TCA Peels (Information provided by Skinacea.com)

TCA peels, trichloroacetic acid peels, are medium strength chemical peels that rejuvenate and repair your skin. They improve skin discoloration, reduce fine lines, and even out skin texture. They also cause your skin to physically peel, so they will require around a week of downtime. However, the results are usually well worth the wait! 

This section explains what happens during the various stages of the TCA peeling process and what you can expect from a TCA peel, whether you get one professionally done or give yourself one at-home.

What do TCA peels do?

TCA peels are medium depth peels, ranging from 8% to 30% strengths. Though their concentrations might not be as high as other chemical peels, TCA peels are considered much deeper peels than lactic acid and glycolic acid peels. For instance, a 75% glycolic acid peel never made me peel, but a 12.5% TCA peel had my skin peeling for days.

TCA peels brighten and even out your skin tone by reducing the appearance of hyperpigmentation (dark spots, acne marks, sun spots, freckles) and skin discoloration. They revitalize dull-looking skin, helping skin look soft and smooth. Because of their deep exfoliating effects, TCA peels can clean out congested pores to refine the surface of your skin. Unfortunately, they don't work as well for acne scars or moles, but they can minimize the appearance of skin tags. TCA peels are also great for erasing fine wrinkles and treating sun damage.

TCA peels can be used on the face, neck, or back of the hands. They can also be used all over the face or just as a spot peel. One TCA peel will give better results than one glycolic acid peel, but more than one TCA peel is still necessary for the best results. Results generally last around 6 months, but they can last even longer when supplemented with glycolic or lactic acid peels every two weeks.

What to expect from a TCA peel

TCA peels are serious peels with about 7-10 days worth of downtime. If you are considering getting one done, definitely schedule some time off of work and clear your calendar because you don’t want to get any sun exposure after the peel and you’ll probably look too red and flaky to be presentable.

So, how do you prepare your skin for a TCA peel? How much will it hurt? And how long will the peeling last? These questions and more will be answered in the following breakdown of what the 10 day course of a TCA peel (from pre-peel to recovery) are like:

• Pre-peel:

  Before you get the TCA peel, there are a few things you should do to prepare your skin for it. Some dermatologists recommend using retinoids or an AHA serum for two weeks prior to the peel to prime the skin for a more even and penetrating peel. However, this is optional. 
  
  Three days before the actual peel though, you must stop the use of all exfoliants (manual or chemical) and especially avoid using any harsh products (such as hair removal or grainy scrubs) on the day of the peel and for the duration of the peel.
  
  48 hours before you get a full peel, you must do a patch test on the area where you will get the peel. If you are getting a peel on your face, patch test your face. If you are getting a peel on your hands, patch test your hands. Spot testing the TCA peel solution is extremely important for a safe peel because it will help you understand how your skin responds to the acid and make you aware of any averse reactions before getting a full-face peel.
  
  It's also wise to get yourself some time off work. If you can't get 10 days off, try to get the days off when your skin will start to peel the most, most likely 3-4 days after the day of the peel. Have a good moisturizer, petroleum jelly (Vaseline), antibiotic cream (usually provided by the dermatologist or Bacitracin or Neosporin), and anti-itch cream (Lanacaine or Cortaid) on hand. If you plan on going out during any of the 10 days, make sure you have a good sunscreen and a big floppy hat to wear too.

Can a lift give you a lift?

As a field of medicine, aesthetic plastic surgery is unique in that patients actively seek out procedures and pay out of pocket to not only help them look better, but to feel better. That being said, having an 87% patient approval rating with 97% recommending others and 93% coming back for more is a testament to the specialty. It’s no coincidence that the cosmetic surgery procedures that have seen landmark growth are ones that give you a lift – upper arm lift,breast lift, thigh lift, lower body lift and tummy tuck. Lift procedures help dramatic weight-loss patients remove large amounts of skin and fat left behind, as well as those who have stretched out their skin from pregnancy, weight fluctuations and the loss of muscle from aging. All that excess skin can sure weigh a person down.

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The mission of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) includes medical education, public education and patient advocacy. Plastic Surgery News Briefs are summaries of current stories found through various news and magazine outlets that relate to or mention plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures. The views expressed in these news articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ASAPS, but are merely published as an educational service to our members and the general public. For additional information on these subjects and other plastic surgery related topics, please go to www.surgery.org

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Body Contouring Brings Lasting Improvement in Quality of Life after Weight-Loss Surgery

Body contouring after weight-loss (bariatric) surgery produces long-term gains in several aspects of quality of life, reports the November issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

"The study indicates a sustained quality of life improvement in post-bariatric patients after body contouring surgery," concludes the study led by Dr. Eva S.J. van der Beek of University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands. "This suggests the importance of including reconstructive surgery as a component in the multidisciplinary approach in the surgical treatment of morbid obesity," Dr. van der Beek said.

Improved Quality of Life after Body Contouring Surgery
The researchers evaluated quality-of-life assessments in 33 patients who underwent body contouring after bariatric surgery. Body contouring refers to various plastic surgery procedures done to remove excess fat and skin after massive weight loss.

The most common procedures were abdominoplasty ("tummy tuck") and operations on the breasts. Through an average of seven years after body contouring, the patients repeatedly completed a standard questionnaire evaluating obesity's impact on quality of life.

The results showed "mostly moderate to large, sustained improvement" in quality of life in the years after body contouring. Scores improved in six out of seven quality-of-life domains, including physical functioning and appearance, mental well-being, social acceptance, intimacy and social network.

Some domains showed a small decrease between four and seven years' follow-up. In general, quality-of-life scores were lower for patients who regained weight after their body contouring surgery.

Overall, 55 percent of patients were very satisfied with their results. All but one patient said they would undergo body contouring again, and considered it "an inevitable step to improve daily quality of life." About one-fourth of patients had further body contouring surgery-another 30 percent said they would do so if their insurance covered it.

Bariatric surgery produces sustained weight loss in patients with severe obesity. However, more than two-thirds of patients with massive weight loss are left with loose or overhanging skin. This may lead to decreased satisfaction with the results of bariatric surgery, as well as psychological, social and physical problems.

Previous studies have shown that body contouring improves quality of life after bariatric surgery, but the long-term benefits are unclear. "There is an ongoing debate if body contouring surgery is an optional or essential step after massive weight loss in the treatment of morbid obesity," Dr. van der Beek and coauthors write.

The new study shows significant and lasting improvements in quality of life for patients who have body contouring after bariatric surgery. "This suggests the importance of including reconstructive surgery as a component in the multidisciplinary approach in the surgical treatment of morbid obesity," the researchers write. They call for further study of the long-term benefits of body contouring-including possible reasons for the decrease in quality-of-life scores a few years after surgery.

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery® is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

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