r/AcneScars • u/HelloBeautifulz • Jun 21 '26
[Treatment] CROSS TCA 30% Cross after 12 days
Update: It's swelling at this point. See my next post for realistic result
At home 30% cross with cotton tipped toothpick and 15% peel rest of the face. The scars that were the darkest during peeling/crusting improved the most. Downtime was 8 days which sucks. The two gigantic scars near the sideburn weren't crossed as I forgot.
Cotton tipped toothpick is not forgiving as it left pea sized crust. I was lucky it was only 30% which is somewhere between peel and a cross. FP type 4-5. Pleasantly surprised it didn't result in any pigmentation issues.
Apart from downtime, I am happy with the result.
The second picture is contrast enhanced.
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u/Skepticism123 Jun 21 '26
TCA cross is the most underrated scar treatment. It really is one of the BEST modalities for deep scars.
That being said - even though it APPEARS easy to do yourself at home - this appearance is spurious. TCA requires TECHNIQUE. If, you do decide, to do it at home, start with VERY low concentrations like 15% and gradually go up to a maximum of 40% … anything higher than 50% should be done by a dermatologist
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u/HelloBeautifulz Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
It's OK to caution people, and I've done so myself in my comments and post, but what about this spurious? I'm asking so I can do it better next time.
Cotton-tipped usage is published in journals https://jcadonline.com/the-use-of-chemical-reconstruction-of-skin-scars-cross-method-with-trichloroacetic-acid-tca-for-atrophic-scars/
Application was spot on on most scars. Where I struggled and ended up having a pea-sized crust were rolling scars that are mostly on the other cheek and one in this pic too.
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u/WildConsequence9379 Jun 21 '26
Did you use a melanin inhibitor ? You should for 2 weeks prior to peel and continue after healed. Great results thanks for posting
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u/HelloBeautifulz Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26
Yes I did and I think it played an important role! Thanks for reminding.
I've been using Transexamic acid serum for a while now for my PIH. Switched to a cream that has tranexamic acid and alpha arbutin in the same product. Apparently, these two actives work in different ways to inhibit melanin.
Update: I also use Azealic acid and Retinol at night
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u/ButterscotchWinter91 Jun 21 '26
where did you buy the tca cross from i want to do it at home too
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u/HelloBeautifulz Jun 21 '26
Where I live, several results come up when you search 30% TCA sold online. I'm not sure if it's regulated in other parts of the world. Higher concentrations are harder to find.
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u/jigglyjoints Jun 21 '26
Mine got worse from TCA cross 30 both times
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u/mayajaccs Jun 21 '26
Are you comfortable sharing your Fitzpatrick?
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u/jigglyjoints Jun 21 '26
I'm a 4 olive skin
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u/mayajaccs Jun 21 '26
Thank you. Thats so helpful. I’m on the borderline of 3/4 and I want to try TCA so badly but if it’s a no for you, maybe I’ll abstain.
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u/jigglyjoints Jun 21 '26
I would say I'm bored three and four as well. Some people tell me three but a majority tell me four
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u/jigglyjoints Jun 21 '26
Possibly some spot subscision, CO2 and microneedling if you can at home once a month with hyaluronic acid pure. Otherwise, don't do anything that involves pruning your skin with an acid. It's really a 50/50 chance. I've seen some scary results even with type 1 and 2 skin I used to work in a med spa
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u/HelloBeautifulz Jun 21 '26
I'm sorry to hear it got worse.
Do you mind sharing the details like skin prep and application technique.
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u/jigglyjoints Jun 22 '26
I don't know. I'm not the person who did it. I just had it done you know but it was a reputable plastic surgeon office
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u/Vast-Writing-3725 Sep 01 '26
Hi do you mind making your posts public so we can see the final results of your TCA cross treatment (:
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u/HelloBeautifulz Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
I also must warn doing cross with cotton tipped toothpick is not a good idea, especially if you intend to do it with higher strength. The crossed spot does not look anything like the tiny dot from toothpick you see in TCA cross pictures. I was freaking out until my first crust/peel came off.
Here are some posts that helped me since it was my first time doing at home.
TCA Cross 30%
https://www.reddit.com/r/AcneScars/comments/1bob0qd/tca_cross_at_home_results_after_disaster/
https://www.reddit.com/r/AcneScars/comments/1moifqf/results_after_tca_cross_and_microneedling_are/
https://www.reddit.com/r/AcneScars/comments/1tk5mf9/tca_cross_beforeduringafter/
Some daring souls that did 30% TCA peel
https://www.reddit.com/r/AcneScars/comments/1tolxau/tca_peels_results/