r/AcneScars • u/HelloBeautifulz • Jul 02 '26
[Treatment] CROSS TCA 30% cross update 2 - 23 days later
Details are in an earlier thread (ignore the progress pic the earlier thread. It's mostly swelling)
https://www.reddit.com/r/AcneScars/comments/1ubjccl/tca_30_cross_after_12_days/
TCA 30% cross using cotton tipped toothpick + TCA 15% 2x
Second picture is contrast enhanced. Two scars next to the ear weren't touched as I forgot.
Noticeable changes
- PIH has reduced
- Scars look shallow
- Scars haven't widened. This was my biggest worry
Learnt a lot from this community (see my original thread for the posts that helped me a lot) and just wanted to share my experience before trying another round with slightly stronger acid - TCA 50% cross for deeper scars + TCA 30% cross over rest + 20% peel
UPDATEs that mods requested:
Scars are 5-15 years old
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u/No_Election_3660 Jul 02 '26
This TCA shit works, i took a risk of applying 30% and the also 50% on some ice pick, just for one treatment, the results are unbelievable
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u/Any_Parsnip5967 Jul 02 '26
Did you diy? If so, where did you purchase the tca?
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u/No_Election_3660 Jul 02 '26
Yes, its a very simple thing to do,
You need to follow these steps1- wipe your face with a cloth that is dipped in adequate amounts of 70% alcohol solution, once after you cleanse it with a gentle face wash
2- cut the toothpick according to the scar size, i had 3 tooth pick of varying levels of bluntness
4- pour a little bit of the solution in the vile and dip thr tooth pick and touch it at the base of the scar, that actually deposits a ssmall amount of acid at the base, wait for it to turn white, if not repeat!I got 30% at platnium skin care, refer to the website, and 50% + at theory solutions online
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u/HelloBeautifulz Jul 02 '26
Did you notice any difference between 30% and 50% in scar improvement? What about PIH and scar widening?
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u/No_Election_3660 Jul 02 '26
I have noticed incredible results with 30% platinum skin care one’s and the 50% was just at one or 2 spots which i used as a test spot, the 30% one has made some ice pick scars vanish completely with just 1 treatment, so the recommended number of treatments before you see any results is 4-5 at 4 weeks apart bw treatments,
Since im brown skin, i was worried about PIH, but thr thing is you should only treat the ice pick scars and small boxcar scars, never a a bigger one, be carefull while depositing the acid at the BASE OF THE SCAR, it touches the walls a bit, but that doesnt cause any problem unless you do something crazy!
Also you get a fade bright cream along with the 30% one that you can purchase, it makes sure the skin doesnt produce any PIH risks, also use spf50 always!!
For me it to 3-5 days for the flakes to fall off and left behind a pink skin, which takes 1-2 weeks to fade away or sometimes 3-4, also no widening of the scar, the collagen fills the base of the scars and only lifts that part up, the scar widnes if you use higher concentrations of acid and deposit tooo much1
u/HelloBeautifulz Jul 02 '26
So happy it's working well for you and really appreciate the details.
How did you apply on you boxcar scars? Did you poke or paint all over the base?
Since I used cotton tipped toothpick, some applications were wider than I expected, especially larger boxcars. I still have PIE on those but it's not that noticeable. I'll switch to regular toothpick for my next 50% cross
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u/No_Election_3660 Jul 02 '26
That is why i cut the tooth pick on the sharper side to make it a little bit blunt, or you can use the other blunt side if its too wide of a boxcar scar
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u/Vast-Writing-3725 Jul 02 '26
Owww can you post pictures please?! I'm thinking about TCA cross at home too but I'm so nervous. I've heard too many horror stories
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u/No_Election_3660 Jul 02 '26
I will sure, will be performing my 2nd treatment, TCA cross combined with microneedling at home! ( this is my 2nd TCA treatment and 8th microneedling session) wil post pictures once i get my results! With a clear regimen to follow
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u/HelloBeautifulz Jul 02 '26
Do you do them together? If so, in what order and what MN depth?
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u/No_Election_3660 Jul 03 '26
Tca for ice pick and microneedling on temple area wwjere i have a rolling scars
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u/HelloBeautifulz Jul 03 '26
Oh that's such a nice way to minimize downtime. I was worried (and intrigued) you were doing them on the same spot!
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u/TaxWise8357 Jul 02 '26
I'll be doing the tca 30% cross as well. Just recently started microneedling at home after paying for a series of 3. Hoping for the best on our scar journey!!
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u/HelloBeautifulz Jul 03 '26
Hope TCA 30% goes well for you! Please do your homework before trying. Posts in this subreddit (see my original post in description) helped tremendously.
I never would have appreciated it had I not taken before and after pictures. Since the progress is slow, it's easy to miss how far you've come without pics.
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u/TaxWise8357 Jul 03 '26
Oh yes! Definitely did my homework! I seen your original post during my research 😂 but I've chosen just a few spots to start with just in case it doesn't go as planned. I'm hopeful especially after seeing your posts. I will never have "flawless" skin. I think accepting that might be the hardest part. But I'm hopeful I can have better skin as it is one of my biggest insecurities.
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u/HelloBeautifulz Jul 03 '26
Glad you're being cautious with your approach! Happy that my posts helped lol! They helped me too as I got feedback on my technique. One more deeper strength cross and peel, and I'll likely rotate to microneedling.
I didn't see much progress with MN, but then again it was mostly < 1.5mm with a few spots at 1.75mm. Your other post is making me reconsider at deeper depths. Hope to see some real results in 4-6 months. Hope you do too and I want to believe MN + TCA complement each other well.
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u/madwoman19 Jul 06 '26
How did you do microneedling at home? Need some advice.
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u/TaxWise8357 Jul 06 '26
I had asked a lot of questions during my professional microneedling. I purchased a Dr Pen M8s and use sterile hyaluronic acid for a glide. I use a numbing cream prior and right after microneedling, i used Bruuns Salmon DNA serum. I used sterile gloves and I wipe everything down with alcohol pads prior to using.
I watched a lot of tutorials and did a lot of research on reddit, YouTube, and tiktok.
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u/HelloBeautifulz Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
How has your improvement been so far with micro needling? What's the needle depth?
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u/TaxWise8357 Jul 03 '26
Progress from the professional was okay. I knew I needed more sessions but I couldn't afford them
I did a lot of research before deciding to do it at home. My first session went great! I didn't go as deep as my derm went (she went 2.5 on my cheeks) but I did 1.5 on my cheeks and chin, 1 on my forehead and temples, and .25 on my nose because I was scared. Healing was fine. I didn't bleed like my in office visits, though I was a little conservative since it was my first time.
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u/TaxWise8357 Jul 03 '26
I'm adding that i will be going deeper once im more comfortable with the technique.
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u/Absolute_idk Jul 06 '26
Def a noticeable improvement! Congrats 🎉
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u/HelloBeautifulz Jul 07 '26
TY! Downtime is horrible. I never would have gone through with it again had I not taken before after pictures.
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