Just wondering if anyone has tried combining these two methods? I did a spot treatment with only a 12.5% and dabbed super cp serum on...seems to really make a difference on pitted depressions, and healed faster than when I tried the same with no cps.

I tried TCA a few years back when I was first using cp's. I used the super cop afterwards. The area I was treating was my stomach for stretchmarks. I had amazing results.

thanks for the suggestion.. did the spot peel like usual with a tca peel and did you put the super cp serum on immediately after?

I waited half and hour and then I applied it. I'm working on the area again after a few years break but I'm needling the skin around the naval
now

Np...I did a few spots. Since I was using a 12.5 % only, I layered until it frosted. I put super cp serum on immediately afterward, followed by squalene. It formed a scab which lasted for a few days, and when the scab fell off the skin was almost level. I think if i do it a few more times it may heal completely.

I was a little bit too freaked out to try the 100% TCA, but seem to have a nice result without it.

howmeow: did the stretchmarks heal completely? I've been dermarollering mine.

Today I did a Double Peel... 15%SA - 2 min/ 40% Lactic layered on top for 3 min. My skin did not even get pink.

I think it has become so resilient that this peel doesn't do much for me anymore.

I am going to try an 8% TCA in another week & see if that makes a difference. I will work my way up if needed.

My skin is sooooo close to perfection, yet still seems so far away. The stronger peel is probably what I need. I will take this slow until I see how my skin reacts.

Congrats Stoney on your success!!! Petrified, they haven't completely gone but the skin was so bad and drooped over that I was told the only option was a tummy tuck. So they are down by 3/4 and my navel which was large and mishapen has gone back to a normal size. My stretch marks were about 17yrs old when I first started treating them, but I am a belly dancer so I am pushing for more improvent

That's amazing stoney. Which products did you use, and were there any other products that worked well with the cps? Very inspiring. I've only been using dr pickarts products for about a week now and there seems to be a difference in the quality of my skin, at least. I still have a long way to go though.

howmeow: Sounds like you've had great improvement too...Were you pregnant, or did you lose a lot of weight? I have a friend who went through the same and has so far only looked at surgery as an option for the droopiness. What size roller are you using?

Hi petrified!

Watch what type of TCA's you use because if it is pure--100 percent will actually take your pigment away! I did a test spot about four years ago---way too strong and very painful. Of course, I am speaking of pure TCA's. Anais Lacerte, of Miami, has the strongest TCA I have ever encountered---please be careful.

Hello petrified. My stretch marks were from pregnanies . I'm currently just using a diabetic lancet which is very fine. When I'm more cashed up I will get a roller. I have no idea as to what size I should get though

Thanks Howmeow & Petrified...I am still a "work in progress" , but I am pushing closer to the ever so elusive finish line in my ongoing remodeling project.

I used ALL strength CPs, Emu Oil, Hydroxy's, Retin-A, the derma ROLLER & Red LED for a time. My acne-related damage turned out to be monumental , but I have tackled & painstakenly renewed most of my skin in about a 1 1/2 yrs. time.

My "Double Peel" turned out to be more effective than I thought... ... a BAD spot that pushed up on my jawline a week or 2 ago that I have been working on was riddled with tiny little fibrous scars plugging the pores. I removed 8 last night using my tweezers & 10X Magnification Mirror... ...then applied 2X & Emu. This AM the spot has diminished significantly with a blue scab. There are probably a few more left underneath.

I will try a low 8% TCA on my skin in hopes in loosening anything else left under the surface. I may 1st try spot treating, then use all over my face a week later.

The shocking part for me, is the sheer amount of damage & the BEST part is that CPs can along with strong hydroxy's & Retin-A can totally rebuild the skin, making you look younger as a pleasant side effect from all of your hard work & efforts.

Good Luck to ALL!...

All I can say is WOW!

I left the large Blue Scab alone all day yesterday on my BAD spot, then applied 2X & Emu again last night.

This AM, after my shower the scab softened & I could see the heart of the culprit. I gently removed the soften scab & revealed the large white demon... ...I then pulled the HUGE monster out with my tweezers after putting Exfol on the area for a few minutes. It was the nucleus of a very, very, very OLD blemish that was buried uder my skin for probably 30 yrs. It can now fully regenerate & heal properly.

I am knocking them off one by one. This was by far one of my WORST spots probably because of it age.

I can NOT wait to have all of these demons out of my skin for good! ...Then I can work on something else...

Hello again,

Hallie: I haven't actually broached the 100% TCA before, and likely won't, although I have seen people get some pretty impressive results with it. I was just curious if anyone here had...there has been nice success on acne.org apparently. I just assumed the combo of adding cps would give an even greater result.

howmeow: Thanks for the tip. What % TCA did you use before on your stretchmarks?

stoney: Just curiuos about your peel technique...did you use the SA, then rinse off, then do the lactic? Which peel website do you use? Also wondering about your tweezers comment...you squeeze the scar tissue out with them? How? I've never heard of that before. Also I am curious as to what kind of scars you had in the past. I'm only using super cp serum for spot treatment. Do you think I should move up to the sc 2x?? It's only been a few weeks.
Glad your progress has been so great. DO you have before and after pics?

Thanks all!

Hi petrified it was only 12.5% but I did also use retin A as well in between.

Hi Petrified!

I used 25% pure TCA and it worked rather well!

Petrified, My trial & error approach has been to prep my skin for the 1st 3 months using weaker strength products. Then I started ROLLING last April '08 moving up to Super CP Serum & spot treating with Super Cop -or- 2X.

It was after my 2nd ROLL, that things started to happen for me. I knew right then & there that I had figured out the answer to finally fixing my face. I just did not realize at the time the severity of the damage that was under my skin. In hindsight, I know ROLLING followed by CPs was aggressively exposing the damage & "needling with lancets" would be one way to help control too much exposure at once. I am at home most of the time though, so I was able to hide & suffer the through damage removal process of what was sometimes MANY spots.

My skin was relatively smooth on the surface most of my life & when I turned 47 I noticed that it started to thin a little from the natural aging process & it began to look like I had bad acne in the past... ...I could see zillions of little white bumps under the surface. These bumps turned out to be suppressed damage from yrs of BP use & what looked like "just congested skin" turned out to be unbudgable scar tissue congesting & residing in my pores... ...

I did NOT take any close up before shots of my face mostly because I did not think that anything would really work...I had tried EVERYTHING up to this point including stronger peels at the derms, but never used TCA. I may try spot treating a few stubborn spots with 8% TCA. I now layer 15% SA & 40% Lactic with good results....You have to build your skin up to stronger peels BOTH strength & amt of time you can leave it on.

I have a recent photo posted on the red LED thread taken this past May. I still have buried damage underneath, but it doesn't really show up too much on the pic. I had no pics of myself for 2 yrs. before this as I avoided the camera like the plague , even my drivers license photo.

My skin in nearing perfection (way beyond what I ever anticipated) but I worked very, very hard on it... slowly breaking down the damage with Hydroxys allowing CPs to do the rebuilding....and Yes, I plucked hundreds of pcs of scar tissue from my pores as they were exposed. Not everyone has this kind of damage...I believe it came from abnormal healing from BP (Benzoyl Peroxide)... ...NIGHTMARE!

Sorry to repeat what I have said over & over, but CPs are the answer to scar removal, wrinkle reduction & overall BEAUTIFUL skin.... & I believe anyone can have a clear nearly perfect face if they are willing to understand the process & work on it!... ...it does take TIME!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: stoney,

Stoney,

I'm always interested as to what you mean when you say you pluck out the scar tissue with tweezers from your pores. Does it look like blackheads, whiteheads, or different? I have bumps of scar tissue underneath my skin and am about to use a roller so I'm guessing I could possibly undergo what you have written about and want to be prepared on how to remove the damage.

THanks!

Hi JessB,

Well the bulk of the damage under my skin was "tiny little white plugs" which were covered over by good skin. They look & act just like a stubborn clogged pore, but they are actually attached pcs. of fibrous scar tissue.

Once you ROLL a couple of times the damage slowly starts to "push up". Any BAD spots, I like to "spot treat" with Super Cop -or- 2X. A lot of junk may come out of the spot on it's own, but for me I could still see "little white plugs". Anything that is close to the surface I gently yank out with my tweezers. You just don't want to get carried away as there is usually more than just 1 or 2. Only go for what seems to be ready, then after spot treating again with 2X, if there are any more, they will push up.

It is hard for me to explain & you kind of have to see for yourself what is happening, but ROLLING does NOT magically fix your face. Rather, it allows CPs & Hydroxys to better penetrate the dermis which then allow for the scars to finally start to move out of "stuck position" & the rebuilding begins.

Just take it slow... it is a long, tedious process. Perhaps, spot treating with low srtength TCA will dissolve the tissue so you do not have to pull out the plugs. I am going to give this a try in a couple of days (8% TCA) & will report back.

HTH...

Also JessB, Just to help you understand the process & what is happening a little bit better...the damage under the skin is most likely in layers with the oldest being the deepest.

That is why right now, even with all the progress I have made, I am dealing with some of toughest spots since they have been deep under my skin for probably 30 yrs.

Laser damage is by far the easiest to remove which can happen in a matter of 3 - 4 months since it is only surface damage of the epidermis.

Just take it one step at a time...

Well, I tried out the 8% TCA on 2 spots on my face. It did not burn or get pink at all. I left it on for 5 min then rinsed thoroughly. I read that it is normal to NOT experience any burning or redness when spot testing.

I then followed with Super Cp Serum all over & 2X on the spots.

I may try a one layer peel all over my face in another day or so & then back off & rest my skin for awhile.

I haven't very much left under my skin to deal with, so I am hoping the peel helps to finish it off.

It's been a loooooooong time for me, but I am definitely closing in...