TCA Cross Method for Scars - Procedure, Process and Outcome
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skin Care and Makeup Forum

free skin care · Fri Nov 10, 2006 4:07 pm

Hi, everyone! I just did another TCA Cross today and am documenting the process with - you guessed it - pictures. It will take about 4 days to go through the entire procedure and I will post images as I'm going along. I thought it would be beneficial for those who are dealing with scars (acne, chicken pox, etc.) or removing moles to see how it actually works. To give some background, here is the explanation of the method for dealing w/scars and moles:

The TCA CROSS METHOD
On clean skin this morning, I applied TCA 20% spot treatment that involves soaking little cotton-covered toothpicks I ordered (www.platinumskincare.com) along w/the TCA acid and then applied to the indentations until they frosted.

Once the frosting occured (you will feel stinging from the acid), I applied a mix of baking soda and water (no ratio - just baking soda with water added to a soupy consistency) to the acid spots. This is VERY important to neutralize the acid! Do not skip this. Then, I used a wet cotton pad to rinse the baking soda off while I worked on the next section of scars.

After about 30 minutes, the frosting disappears and your skin looks normal again.

This is a close up of the scars I am treating on one cheek:

This is a whole face so you can see that there is a mole on my lower neck that I am treating, as well.

Tonight, I will apply Skin Biology's Super Cop 2x to the scars with the same type of toothpick described above (to push the SC2x into the indentations only). I will continue to treat the scars each night until the scabs fall off (these will develop in a few days). I do not reapply the acid during the 4-5 day process. It is only done at the onset. The scabs will not cover easily w/makeup - they look like brownish spots. Not terrible but not great, either. I always time the worst of it for the weekend (Friday) when I won't be traveling for work. I recommend doing this beginning on Thursday or Friday so you have the weekend to be a crusty beauty queen (or king).

The result will be light pink and noticably less deep. Do not anticipate a complete filling in as it will take a bit of time for the collagen to build up to refill the scars. I did find it was almost impossible to keep the toothpick directly INSIDE the dents so the acid went a tiny bit outside of most of them. I don't worry about this too much. Just do your best to keep it localized.

As normal, I will continue use of my CP serum and emu/HA to assist with healing and rebuilding. I have done scar treatments of this type twice so far and have had success with removing moles and working on scars (these take much longer, though). I have a chicken pox scar on my forehead that is about 60% less deep than when I started. This is a good indicator of my progress. I plan to add regular 12.5% TCA peels to the scarred areas, as well. This should help minimize the pore size and overall orange peel texture. I should note that my skin texture has significantly improved already through the use of strong BHAs and regular exfoliation, as well. However, I am striving for baby-butt smoothness - this is my goal, anyway!

I will continue to add photos to this thread to cover the whole process - gory scabs and all - and hope this will be of some assistance to those who are considering the procedure or need some positive exposure to how acids can help.

free skin care · Sat Apr 07, 2007 9:08 am

Diana P wrote:

I have been doing some searching on mole removal for my husband and I came across the thread for using copper peptides, specifically Skin Biology LacSal or Super Cop in the morning and TriReduction P&R with retinol at night. I was about to order this for him but then saw this thread and am wondering if he should be trying the TCA 20% spot treatment then Super Cop each night. Which system would work the fastest?

Sorry, Diana, I just saw this post. In answer to your question, TCA 20% with SC2x will work faster as it is a very aggressive technique. See pics in beginning - he will have brown scabs. If you want to take it slower, the products you were going to purchase originally would be better.

Automatic Message

If this is your first visit to the EDS Forums please take the time to register. Registration is required for you to post on the forums. Registration will also give you the ability to track messages of interest, send private messages to other users, participate in Gift Certificates draws and enjoy automatic discounts for shopping at our online store. Registration is free and takes just a few seconds to complete.

Click Here to join our community.

If you are already a registered member on the forums, please login to gain full access to the site.