Stretch Marks!!

[Guest]

I have only been doing an extremely diluted TCA peel for 2 months and have seen more improvement in my stretch marks than the 5 or so months of GA peels. TCA peels (no greater than 25%) is considered a medium peel and is able to work deeper than the GA peel, which is categorized as a light peel. Those on this forum who have been doing peels for a year, I believe, have been doing GA peels for the most part. I do not think that there is anybody on this forum right now, or lately, who has been doing TCA peels for a year. If I have mistaken then the person who has would you please reply? There is a big difference between GA peels and TCA peels. I think that there is a possibility that GA peels can remove stretch marks, but I think that it would take twice as long if it could. I am interested to hear from anybody on this forum who has been doing TCA religiously for a year in order to learn what their results were. I am a believer in TCA combined with other methods. All I can do is report to all of you what I achieve with my different methods. So far, I have not totally removed my marks, but the indented ones are filling in, they are also getting smaller and what use to be long stretch mark have divided into two much smaller and finer lines. The only way to really describe it is that they look like they are shriveling up. I know, it sounds weird, but that is the only way to describe the process. My stretch marks look 50% better in the most resistant areas of my body, and 70% better in the least resistant areas. Despite totally getting rid of them or not, I am so pleased with the results not only physically, but also how much better I feel mentally and emotionally regarding these marks, that I will continue for as long as I have to. I am not saying TCA is the magical formula, some people have claimed to remove their marks with very simple home remedies. All I believe is that if you truly want to improve your marks, your skin, your body, your outlook on your stretch marks than a consistent routine (whatever that may be) that you are devoted to will surely reap many rewards. CR

I have just started out with tca and I can already say it is more effective that GA, because as she said, it is a deeper peel.

I too do not remember anyone consistently using tca for a long period (6 months to 1 year). GA is simply too slow, I have done GA peels for a long long time and though it has improved the marks, and some marks have gone, I think the marks that disappeared must have been new marks not old ones. I have so many stretch marks its hard for me to know how old all of them are.

I really find it hard to believe that if I do tca for 6 months I will not be rid of my marks. I may be being too optimistic, but I can see real differences on my bum, and have just done my second peel there. I think it will take 5 or 6 to completely remove the marks though.

Anyone trying it should stick to the lower percentages though (15 or 20% maybe 25% if they are really brave). This stuff is extremely dangerous and risking anything stronger just to get faster results is just not worth it.

J

[Guest]

http://talk.hairboutique.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=49690

This person is nuts putting 50% TCA on their skin first time out. This person also claimed to see results after she was almost completely heeled which was only 10 days after doing her first peel. It takes several weeks for the skin to completely heel before the skin normalizes to see what the real result is. At only 10 days out especially after using 50% TCA, her skin was likely not completey heeled and still had some inflamation.

Here is what we know:

- The experts (or those who claim to be expert) all say the scar tissue can't be removed but that peels can make stretchmarks less noticeable.

- Many people on this forum have been doing peels in one form or another for at least a year (some more; some less) and no one has had total success but many have seen improvement. The few people who have blown through here and said that peels do work have not said that it has actually worked completely for them (atleast I don't remember them saying it actually worked completely for them).

Doesn't seem that hard to figure out the answer to the question of whether peels totally remove stretchmarks.

There are experts who say that scar tissue can be removed too, and since I have removed some marks I am convinced that they can be removed. Lets stay positive, surely the goal is to get rid of our marks rather than lament about how nothing can be done to remove them. This board gives a lot of hope to a lot of people, and it is better to live in hope than die in despair.

J

[Guest]

I have only been doing an extremely diluted TCA peel for 2 months and have seen more improvement in my stretch marks than the 5 or so months of GA peels. cr

hi J and cr you've been a great help. everyone i hear or read about who has used TCA has only good things to say about it and the vast majority i read about only use TCA once, ive never heard of anyone has has done it more than twice and their results (and i quote) were "amazing".

ive just got a quick question for cr. you say you've been doing the TCA peels for 2 months now, how many times exactly have you done the peel itself in those 2 months?

thanks very much everyone

[cr]

[quote=
ive just got a quick question for cr. you say you've been doing the TCA peels for 2 months now, how many times exactly have you done the peel itself in those 2 months?

[Guest]

thanks alot cr your a great help

[Guest]

im confused. i was feeling so positive and excited after reading the past few pages on peels now i have no idea. one says they work, another says they dont. i was really keen on doing the TCA routine but now im not so sure. i dont want to put myself through all this if it isnt going to help significantly.

can anyone clear things up a little pls?

Yes, TCA if done in a routine with some form of abrasion will give you better & quicker results.

If you can't afford an abrasive method such as Macro-Abrasion, Micro-Dermabrasion etc, then you still have other options. You can use sandpaper/foot file etc but personally wouldn't recommend it. Instead use Glycolic acid. Use it for a good few weeks before doing the TCA. Which will allow you to strip away & loosen up the old skin. So that when you do the TCA, it'll go in deeper. Giving you a better result. After the peel. Take VERY GOOD care of the skin for 3 weeks. Then if your skin is fine by this point. Start on the Glycolic for another couple of weeks before you do your next TCA application etc. If your a slow healer & skin is still a little bit red, then give it an extra week or so before re-starting Glycolic.

TCA can remove SM's, but depending on how bad/deep they are, it's gonna take a number of applications, meaning a good few months of constant healing. But in the end, all the hard work will obviously have been worth it!

[Guest]

Yes, TCA if done in a routine with some form of abrasion will give you better & quicker results.

If you can't afford an abrasive method such as Macro-Abrasion, Micro-Dermabrasion etc, then you still have other options. You can use sandpaper/foot file etc but personally wouldn't recommend it. Instead use Glycolic acid. Use it for a good few weeks before doing the TCA. Which will allow you to strip away & loosen up the old skin. So that when you do the TCA, it'll go in deeper. Giving you a better result. After the peel. Take VERY GOOD care of the skin for 3 weeks. Then if your skin is fine by this point. Start on the Glycolic for another couple of weeks before you do your next TCA application etc. If your a slow healer & skin is still a little bit red, then give it an extra week or so before re-starting Glycolic.

TCA can remove SM's, but depending on how bad/deep they are, it's gonna take a number of applications, meaning a good few months of constant healing. But in the end, all the hard work will obviously have been worth it!

How long did it take for you to completely remove your stretchmarks through this method.

[JessMorgan]

i had recently gone to my derm to get face a little clearer, he gave me atralin. good stuff but very exspensive 220 a month to be exact, most insurances dont pick up this medicine. I am a dental hygienist and i had talked to one of the doctors i work with about any other meds she recomended she said that her sister gets it from india for 4 dollars, and she said she has a few at home soooo.... look up Maneesh Pharmaceuticals in Govandi, Mumbai.... it is tretin 0.025% cream a 30g tube!! so far it has worked just as well as the other for much cheaper!!

i hope this has helped out some!

[Guest]

Hey J,
How often do you apply your TCA peel? Do you leave it on overnight like you did the GA peel? And do you dilute it at all?

Thanks
Shoo

[Guest]

Hey J,
How often do you apply your TCA peel? Do you leave it on overnight like you did the GA peel? And do you dilute it at all?

Thanks
Shoo

I am trying it on my bum every two weeks, but to be honest it should be every 3 or 4 weeks. I wash it off after 8 minutes (which is recommended) and no I do not dilute it. To be honest TCA is quite hard to use mentally. I think a lot of people stop using it because watching the peeling process is quite disturbing in a way and your skin looks akin to elephant hide at some points. However, the peel is certainly more effective on stretch marks that GA, but I guess we already knew that. The only reason I stuck with GA so long is I was scared of the hyperpigmentation I might get with TCA, but then I remembered that I got it with GA when I was using a strong solution so thought what the heck. Hyperpigmentation seems to clear up on me over a couple of months anyway, and to be honest given the choice I would rather live with that than stretch marks if it did not clear up.

J

[Guest]

Thanks J, for your help. I too am nervous to try TCA for the very same reasons you stated. However, I don't see any peeling when using GA. I realize I only use 30% but it doesn't seem to be doing anything. I don't know if I should continue with my current routine or switch to a TCA peel...

What do you do with your skin between peels?

Shoo

[Guest]

How long did it take for you to completely remove your stretchmarks through this method.

On & off it was just under 13 months!

Bear in mind that was multiple area's & me playing it by ear. As well as doing Glycolic for 4/6 weeks before each TCA & having around 3 weeks of skin repair after the TCA.

Now I have that little bit more experience, I could probably do it in 3/4's of that. Much quicker if it was a single area!

The key is to prepare & condition the skin for a good while before you start on TCA. Which also has the added effect of thinning down the skin, thus allowing the TCA to penetrate deeper.

More importantly is how you look after your skin post peel!

It is a long & enduring process, of course it is, nobody should be able to say it's quick & simple. There is a lot of downtime involved & your skin will look worse before it looks better but the key is to stick at it.

There is a possibility that you could be left with a little bit of darker coloured skin. Which in my case it was slight spots of brown here & there. However once your all done, you can either use Retin-A cream/gel which will remove it in a few months, or you can use Microdermabrasion treatments etc, etc.

In my case, a little bit of skin discolouration as the after effects was far more acceptable than having my marks. It also helped that I knew the hyperpigmentation could be removed after it anyhow!

Once real word of advice. If anybody uses TCA. DO NOT pick or peel at it. No matter if you have an itch or anything like that. If you put it on your back, then lie on your stomach for a few weeks. Stomach, then always stay on your back etc, etc. You have it on your stomach, don't let your kids, dogs run up & jump into you & so on.

[Guest]

That's good news!
I started my first microdermabrasion treatment yesterday (and it will probably take a year to remove them totally according to them - and of course thousands of pounds) but I was just curious if I can use a very diluted TCA in combination with microdermabrasion in between treatments (every 2 weeks). Wouldn't it speed up results a bit? My skin is not red anymore from the treatment, it just lasted for a few hours, and i only have a couple very small scratches. I don't see why not, since they would remove the extra skin anyway with the machine?

[Guest]

Thanks J, for your help. I too am nervous to try TCA for the very same reasons you stated. However, I don't see any peeling when using GA. I realize I only use 30% but it doesn't seem to be doing anything. I don't know if I should continue with my current routine or switch to a TCA peel...

What do you do with your skin between peels?

Shoo

I use olive oil on my skin during and after peeling to keep it moist. Emu oil and copper peptides would be better, but I have only a little of that left and use it on my face. Its really up to yourself regarding tca, you could buy 15% and try it on a test area for a few months then decide whether to use if everwhere. Alternatively you could stick with GA. Only thing I would say regarding tca is buy from a reputable supplier if you decide to try it.

J

[Guest]

That's good news!
I started my first microdermabrasion treatment yesterday (and it will probably take a year to remove them totally according to them - and of course thousands of pounds) but I was just curious if I can use a very diluted TCA in combination with microdermabrasion in between treatments (every 2 weeks). Wouldn't it speed up results a bit? My skin is not red anymore from the treatment, it just lasted for a few hours, and i only have a couple very small scratches. I don't see why not, since they would remove the extra skin anyway with the machine?

If you have the money, then go to ebay (you can get them from UK, US or China/Hong Kong sellers). Have a look about because there are many of them from all over the world. You could get a machine for around £500/£600. Make sure it's the Crystal version because Diamond is crap. Because you'll have had a treatment or 2, then you know exactly how to run the wand over your skin on the marks. If you want more experience, then you can take a one day or weekend training course for a couple hundred pounds.

In the long run it has 2 added benefits:

1) Works out far cheaper than having it done at a salon.
2) You can do unlimited treatments on your skin with it.

As to the other part. Sorry to say this but every 2 weeks isn't enough! That may be okay for light sun damage, wrinkles, acne or anything like that. To remove the marks, or any form of deep scarring you have to be far more aggressive with your skin. The absolute minimum you need to be doing this is once a week! Although, I'd strongly recommend doing it twice a week for 3/4weeks to get the ball rolling. Then revert to once a week after that!

Realistically & honestly, 20 sessions is the absolute minimum before you'll start to see acceptable results. If the marks aren't as bad, then they'll respond well to fewer treatments. However if they are deep, then you'll be looking at anything from 30/50. Which is gonna cost you big time!!!!

So in the long run, it's much, much cheaper to buy your own machine & do it at home yourself!

Lastly, If you want to be using MD & a peel. I'd advocate applying 30% Glycolic, then using Emu Oil followed by Copper Peptides straight after. Leave it on all night & wash off in the morning, or vice versa. Rather than buying 10/15% TCA & watering it down so much that it's not gonna peel/flake your skin. I'd also advise not putting any Glycolic on your skin for 48 hours before your Microdermabrasion treatment is due to be carried out. As well as not putting any on it for 24 hours after your Microdermabrasion has been performed.

So for example - You get Microdermabrasion done on a Monday. Apply it on the Fri morn/night, then no more. Only moisturise your skin on the Sat & Sun. Get Microdermabrasion on the Mon. Only moisturise on the Mon night. Start Glycolic on the Tue again, etc, etc.

Good thing about combining Microdermabrasion & Glycolic is that you don't need to worry about Hyperpigmentation because the MD treatment will remove it all before it gets a chance to build up to noticeable levels.