Dermatologists Swear By TCA Peels—Here's What You Need To Know

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Search Search Close search TCA Peels, Explained: Everything You Need to Know, According to Dermatologists By Elyse M. Love, MD

Elyse M. Love, MD Elyse M. Love, MD is a board-certified dermatologist and contributing writer for Byrdie. Byrdie's Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 12, 2023 03:35PM Reviewed by Julia A. Siegel, MD

Reviewed by Julia A. Siegel, MD Julia A. Siegel, MD is a board-certified dermatologist based in Boston, Massachusetts. She is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology and has authored several peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. About Byrdie's Beauty & Wellness Board Board-Certified Dermatologist In This Article View All In This Article

What Is a Chemical Peel?
What Is a TCA Chemical Peel?
Benefits
How to Prepare
What to Expect
Aftercare
TCA vs. Other Chemical Peels
At-Home vs. In-Office/Professional
Treatments on Darker Skin
Side Effects
The Cost
The Final Takeaway

Close up of a woman with bright clear skin — Stocksy

The term “chemical peel” evokes various emotions and facial expressions from my patients. For some, the term brings back memories of glowing, freshly exfoliated, hydrated skin. For others, the term conjures a previous bad experience or dramatic images they’ve previously seen on the internet and the thought “not for me.” Dermatologist, Tina Alster, says TCA peels offer the perfect middle ground between superficial and deep peels, which makes them great for treating a wide variety of skin care concerns such as hyperpigmentation, fine lines, and rough skin texture.

Of course, as with any skincare treatment, there are preparation steps and possible side effects to consider. Read ahead as dermatologist, Anetta Reszko, Dr. Alster, and I explain everything you need to know about TCA peels.

Meet the Experts

Dr. Tina Alster is the founding director of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery and the founder of medical grade skincare line, The A Method.

Dr. Anetta Reszko is a board-certified dermatologist and a fellow of The American Academy of Dermatology, The American College of Mohs Surgery and The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.

What Is a Chemical Peel?

A chemical peel is a procedure that chemically exfoliates the skin. Chemical peels range in depth from superficial, medium, and deep chemical peels. Superficial chemical peels exfoliate only the top layer of skin, while medium and deep chemical peels exfoliate into the upper and mid dermis, respectively.

Superficial chemical peels are effective for texture irregularity and evening of the skin tone, while medium to deep chemical peels are effective for skin tightening and diminishing fine lines and wrinkles.

In general, the time to heal and potentially adverse reactions increase with the depth of the chemical peel. For this reason, medium and deep chemical peels are typically avoided in darker skin tones, due to increased risk of scarring and hyperpigmentation.

What Is a TCA Chemical Peel?

TCA stands for trichloroacetic acid.

The term TCA chemical peel is somewhat vague because TCA peels can vary from very light to deep chemical peels, depending on the concentration of TCA and whether it is combined with another type of chemical peel. For reference, 10%–30% TCA provides a superficial peel, while 30%–40% TCA provides a medium-depth chemical peel, and 50% or above TCA provides a deep chemical peel.

Benefits of a TCA Chemical Peel

The benefits of the TCA peel will depend on the depth of the chemical peel. Superficial TCA chemical peels provide improvement in skin texture, a decreased number of whiteheads and blackheads, and evening of skin tone. Medium-depth TCA chemical peels provide improvement in fine lines and wrinkles.

TCA is not the best agent for deep chemical peels, as it can become somewhat unpredictable, but deep TCA peels would provide improvement in wrinkles and skin tightening.

How to Prepare for a TCA Chemical Peel

It is, of course, important to follow the specific directions given to you by the person who is to perform your chemical peel. I would caution against having medium-depth chemical peels performed outside a dermatologist office. Deep chemical peels should be performed only by a board-certified dermatologist or a plastic surgeon.

It is important to review your calendar before scheduling a chemical peel. Skin will typically peel for 4–10 days with a chemical peel. Check your calendar and make sure you don’t have any important events or dates within your peeling window. You'll need to avoid makeup for a few days following your treatment as well.

It is also important to avoid sun exposure as the skin is healing. So don’t plan to get a peel right before vacation. It’s also advisable not to have a fresh tan on the day of your procedure.

Your aesthetician or physician will likely want you to hold off on your nightly retinol or retinoid for a week before your treatment, but this should be confirmed by your provider. For superficial peels, it is sometimes useful to prime the skin with retinol or a retinoid before.

Dr. Reszko says that it's best to avoid shaving or waxing your face a few days prior to the peel to avoid excess irritation. "Make sure you are drinking adequate amounts of water to keep your skin hydrated," she adds.

If you have a history of cold sores, your physician will prescribe you a prophylactic medication to minimize the changes of an outbreak for medium-depth chemical peels.

What to Expect During a TCA Chemical Peel

The actual treatment process is fairly quick. It’s best to show up to your appointment without makeup. If you are coming from work and tend to wear heavy makeup, it’s a good idea to bring your favorite effective makeup remover so that you can remove your makeup yourself.

As the first step, they will degrease your face with acetone, which smells a lot like nail polish remover. This feels a little cold and weird, but it’s an essential step, because it allows the peel solution to interface with your skin effectively.

Next, they’ll apply a protectant to the corners of your eyes, nose, and lips. Since these areas naturally dip down, there’s a risk of peel solution accumulating in them. So, a thick ointment is applied to protect them.

In the next step, the actual peel will be applied to the face with either a cotton tip applicator or a gauze pad. This is usually accompanied by tingling and warmth in the treated areas. Often, one area may respond more vigorously than another. A fan is typically enough to mitigate discomfort in a superficial peel. Oral or inhaled analgesics may be used beforehand for medium-depth chemical peels.

The number of layers applied will depend on the desired depth of the chemical peel and your skin’s reaction. The person applying your peel will watch carefully for the desired endpoint.

Once the desired endpoint is reached, usually within 3-5 minutes, the skin is cooled with cold water. A thin balm is applied to protect the skin, and the procedure is over.

Dr. Reszko likes to use the Environ TCA Cool Peel, especially for first-time patients. "The Cool Peels from Environ have a gel-like texture and give a cooling effect," she explains. "These peels are fully customizable from very mild and gentle, to more advanced and intense. The Cool Peels from Environ are safe, non-invasive, and give you great results with minimal downtime."

Aftercare

Aftercare will be explained in detail after your procedure, but in general, it’s important to keep it simple and gentle. You’ll cleanse your skin with a gentle cleanser, and moisturize with a bland ointment or moisturizer. It's important to also practice diligent sun protection.

Depending on the depth of the peel, the skin will likely peel between four to 10 days. It’s important not to attempt to speed up the peeling process by picking at the skin, as this can increase the chances of infection, poor healing, and dark spots. Regular skincare can be resumed once the skin has been fully repaired from the chemical peel and feels back to normal (normal but better).

TCA Chemical Peels vs. Other Chemical Peels

TCA peels are the most versatile chemical peels of all chemical peels. From a professional standpoint, that makes it a great tool, because it can be used at various concentrations and application techniques to treat almost any condition. However, from a patient perspective, the only thing that matters is if it is the right procedure for you. In general, the most important step in selecting a chemical peel is choosing a provider who knows what they’re doing. My colleagues and I all have different go-tos for treatment of similar conditions.

At-Home vs. In-Office/Professional

In general, TCA peels should be performed by a professional. The number of layers and pressure of application affect the depth of penetration for this peel, so it should not be performed at home. Medium-depth chemical peels should be performed only by a board-certified dermatologist.

For your reference, the depth of penetration is what differentiates an at-home chemical peel from an in-office/professional treatment. At-home chemical peels are very superficial in order to make them foolproof. It will take several at-home treatments used at routine frequency to equate to one superficial in-office peel. However, at-home peels typically do not have noticeable peeling compared with in-office treatments and therefore have little to no downtime. There is no at-home equivalent to a medium-depth peel; no amount of at-home peels will create the same effect, because in-office medium-depth peels penetrate much deeper than at-home treatments.

If you are adamant about trying an at-home TCA peel, Dr. Alster recommends using The A Method's The Amazing Peel Kit. It's a low-concentration TCA peel kit that comes with an easy-to-follow protocol, comprehensive post-care products, and a TCA solution sufficient enough for one peel.

TCA Chemical Peel Treatments on Darker Skin

Darker skin tones should proceed with caution when it comes to medium-depth chemical peels, and should have this procedure performed only by an expert familiar with treating darker skin tones. Dr. Alster also agrees that it's crucial to consult with a dermatologist experienced in treating diverse skin types, as darker skin is more prone to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

"Gradual and cautious TCA application, typically starting with lower strengths, helps minimize the risk of excessive peeling and pigmentary changes," Dr. Alster explains. "Pre-treatment with topical agents such as kojic acid, tranexamic acid, and tretinoin can assist in preparing the skin and mitigating potential post-peel hyperpigmentation. Adequate sun protection before and after the peel is also paramount to prevent UV-induced pigmentation changes."

Key Ingredients

Tranexamic acid fades discoloration, brightens skin, and reduces the appearance of acne scars.

Potential Side Effects

The potential side effects for a TCA chemical peel include the risk of hyperpigmentation and the risk of scarring. Risks are minimum with superficial TCA peels, but become more substantial in medium to deep peels.

TCA peels are moderately reactive, so those with eczema and rosacea should proceed with a test spot before moving forward with full treatment.

The Cost

The cost of a chemical peel is variable depending on where the peel is performed and the expertise of the person performing it, but it is typically comparable to or cheaper than a superficial laser treatment.

The Final Takeaway

Chemical peels have been around for a while but are still a very effective treatment option for most skin concerns, including acne, hyperpigmentation, melasma, uneven skin texture, and fine lines and wrinkles. TCA chemical peels are among the most versatile type of chemical peel, with a wide range of depths and treatment options. Superficial treatments are effective for treating whiteheads, blackheads, uneven skin texture, and pigmentation, while medium-depth peels are more effective for fine lines and wrinkles. Since the risk of adverse events increases with the depth, it’s important to have this peel performed by a knowledgeable professional.

The 12 Best Chemical Peels for a Brighter, Glowy-Looking Complexion Article Sources Byrdie takes every opportunity to use high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.

Grimes PE, Ijaz S, Nashawati R, Kwak D. New oral and topical approaches for the treatment of melasma. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2018;5(1):30-36. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2018.09.004