Things are going great. I had a very good peel this time, very deep. My whole face turned brown and crinkly. It looks gross, LOL. But that's what you want. The first day or two it was so tight, it was uncomfortable. Around my mouth peeled first, which was good because I was having trouble eating. Then some spots on my forehead and cheeks. One spot I pulled off, which is a no-no. The skin hadn't healed yet underneath so now it's red and sore.
Today more peeled off. My entire chin and the middle of my forehead. I can see the pores exposed and I can't wait to go back to the glycolic acid on these spots to help clean them out. Also, remember that spot under my eye? The one that became a lot lighter when I did the 2nd peel with the extra 20% acid on it? It's gone. Completely gone. The skin peeled off that spot today and there is no sign of the spot! There is actually a dark spot on the piece of skin that peeled. I saved it!!!!! Gone Gone Gone. 3 peels, 2 extra applications of 20% acid. The extra applications are really paying off. Two other spots are noticibley lighter. I think for my next peel, I'll just do spots.
I promise to post pictures soon. Just don't want a picture of me looking like a 3 day old corpse! I'm constantly applying emu-oil and copper to the new skin, staying out of the sun and will resume normal skin care this weekend.
PS, I also put some 20% acid on this spot on my forearm. It's kind of like a wart, but the skin peels off. The acid didn't burn nearly as much on my arm as my face. And that spot is almost gone. It's just slightly raised now as opposed to it being a bump before. I'm also considering applying it on some skin tags I have on my neck and chest to see what that does. More later....
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
3rd Peel
Sorry I haven't written in awhile. I waited 5 weeks between peels. Since my last peel, I can definitely see a lot of improvement in my skin texture and tone. The age spots have lessened about 50% and I've had a lot of extractions of pimples that were deep in my skin.
For this peel, I wanted to bring it up a notch. I never really had any significant peeling on my T-Zone (forehead, nose and chin). These areas are very oily and have large pores and embedded pimples. I also have other areas with dark spots that I missed last time. So I decided to mix 1/2 12.5% solution and 1/2 20% solution which would make the combined solution about 16%. I took the little eye dropper and put 12 drops of each in the little plastic cup and soaked the gauze in it.
It immediately felt strong than the 12.5%. I began to get that burning sensation on my face as I did the first time. I had to fight to continue to apply the solution, my skin already felt sore. Then I had to wait it out for 5 minute. I stood with my face in front of a fan to help with the burning.
I then applied a second layer, same concentration. It burned a bit more, but wasn't unbearable. Then waited another 5 minutes (in front of the fan again). I also noticed that this time I had a lot of frosting, especially on my T-Zone. This was great. I applied the third layer, same concentration. Then after 5 minutes I applied straight 20% to the dark spots on my skin with the cotton covered toothpicks. I could feel more intense burning in these spots and see more frosting. After 5 minutes I splashed cold water on my face and applied emu oil. I also applied the chilled blue aloe lotion.
That night my skin felt tight and sore. But by the next morning, it was gone. Now it's day 2 and my skin is very tight and looks brown and shriveled. If I smile, it feels like my face will crack. But I am going to have a lot of nice peeling. Especially on the dark spots and my chin and forehead. I hope it starts to peel before I have to go back to work on Monday.
For this peel, I wanted to bring it up a notch. I never really had any significant peeling on my T-Zone (forehead, nose and chin). These areas are very oily and have large pores and embedded pimples. I also have other areas with dark spots that I missed last time. So I decided to mix 1/2 12.5% solution and 1/2 20% solution which would make the combined solution about 16%. I took the little eye dropper and put 12 drops of each in the little plastic cup and soaked the gauze in it.
It immediately felt strong than the 12.5%. I began to get that burning sensation on my face as I did the first time. I had to fight to continue to apply the solution, my skin already felt sore. Then I had to wait it out for 5 minute. I stood with my face in front of a fan to help with the burning.
I then applied a second layer, same concentration. It burned a bit more, but wasn't unbearable. Then waited another 5 minutes (in front of the fan again). I also noticed that this time I had a lot of frosting, especially on my T-Zone. This was great. I applied the third layer, same concentration. Then after 5 minutes I applied straight 20% to the dark spots on my skin with the cotton covered toothpicks. I could feel more intense burning in these spots and see more frosting. After 5 minutes I splashed cold water on my face and applied emu oil. I also applied the chilled blue aloe lotion.
That night my skin felt tight and sore. But by the next morning, it was gone. Now it's day 2 and my skin is very tight and looks brown and shriveled. If I smile, it feels like my face will crack. But I am going to have a lot of nice peeling. Especially on the dark spots and my chin and forehead. I hope it starts to peel before I have to go back to work on Monday.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
3rd Day - Out Damned Spot!
It's been 3 full days since I did the 2nd peel. My faces has been dry and tight, with dark brown spots in the areas that I used the 20% TCA acid during the 2nd layer of the peel. These were the spots that had extra pigmentation that I'm trying to get rid of. The rest of my face just feels tight and is flaking a bit, but these spots are going to have deep peeling.
I was out in the yard today, and so had my face slathered in sunscreen (SPF 85!). When I came in my face looked white in spots and I thought it was the sunscreen, but looking closer, it was skin starting to peel off. The dark brown spots are all starting to peel. One spot, under my left eye was almost all peeled off. I rinsed my face with water and the dead skin came off.
I had a brown spot under my left eye caused by sun damage. Although I've been careful the past couple of years to use sunscreen when going out, I went out this January, in the winter, to vacuum and shred leaves. It was a nice day but cold. I never thought about getting sun. But I must of because a few days later this brown spot just appeared from out of nowhere. I think it was this new spot that pushed me to start doing peels.
Well when the dead skin peeled off, the skin underneath was nice and soft AND the spot is about 70% faded. It appears just slightly darker than the surrounding area. It was a dark brown spot, sort of like a mole, but it was flat. And it's almost gone! From one application of 20% TCA. I'm very excited. It's great to spend money on something and go throught the process of using it and then seeing it actually WORK. I've spent a lot of money and time on drug store solutions for age spots and none of them work. I had not seen one iota of difference with creams, exfoliants and other lotions. This is really just one application, since I didn't use the 20% last time.
I'll try to get pictures soon, so you can see the difference. But the rest of my face still looks pretty awful, so I'm going to wait a few more days to see if these spots peel and have the same result. I'm also going to be slathering that faded spot with Copper and Emu-oil and sunscreen as often as possible. I don't want that spot back.
For my next peel, I'm going to mix some of the 20% TCA with the 12.5% solution to get a higher overall percentage of peel. I think my skin is too resistant to the 12.5% solution now that I've done two peels, I feel comfortable taking it up a notch. I may also spot treat with full 20% TCA and do 3 layers. We shall see.
I was out in the yard today, and so had my face slathered in sunscreen (SPF 85!). When I came in my face looked white in spots and I thought it was the sunscreen, but looking closer, it was skin starting to peel off. The dark brown spots are all starting to peel. One spot, under my left eye was almost all peeled off. I rinsed my face with water and the dead skin came off.
I had a brown spot under my left eye caused by sun damage. Although I've been careful the past couple of years to use sunscreen when going out, I went out this January, in the winter, to vacuum and shred leaves. It was a nice day but cold. I never thought about getting sun. But I must of because a few days later this brown spot just appeared from out of nowhere. I think it was this new spot that pushed me to start doing peels.
Well when the dead skin peeled off, the skin underneath was nice and soft AND the spot is about 70% faded. It appears just slightly darker than the surrounding area. It was a dark brown spot, sort of like a mole, but it was flat. And it's almost gone! From one application of 20% TCA. I'm very excited. It's great to spend money on something and go throught the process of using it and then seeing it actually WORK. I've spent a lot of money and time on drug store solutions for age spots and none of them work. I had not seen one iota of difference with creams, exfoliants and other lotions. This is really just one application, since I didn't use the 20% last time.
I'll try to get pictures soon, so you can see the difference. But the rest of my face still looks pretty awful, so I'm going to wait a few more days to see if these spots peel and have the same result. I'm also going to be slathering that faded spot with Copper and Emu-oil and sunscreen as often as possible. I don't want that spot back.
For my next peel, I'm going to mix some of the 20% TCA with the 12.5% solution to get a higher overall percentage of peel. I think my skin is too resistant to the 12.5% solution now that I've done two peels, I feel comfortable taking it up a notch. I may also spot treat with full 20% TCA and do 3 layers. We shall see.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
2nd Peel
I've spent the past 3 weeks preparing for the next peel. I resumed the daily regemin of Vitamin C and Retinol in the AM and Glycolic Acid and Copper in the PM. Along with Emu Oil for moisture. The spots on my face that had the most intense frosting and peeling had the most improved appearance which continued to improve in the weeks after the peel. I was also able to extract a few more impacted pores of white and black heads.
I thought I had used the incorrect gauze the first time and didn't get even coverage. I did order the gauze pads and special toothpicks with cotton from Platinum Skin Care. I also ordered a glycolic acid brush (to apply the glycolic acid for a peel) and a face brush (to help exfoliate when cleaning your face). Unfortunately I didn't not pay for expedited shipping and didn't get he package by Saturday in the mail so I decided to go ahead with it anyway. Then when I looked in the box with the original shipment I received (with the TCA acid), I found a little package with gauze, the toothpicks and a little plastic eye dropper. I completely missed that the first time. So two new rules. Always pay for the expedited shipping and always look at everything in the package.
Again I prepared by not using the Retinol the day of the peel. I cleaned my face with the clenser and toned with isopropol alcohol. This time I did it twice, especially over my T-zone, forehead, nose and chin. I barely got any peeling in that area and maybe it's because that skin is so oily.
I used the tiny eyedropper and measured out 25 drops of the 12.5% TCA into the small plastic cup. Then I put the gauze that was supplied with the TCA shipment. I applied the TCA in first a horizontal and then a vertical pattern to ensure complete coverage. I made sure to get around my nose and under my eyes, places I missed in the first peel. Because I had the eyedropper and was able to dole out the proper amount of acid and had the correct type of gauze, the TCA went on more evenly. I felt a tingling sensation, but nothing like the intense burning I felt the first time.
I then waited 5 full minutes and did the 2nd layer. This time felt more intense tingling going to a burning sensation, but again, not as bad as the first peel. I then waited a full 5 minutes again.
I wanted to do a stronger peel in spots, mainly the dark spots on my skin. So I took out the 20% TCA acid, and put a few drops into the plastic cup and wet the toothpicks that were covered in cotton. I swiped this over the spots that I wanted to have a more intense peel. I felt it burning right away in these spots, but since they were small, it wasn't that bad. I went over them all until I ran out of TCA.
These spots began frosting immediately. I waited a full 8 minutes, then gently rinsed my face with water. I applied Emu-Oil and later an aloe gel I have which contains lidocaine. I didn't have any pain on my face like the first peel, but it did itch quite a bit. Ironically, I used to use that aloe lotion when I had a sunburn.
I thought I had used the incorrect gauze the first time and didn't get even coverage. I did order the gauze pads and special toothpicks with cotton from Platinum Skin Care. I also ordered a glycolic acid brush (to apply the glycolic acid for a peel) and a face brush (to help exfoliate when cleaning your face). Unfortunately I didn't not pay for expedited shipping and didn't get he package by Saturday in the mail so I decided to go ahead with it anyway. Then when I looked in the box with the original shipment I received (with the TCA acid), I found a little package with gauze, the toothpicks and a little plastic eye dropper. I completely missed that the first time. So two new rules. Always pay for the expedited shipping and always look at everything in the package.
Again I prepared by not using the Retinol the day of the peel. I cleaned my face with the clenser and toned with isopropol alcohol. This time I did it twice, especially over my T-zone, forehead, nose and chin. I barely got any peeling in that area and maybe it's because that skin is so oily.
I used the tiny eyedropper and measured out 25 drops of the 12.5% TCA into the small plastic cup. Then I put the gauze that was supplied with the TCA shipment. I applied the TCA in first a horizontal and then a vertical pattern to ensure complete coverage. I made sure to get around my nose and under my eyes, places I missed in the first peel. Because I had the eyedropper and was able to dole out the proper amount of acid and had the correct type of gauze, the TCA went on more evenly. I felt a tingling sensation, but nothing like the intense burning I felt the first time.
I then waited 5 full minutes and did the 2nd layer. This time felt more intense tingling going to a burning sensation, but again, not as bad as the first peel. I then waited a full 5 minutes again.
I wanted to do a stronger peel in spots, mainly the dark spots on my skin. So I took out the 20% TCA acid, and put a few drops into the plastic cup and wet the toothpicks that were covered in cotton. I swiped this over the spots that I wanted to have a more intense peel. I felt it burning right away in these spots, but since they were small, it wasn't that bad. I went over them all until I ran out of TCA.
These spots began frosting immediately. I waited a full 8 minutes, then gently rinsed my face with water. I applied Emu-Oil and later an aloe gel I have which contains lidocaine. I didn't have any pain on my face like the first peel, but it did itch quite a bit. Ironically, I used to use that aloe lotion when I had a sunburn.
Friday, March 27, 2009
One Week, Post Peel
It's been a week. Most of the peeling/flaking is over. I used the Enzyme Mask and it helped get rid of some of the last flakes. Over all my skin feels cleared and fresher. The spots that I suppose I covered more heavily with the TCA are the most improved. I do feel some pimples under the skin, ready to come out. I've expected that and it tells you in the literature with the products that all of these products will begin to draw out whatever is buried under your skin. I'm happy that I've resumed my skin care regimen: cleanser, toner, Retin A, Vitamin C (copper at night), Glycolic Acid and Emu-Oil. I'll do this for two weeks then do another peel on April 13th. I've got the rest of that week off from work, so I can peel in privacy :)
I plan on doing a two layer TCA peel, 12.5%. I hope to get more even coverage this time. I may also use the 20% TCA on the larger of my pigmentation spots, to get things going there. I'll resume the blog then. I didn't take any pictures at this point, because I don't think the subtle changes will show up well.
I plan on doing a two layer TCA peel, 12.5%. I hope to get more even coverage this time. I may also use the 20% TCA on the larger of my pigmentation spots, to get things going there. I'll resume the blog then. I didn't take any pictures at this point, because I don't think the subtle changes will show up well.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Day 5/6 Post Peel
I had to go to work yesterday without makeup. A few people asked me if I had been out in the sun because my skin turned brown over the bridge of my nose and cheeks. The hyper sensitivity is almost gone and the peeling/flaking is increasing. I had large pieces of skin peel off my cheeks and I can see the new skin underneath. Soft, pink a bit blotchy. I'm still applying the copper/emu-oil.
Today something wonderful happened. A patch under my left eye peeled off, revealing a slight bump. I had felt this bump for awhile under the skin. It was a whitehead, but so clogged that it could not be extracted. It had turned hard under the skin. Well after the top layer of skin peeled, the pore was exposed and the sebum came out with just a slight amount of pressure. I know I have these kinds of 'bumps' all over my face, and I'm looking forward to getting all of them cleared out so that my skin will be cleared and smoother.
Today something wonderful happened. A patch under my left eye peeled off, revealing a slight bump. I had felt this bump for awhile under the skin. It was a whitehead, but so clogged that it could not be extracted. It had turned hard under the skin. Well after the top layer of skin peeled, the pore was exposed and the sebum came out with just a slight amount of pressure. I know I have these kinds of 'bumps' all over my face, and I'm looking forward to getting all of them cleared out so that my skin will be cleared and smoother.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Day 4 Post Peel
About the same. There are several patches that have turned brownish and very rough and crinkly, but not peeling yet. I think those spots will have the deepest peels (they also had the most frosting). Other spots are just flaky. My skin is still sensitive to the touch and I have to be careful about what I use on it. I've been using my old mild dry skin cleanser and toner. Then emu-oil sometimes with copper. The petroleum jelly helps with dryness. I was out in the yard again today, and when I applied the sunscreen, it stung a bit.
I think I know why I wound up with such uneven coverage with the peel. I used absorbent gauze, and you are supposed to use regular gauze. So some of the acid was absorbed into the gauze instead of winding up on my face. I'll use the correct gauze next time. I was also watching some videos on you tube of TCA peels. Instead of doing a full 2 layer peel next time, I'm considering using the 2o% solution on spots as the second layer. I do have a lot of dark spots that need special treatment and I want to accelerate that.
I have to go to work tomorrow with a brown crusty peeling face and no make up. Should be fun.
I think I know why I wound up with such uneven coverage with the peel. I used absorbent gauze, and you are supposed to use regular gauze. So some of the acid was absorbed into the gauze instead of winding up on my face. I'll use the correct gauze next time. I was also watching some videos on you tube of TCA peels. Instead of doing a full 2 layer peel next time, I'm considering using the 2o% solution on spots as the second layer. I do have a lot of dark spots that need special treatment and I want to accelerate that.
I have to go to work tomorrow with a brown crusty peeling face and no make up. Should be fun.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Day 3, Post Peel
My skin feels less tight today, and I'm getting peeling (flaking really) around my chin. I've been applying the emu-oil, but this AM, since its the weekend and I'm not going to work, I applied some petroleum jelly over the emu-oil to help with the tightness. I have used petroleum jelly before at night (especially on my feet) and it does help greatly with dry skin.
I have one very rough, brownish patch of skin on my left cheek, the same area that was heavily frosted. It seems that the acid penetrated this spot more than any other. Whether it has to do with that patch of skin, or my application technique, I'm not sure. The rest of my face just feels and appears as if there is a coating of Elmer's glue on it and it's dried.....My next peel, I need to ensure more even coverage. I also need to utilize q-tips to get the acid in tight spots under my eyes and around my nose. I think I missed those this time.
As I said yesterday, I was out all day today in the yard. I had applied my 85 SPF sunscreen, wore my hat, safety/sun glasses and even wore a face mask to keep the dust out. So I don't think I had any sun exposure. LOL, I must have been a sight.
I have one very rough, brownish patch of skin on my left cheek, the same area that was heavily frosted. It seems that the acid penetrated this spot more than any other. Whether it has to do with that patch of skin, or my application technique, I'm not sure. The rest of my face just feels and appears as if there is a coating of Elmer's glue on it and it's dried.....My next peel, I need to ensure more even coverage. I also need to utilize q-tips to get the acid in tight spots under my eyes and around my nose. I think I missed those this time.
As I said yesterday, I was out all day today in the yard. I had applied my 85 SPF sunscreen, wore my hat, safety/sun glasses and even wore a face mask to keep the dust out. So I don't think I had any sun exposure. LOL, I must have been a sight.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Day 2, Post Peel
It's been about 20 hours since the peel. Last night my face was sensitive and I did take an advil before going to bed. I figured it is as if I had a sunburn, so it would help. When I got up, my face felt tight, so I just splashed water on it and applied copper and emu-oil.
I was working from home today, so I didn't need to put on suncreen, but I did wind up putting it on later because the room I'm in gets a lot of sun and the suncreen from Platinum Skin Care has a lot of emollients in it and I thought it would help. I did wind up going outside for a bit because it was a beautiful day, so I reapplied the sunscreen.
Right now my face feels ok, tight, but not as tight as last night. And the heat and stinging are gone. It is still a bit sensitive, and when I applied emu-oil just now, I had to be gentle. I have already had a bit of peeling on my jawline. I think because this is my first peel, and I have a lot of dead skin, I'm going to get peeling quickly and have a lot of it. Bring it on! That's what I want.
Tomorrow I'm going to be out in the yard all day. It's going to be sunny, but cool. I will be using my Neutrogena 85 SPF and have my hat and sunglasses on. I'm not taking any chances.
I was working from home today, so I didn't need to put on suncreen, but I did wind up putting it on later because the room I'm in gets a lot of sun and the suncreen from Platinum Skin Care has a lot of emollients in it and I thought it would help. I did wind up going outside for a bit because it was a beautiful day, so I reapplied the sunscreen.
Right now my face feels ok, tight, but not as tight as last night. And the heat and stinging are gone. It is still a bit sensitive, and when I applied emu-oil just now, I had to be gentle. I have already had a bit of peeling on my jawline. I think because this is my first peel, and I have a lot of dead skin, I'm going to get peeling quickly and have a lot of it. Bring it on! That's what I want.
Tomorrow I'm going to be out in the yard all day. It's going to be sunny, but cool. I will be using my Neutrogena 85 SPF and have my hat and sunglasses on. I'm not taking any chances.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
First Peel
So today was the day of my first peel. Per the instructions, I did not apply any Retinol this morning.For the peel you need isopropyl alcohol, gauze a small plastic cup (one came with the pre-post kit) and a watch or timer. I also applied petroleum jelly to my lips and eyelids to protect them.
First you clean the skin and use the alcohol as a toner. This will remove any oil from the skin. Next you are to drop 25 drops of the TCA 12.5% solution onto one half of the gauze. I put the gauze in the plastic cup and tried to drip onto it. The TCA bottle did not come with a dropper. I may have to invest in one.
Then you hold the dry half of the gauze and swipe the wet half on your face in a horizontal direction. I As soon as I did this I could smell the solution. A very chemical like smell. Not horrid, but not pleasant either. Then you go over your face with the gauze in a vertical direction. I tried to cover my entire face with the solution. My skin began to feel hot right away. I went back over spots that I thought were not covered until the gauze felt dry. I could see frosting (skin turning white) almost immediately.
My face began to feel very hot, almost burning. It was as if I was standing in front of one of those fan shaped space heaters and got too close. I took the page of directions and fanned my face. That helped. As I told my husband, my reaction was 'Holy Mother of Bleep! This is intense'.
After 5 minutes I began splashing my face with cold water to cool it (per the directions you can start at 3 minutes, but I gutted it out). I began to see frosting in more spots. This is good. Frosting means that the acid has penetrated the skin and is eating away at the glue that holds the outermost 'dead' layer of skin together. This is necessary to get to the newer and fresher and better looking skin underneath. The TCA peels are self neutralizing. Nothing you can do will stop the action. After 8-10 minutes the acid stops working. Then you rinse your face, wait for it to dry and apply Emu-oil.
It's been about 30 minutes since I finished the peel. My skin feels tight and in spots it's as if I have a mild scrape or irritation, mostly on my cheeks. The whiteness of the frosting has abated (thankfully because it was weird, as if someone erased the color off my skin). If I smile, I can see my skin crinkling up. It felt very similar to when I would spend the day out in the sun and have a sunburn that night.
I'm a bit apprehensive. I was hoping to build up to more layers of peel, but this was hard to take. I'll have to wait and see how my skin responds and how it looks afterwards. And let's just say I wont be using that 30% TCA anytime soon.
First you clean the skin and use the alcohol as a toner. This will remove any oil from the skin. Next you are to drop 25 drops of the TCA 12.5% solution onto one half of the gauze. I put the gauze in the plastic cup and tried to drip onto it. The TCA bottle did not come with a dropper. I may have to invest in one.
Then you hold the dry half of the gauze and swipe the wet half on your face in a horizontal direction. I As soon as I did this I could smell the solution. A very chemical like smell. Not horrid, but not pleasant either. Then you go over your face with the gauze in a vertical direction. I tried to cover my entire face with the solution. My skin began to feel hot right away. I went back over spots that I thought were not covered until the gauze felt dry. I could see frosting (skin turning white) almost immediately.
My face began to feel very hot, almost burning. It was as if I was standing in front of one of those fan shaped space heaters and got too close. I took the page of directions and fanned my face. That helped. As I told my husband, my reaction was 'Holy Mother of Bleep! This is intense'.
After 5 minutes I began splashing my face with cold water to cool it (per the directions you can start at 3 minutes, but I gutted it out). I began to see frosting in more spots. This is good. Frosting means that the acid has penetrated the skin and is eating away at the glue that holds the outermost 'dead' layer of skin together. This is necessary to get to the newer and fresher and better looking skin underneath. The TCA peels are self neutralizing. Nothing you can do will stop the action. After 8-10 minutes the acid stops working. Then you rinse your face, wait for it to dry and apply Emu-oil.
It's been about 30 minutes since I finished the peel. My skin feels tight and in spots it's as if I have a mild scrape or irritation, mostly on my cheeks. The whiteness of the frosting has abated (thankfully because it was weird, as if someone erased the color off my skin). If I smile, I can see my skin crinkling up. It felt very similar to when I would spend the day out in the sun and have a sunburn that night.
I'm a bit apprehensive. I was hoping to build up to more layers of peel, but this was hard to take. I'll have to wait and see how my skin responds and how it looks afterwards. And let's just say I wont be using that 30% TCA anytime soon.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The prep...
I received the kit in good condition. Every item I ordered was there. Along with instructions on how to use it. For the prep, they list the products and when/how to use them. This is my schedule:
AM:
PM
After a few days I realized my skin appeared much smoother and clearer. And I hadn't even done the peel yet! And it felt so smooth, like a babies bottom. One of the reasons I usually gave up other skin care regimens is that I never saw results, even after weeks. This was a couple of days!
I was using my old cleanser and toner. It was a gentle one for dry skin. The last time I went to the cosmetics counter, the saleswoman convinced me that I had dry skin. It did feel dry and was a bit flaky. But what I now realize was that the dry flaky skin was just the dead skin sitting on top of the oily skin. Which is why I was breaking out.
So I decided I needed a new cleanser/toner combo. Back to Platinum Skin Care. I decided to get the Cleanser/Toner for oily skin. These also contain glycolic and salicylic acids which accelerate the removal of dead skin, plus remove oil and residue from clogged pores.
And after researching the site further, I decided to add a copper product and an eye cream. The copper products are a new discovery that increases collagen and elasin in the skin. It appears to work wonders for acne sufferers and can reduce scarring. I ordered the CP Copper Serum, which is a step one copper product. Copper can be irritating, so you want to start with a lower dose and build up to the stronger products. The only other limitation is that copper should not be mixed with any Vitamin C products, as it will neutralize the Vitamin C. The copper product will also be great post-peel.
The eye product I purchased was the only eye product they sell, Platinum Eyes Restoration Therapy. I'm hoping it reduced my under eye circles and the darkness on my lids. But my eyelids are very sensitive, so I've only been able to dab a little on every other day.
Right now I'm ten days into the prep. As I said, my skin feels smoother and appears clearer. I've also been rubbing the excess product on my throat and that also feels smoother. I guess that will be my next project :) I'm scheduled to do the peel Thursday night. I'll pick up there.
AM:
- Clean face and use toner to defat skin.
- Apply fading gel (since I have pigmentation issues)
- Apply anti-toxidant product (Vitamin C)
- Apply Retinol product
- Apply Emu-oil for moisture
- Apply SPF 30 sunscreen (or higher SPF if you wish)
PM
- Clean face and use toner to defat skin
- Apply fading gel
- 15% glycolic acid serum
- Emu-oil for moisture (optional).
After a few days I realized my skin appeared much smoother and clearer. And I hadn't even done the peel yet! And it felt so smooth, like a babies bottom. One of the reasons I usually gave up other skin care regimens is that I never saw results, even after weeks. This was a couple of days!
I was using my old cleanser and toner. It was a gentle one for dry skin. The last time I went to the cosmetics counter, the saleswoman convinced me that I had dry skin. It did feel dry and was a bit flaky. But what I now realize was that the dry flaky skin was just the dead skin sitting on top of the oily skin. Which is why I was breaking out.
So I decided I needed a new cleanser/toner combo. Back to Platinum Skin Care. I decided to get the Cleanser/Toner for oily skin. These also contain glycolic and salicylic acids which accelerate the removal of dead skin, plus remove oil and residue from clogged pores.
And after researching the site further, I decided to add a copper product and an eye cream. The copper products are a new discovery that increases collagen and elasin in the skin. It appears to work wonders for acne sufferers and can reduce scarring. I ordered the CP Copper Serum, which is a step one copper product. Copper can be irritating, so you want to start with a lower dose and build up to the stronger products. The only other limitation is that copper should not be mixed with any Vitamin C products, as it will neutralize the Vitamin C. The copper product will also be great post-peel.
The eye product I purchased was the only eye product they sell, Platinum Eyes Restoration Therapy. I'm hoping it reduced my under eye circles and the darkness on my lids. But my eyelids are very sensitive, so I've only been able to dab a little on every other day.
Right now I'm ten days into the prep. As I said, my skin feels smoother and appears clearer. I've also been rubbing the excess product on my throat and that also feels smoother. I guess that will be my next project :) I'm scheduled to do the peel Thursday night. I'll pick up there.
Friday, March 13, 2009
My Facial Peel - The Beginning
I started researching facial peels recently. I'm 51 years old, but look younger. Except for my skin. I don't have many wrinkles. But I years of sun exposure, oily skin and hormone imbalances have taken their toll. I have Melasma and many areas of hyperpigmentation. I also have enlarged pores and my skin is dull, rough and leathery. In the past few years, I've discovered I have Hashimotos Thyroiditis and have been going through peri-menopause, so the hormone issues have exacerbated the skin problems. Also, I moved from New York State to Georgia and took up gardening, and the sun is much stronger here than in New York. I've been very conscious of using sunscreen and a hat when I'm out, but the damage has been done. Below are my 'before' pictures (not pretty).
So I started to do research into treatments. First I thought of going to a dermatologist or a plastic surgeon. But I soon discovered that any treatment would be ongoing and probably cost over a thousand dollars easy. Then on website I frequent, someone mentioned doing a home chemical peel, so I started googling 'home chemical peel'.
I looked at a few online sites that sold products and finally became impressed with one: Platinum Skin Care. Not only were the testimonials interesting, but I looked at other sites that rate products and these were rated very high. The site also has a lot of information about skin care and different skin types and problems. (read everything you need to know about chemical peels here) I decided to take the plunge and ordered a pre/post peel kit.
The way the peels work is that they remove the outer layer of skin. The acid used is a lower PH than your skin, and a few days after the chemicals are applied, the outer layer of skin will become tight, dry, dark and begin to peel, much like a sunburn (but without the UV rays!). The skin underneath is newer, smoother and clearer. Most skin products do not penetrate more than the outer layer of skin, which is basically dead, so if you peel that off, the products you then apply can penetrate deeper. Also, once you become accustomed to peels, you can do multiple layers that will penetrate down to more layers of skin. The post part of the kit contains products to apply after the peel which will then penetrate the new layers of skin.
These peels are done in spas, dermatologists and plastic surgeons offices, but usually at a higher acidic percentage. They can be damaging to your skin. That is why the site recommends beginning at a low % and working up from there. There are also different types of peels, Glycolic, Lactic Acid, Salicylic, Jessners and TCA (Trichloroacetic Acid). Glycolic is a good general peel for all skin types. Lactic is good for dry skin. Salicylic and Jessners are great for oily skin and acne issues. TCA is the strongest and best for damage and pigmentation issues, but also great for acne and oily skin issues. In stronger concentrations, it can also help with scarring. I decided to use the TCA peel.
The site recommends that if you have never had a peel before, you begin with the lowest strength, which is 12.5% TCA. You can dilute any peel they sell and dilution instructions are included with the peel. The first peel should be one layer, then advancing with one additional layer with each peel, up to 5. You can then move to higher percentages of the peel for additional peels.
Before you can do the peel, however, you must prep your skin. This is a minimum 2 week prep that will make the peel more effective and prevent hyper pigmentation from the peel. The prep products include an anti-toxidant (Vitamin C) product, a Retinol product (30%), a daily exfoliation solution (glycolic acid 15%), a healing moisturizer (Emu oil...more on this later), and since I have fair but olive skin and have hyper pigmentation issues, I added the fading gel. The kit is customizable and you can have different products based on your needs. I also added the 12.5% TCA peel (1 oz size) and also purchased a sample 1/2 oz size of 20% TCA peel for later use. You also get a free sample with each purchase, and I added a sample size of the Antitoxidant Enzyme Mask for use after the peel.
The last item in the kit is probably the most important - sunscreen. It is extremely important that while you are using these products on your skin that you prevent any more sun exposure. The sunscreen that you can purchase with the kit is SPF 30, which I use for daily use. But I have also purchased a 85 SPF Nutrogena sunscreen for when I'm going to be out in the yard gardening or other outdoor use. Once you peel off the outer layer of skin, the underlying skin will be more susceptible to sun damage and if you allow it to be exposed to the sun, you can do real damage to it. The total amount of the kit was $248.90, along with the additional TCA which was $32.95 for a total of $281.85. From this kit I should be able to get 34 peels (or layers). Compare to at least $150 per peel at a spa or dermatologists office. So it is economical.
Since my total order was greater than $150, the shipping was free. I received a confirmation email for my order immediately (I placed the online order on Sunday) and also a UPS shipping confirmation the next day. The package arrived that Wednesday, everything intact, no breakage or leaking. Along with the products were instructions on how to use each product especially the peel prep. There was a sheet which listed each product when to use them and how.
Next...the prep.
So I started to do research into treatments. First I thought of going to a dermatologist or a plastic surgeon. But I soon discovered that any treatment would be ongoing and probably cost over a thousand dollars easy. Then on website I frequent, someone mentioned doing a home chemical peel, so I started googling 'home chemical peel'.
I looked at a few online sites that sold products and finally became impressed with one: Platinum Skin Care. Not only were the testimonials interesting, but I looked at other sites that rate products and these were rated very high. The site also has a lot of information about skin care and different skin types and problems. (read everything you need to know about chemical peels here) I decided to take the plunge and ordered a pre/post peel kit.
The way the peels work is that they remove the outer layer of skin. The acid used is a lower PH than your skin, and a few days after the chemicals are applied, the outer layer of skin will become tight, dry, dark and begin to peel, much like a sunburn (but without the UV rays!). The skin underneath is newer, smoother and clearer. Most skin products do not penetrate more than the outer layer of skin, which is basically dead, so if you peel that off, the products you then apply can penetrate deeper. Also, once you become accustomed to peels, you can do multiple layers that will penetrate down to more layers of skin. The post part of the kit contains products to apply after the peel which will then penetrate the new layers of skin.
These peels are done in spas, dermatologists and plastic surgeons offices, but usually at a higher acidic percentage. They can be damaging to your skin. That is why the site recommends beginning at a low % and working up from there. There are also different types of peels, Glycolic, Lactic Acid, Salicylic, Jessners and TCA (Trichloroacetic Acid). Glycolic is a good general peel for all skin types. Lactic is good for dry skin. Salicylic and Jessners are great for oily skin and acne issues. TCA is the strongest and best for damage and pigmentation issues, but also great for acne and oily skin issues. In stronger concentrations, it can also help with scarring. I decided to use the TCA peel.
The site recommends that if you have never had a peel before, you begin with the lowest strength, which is 12.5% TCA. You can dilute any peel they sell and dilution instructions are included with the peel. The first peel should be one layer, then advancing with one additional layer with each peel, up to 5. You can then move to higher percentages of the peel for additional peels.
Before you can do the peel, however, you must prep your skin. This is a minimum 2 week prep that will make the peel more effective and prevent hyper pigmentation from the peel. The prep products include an anti-toxidant (Vitamin C) product, a Retinol product (30%), a daily exfoliation solution (glycolic acid 15%), a healing moisturizer (Emu oil...more on this later), and since I have fair but olive skin and have hyper pigmentation issues, I added the fading gel. The kit is customizable and you can have different products based on your needs. I also added the 12.5% TCA peel (1 oz size) and also purchased a sample 1/2 oz size of 20% TCA peel for later use. You also get a free sample with each purchase, and I added a sample size of the Antitoxidant Enzyme Mask for use after the peel.
The last item in the kit is probably the most important - sunscreen. It is extremely important that while you are using these products on your skin that you prevent any more sun exposure. The sunscreen that you can purchase with the kit is SPF 30, which I use for daily use. But I have also purchased a 85 SPF Nutrogena sunscreen for when I'm going to be out in the yard gardening or other outdoor use. Once you peel off the outer layer of skin, the underlying skin will be more susceptible to sun damage and if you allow it to be exposed to the sun, you can do real damage to it. The total amount of the kit was $248.90, along with the additional TCA which was $32.95 for a total of $281.85. From this kit I should be able to get 34 peels (or layers). Compare to at least $150 per peel at a spa or dermatologists office. So it is economical.
Since my total order was greater than $150, the shipping was free. I received a confirmation email for my order immediately (I placed the online order on Sunday) and also a UPS shipping confirmation the next day. The package arrived that Wednesday, everything intact, no breakage or leaking. Along with the products were instructions on how to use each product especially the peel prep. There was a sheet which listed each product when to use them and how.
Next...the prep.
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