TCA Peels: Days 2-4
What to expect on the second day of a TCA peel |
After you make it past the pain of the TCA peel, the fun (the actual peeling) is just about to begin.
Day 2:
The morning after you get your TCA peel, your skin will be pinkish, feel tight, and start to look crepey. Some parts might even appear mottled and turn brown (usually in the areas where you frosted). The crepey-ness of your skin will look especially pronounced on the forehead, cheeks, and any place where you move your face the most.
To clarify, crepey skin looks like dry wrinkles. If you don't make any facial expressions, you might not see it, but it is very noticeable if you wrinkle your nose or furrow your brows. The crepey skin represents skin that is about to peel.
Picture of crepey skin from a TCA peel
On the second day after the TCA peel, you still have to be very gentle with your skin while cleansing and continue to apply antibiotic cream and drink lots of water. Again, you can cover up the side effects of the peel with makeup (most people don't peel until day three), but it's best to leave your skin alone and stay indoors.
If you are staying indoors, make sure you stay away from the windows and any other sources of sunlight. You can always wear a good sunscreen over your antibiotic cream just to be safe, but I don't like putting anything extra on my skin after a peel, so I usually cover up my head with a UV proof jacket or hat and wear giant sunglasses.
When you get a TCA peel, you expect to peel right away, but it actually takes some time for your skin to start shedding. Don't expect to peel on the second day. You can, however, encourage your skin to peel faster by regularly spritzing your face with thermal water and applying moisturizer. Don't pick at any of the crepey skin or brown spots because you don't want your skin to peel before it's ready.
Days 3-4:
For most people, peeling starts on days 3 or 4, after the TCA solution has had time to work on your skin. However, some people may peel earlier or later. It all depends on your skin and how it reacts to the TCA solution.
On day 3, your skin won't be as red anymore, but you still have to be super gentle with it. It will feel very dry and look extremely crepey because you essentially have a layer of dead skin sitting on your face. The dryness might be uncomfortable and even itch. If this is the case, you can apply an anti-itch cream to ease the irritation.
Most people peel in little bits and pieces, but for those who get really strong peels (i.e. multi-layer peels, high concentrations, or peels with lots of frosting), it is possible to peel in sheets. Whatever you do, don't pick off any of the peeling flakes because you'll end up scarring your skin. It's a slow peeling process, but let your skin peel naturally.
Using a moisturizer can mask some of the peeling, but it's usually better to keep your skin moisturized at all times, either with the antibiotic cream or a moisturizer of your choice. Peeling is more pronounced when your skin is dry, but dry skin is also itchy and uncomfortable. You can actually start using moisturizer instead of the antibiotic or anti-itch cream on day 3. You can even splash your face with water throughout the day or mist with a thermal spray to help your skin peel faster.
Once your skin starts to peel, it'll be close to impossible to elegantly cover up it with makeup, so it's still a good idea to stay indoors. And of course avoid the sun. Some people don't peel at all, even after days 3-4. This means that the peel wasn't strong enough for your skin. If this is the case, you can get another TCA peel done on day 5. This happened to me when I got a 8% peel done. I think a 30% glycolic acid peel hurt more than an 8% TCA peel! I ended up getting a 12.5% peel done on the 5th day because I had no signs of irritation, redness, or dryness whatsoever from the 8% TCA solution.
Now that there are signs of peeling, how long does the peeling last? ยป