Before their use in helping consumers get rid of their unwanted tattoos Trichloracetic acid (TCA) chemical peels had been used to eliminate fine lines and wrinkles as well as acne scarring. Over fifty years ago, in the the 1940's, these chemicals were used to remove calluses, stretch marks and even age spots.
Trichloracetic compounds have been rigorously tested and have proven themselves to be quite effective for removing tattoos or for fading them - usually to prepare a tattooed area for a cover-up design. One study in the British Journal of Plastic Surgery in 1988 included the results of 670 tattooed patients. They were treated with TCA chemicals over a six year period. When the study concluded, the results indicated that the patients had experienced an 85% success rate. This study proved that TCA chemical peels were a simple, inexpensive tattoo removal alternative.
Trichloracetic acid is a cosmetic liquid, not a cream. It acts to slowly fade tattoo pigments under top skin's top layer. It contains no hydroquinone - a skin bleaching agent that is often found in tattoo removal systems. This chemical peel product is also used by many different types of skin care professionals including dermatologists and doctors. OTC sales of hydroquinone is illegal in Australia, as well as in twenty one European Countries as well as some Asian countries. These nations claim that these decisions were made based on cancer fears in addition to the concern that the compound was responsible for various other skin conditions. It is still legally available in many other countries but normally just in low concentrations like 2% - 5%. Hydroquinone has often been used to improve various skin conditions like hyper-pigmentation - darkening of the skin, uneven tone or even for the treatment of dark circles under patient's eyes.
These chemical peels work gradually from the top skin layer (epidermis) down deeper into the dermis where the tattoo pigment resides. TCA peels are often considered less painful than Q-switched laser removal therapy and often only cause a slight tingling sensation to the affected area. Baking soda and water is commonly used to alleviate this discomfort. Many users have claimed that using TCA peels hurt less than getting the tattoo put on in the first place. The inflammation caused by the chemical reaction leads to a controlled burn. This results in the tattoo pigment rising to the skin's surface and, with repeated use, slowly fading away.
Pre-fading a tattoo with a TCA chemical peel before having laser therapy is a common approach and has saved many consumers money. A pre-faded tattoo will obviously require fewer laser treatments and will result in fewer, often painful, painful laser sessions. This is because the already-faded pigments need less heat from the laser to break down the remaining pigment. A pre-faded tattoo with a TCA product will also often recover more quickly after any laser sessions. Less pigment in the skin's dermal layer means less time at the laser clinic not to mention the avoided pain and cost. You should bear in mind that just like the many tattoo removal products on the market today, TCA chemical peels do take an investment of time. After the chemical is applied, users will normally need to allow between three and six weeks to go by prior to starting the next cycle.
An additional advantage of TCA systems are their color-dependency - not the case for many laser removal systems. These TCA peels work just as well on all ink pigments.
Lasers are often more effective with the darker colors like black, dark blue or red but haven't shown as much success with other colors like lighter red, light blue, light green and many yellows. These inks can often necessitate additional laser treatments unless the pigment has been pre-faded by a product such as a TCA peel.
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