for any price! - that truly moisturized my dry dry face. No matter how much I applied at night, I would awaken with my skin feeling like sandpaper. So I discussed the peels with my dermo, and decided to give it a shot. For once, my very fair skin was an asset. I was told that darker or more olive-skinned folks may be more prone to hyperpigmenting from the procedure. A young nurse at the office, who was Latina, had undergone some peels, and she showed me the impact it had to her skin. To be honest, I barely noticed a thing. She had lovely skin, but she pointed to an area on her upper cheek that stood out to her. I guess we do that when it is our own skin. When I actually had the first peel, I started with a 20% solution of TCA. First, my skin was wiped down with a drying agent to make the acid absorb better. Then the acid was wiped on, with a firm hand. It really stung; I am not going to sugar coat that one. Luckily, the technician worked quickly. She then applied a cream that neutralized, cooled and numbed my skin. Ahhh - relief! She then held up a mirror and showed me the "frosting effect" you might have read about. It is not freakish looking, by any means, and you can certainly go out afterwards and not fear drawing unwanted attention! The next two days, my face pinked up but still no peeling. Then by day 3, it was really tight and the surface was very dry, almost crispy. And I looked even more wrinkled! I was told to expect that. It is just the outermost layer of your skin shrinking as it dehydrates. Over the next few days, I peeled. When all was said and done, my face was much softer, moisturizer soaked right in and my skin felt great in the morning. I find that I don't need as much makeup, which really speeds up my morning routine! And my little lines have already diminished. Sure, if I scrunch up my face, I can coax out expression lines, and they do show up when I laugh, smile, etc. But then, I am not a fan of the frozen face look. When my face is shifted into neutral, I hardly have a visible line at all. I learned a few lessons from my first peel, which I applied to my second (it is recommended that you not space them closer then 6 weeks apart). I went up to 25% on my second; I started fanning my face before the pain of the acid set in, which made the procedure a lot more tolerable. I used much more moisturizer, and used it numerous times throughout the day, not just morning and night. I also was more strategic in scheduling the procedure; I had it done on a Thursday morning, so that I would look my worst over the weekend. Some folks apparently do not look bad at all, a couple of days post-peel. Well, I DO look horrid, so I have just taken that as a lesson learned. At its worst, my face looks very very wind chapped - red, cracked, dry. Lots of moisture seems to help, and also seems to accelerate the peeling. I have been happy with my peels; I recommend that folks have a realistic view of what a peel can and can't do. It will probably not help fully formed wrinkles and sagging. It won't shrink the size of your nose or make you a rock star :) But it will make your skin feel and look better, and take off a few years. But don't do this yourself. Regardless of what you see on the net, it is not a home procedure. I am sure that some people have had success doing it themselves, but I personally would not risk it. Good luck!
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34 of 37 people found this review helpful
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Glycolic Peel 30%
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Peeples Valley,
AZ
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June 22, 2011
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| Treatment: |
Glycolic Acid Peels
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Pain Level: Mild
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Location: face- and scar on chest
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I Would Do It Again!
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I bought a 2oz medical grade 30% Glycolic peel from ebay for $15.00 free shipping and did it myself
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I bought a 2oz medical grade 30% Glycolic peel from ebay for $15.00 free shipping and did it myself at home. I used it and since I have sensitive skin I was suprised to feel it burn so much. I was told to use it for 3 min and by the 2nd min it burned quite a bit but not enough that I couldnt handle. I washed it off with baking soda and water. Afterwards I had cracked dry area around my chin by the corners of my mouth but no bleeding or anything like that. I know it said to use it once a week but I did use it again on the areas that were not red or dry the next day but wont do it again for a week now. I have been using it quite often on a large skar on my chest and it has smoothed out but no effect on color blending in yet. I have stayed out of the sun 100% and my face feels kind of like a sunburn. I am happy with the results so far some discoloration on my nose is gone already. Im so glad I decided to use the 30% peel and not higher. It was a bit scary using it at first but its easy and not so scary now. One thing I must note is when you wash off the peel with the water and baking soda it stings like fire for the first 3 seconds BAD like 7 times worse than the acid feels but dont worry it only lasts that long and then its very soothing.
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58 of 61 people found this review helpful
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Peel and Photo Laser Therapy
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Lombard,
IL
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July 09, 2010
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| Treatment: |
Glycolic Acid Peels
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Pain Level: Mild
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Location: Face
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I Would Do It Again!
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I am 60, and had some sun damage, large pores,and fine lines under my eyes and around my mouth -
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I am 60, and had some sun damage, large pores,and fine lines under my eyes and around my mouth - especially the left side that I sleep on. My expectations were modest - I hoped for finer texture and skin that looked healthy. The treatments have made my skin look amazing! I would spend every penney again. My lines around the mouth are barely noticeable, and my entire face looks tightened and fresh.
I'm a convert...
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56 of 58 people found this review helpful
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AHA Chemical Peel Worked Well
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Madison,
WI
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May 14, 2010
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| Treatment: |
Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA)
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Pain Level: Mild
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Location: Face
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I Would Do It Again!
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I’m 46 and I realized that my face looked a little tired and my skin was starting to get old
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I’m 46 and I realized that my face looked a little tired and my skin was starting to get old looking. My friend told me about this chemical peel that uses alpha hydroxy acid, because she did it on her face a few months ago. The good ting about it was that the it was not a surgical procedure, so there was no cutting involved. After the first treatment, I could see that my skin looked fresher and more radiant. The doctor peeled off the outer layers of the skin, leaving the smoother and younger layers underneath exposed. It wasn’t a painful thing to do, but it was a little uncomfortable and it lasted for about 25 minutes. Recommended.
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84 of 94 people found this review helpful
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Best Decision Ever!!!!
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Lake St. Louis,
MO
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January 15, 2010
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| Treatment: |
Trichloroacetic Acid (TCA)
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Pain Level: Moderate
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Location: face
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I Would Do It Again!
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I am 32 years old and my face was covered in sun damage. I had brown spots everywhere some small
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I am 32 years old and my face was covered in sun damage. I had brown spots everywhere some small like feckles, others bigger and very noticeable. I wore foundation everyday, to try and make them not so noticeable. My dermatologist recommended this so I did it and WOW!!. My face is clear. All the brown spots are totally gone. It is amazing. I was not expecting this clear of a face. The only thing is they said take a couple days off. Take a week if yoiu can, because you look pretty rough.
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