Clifton / DHA
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3rd Floor, 4C, Khayaban-e-Tanzeem, Tauheed Commercial Area, DHA Phase-5
How does a TCA peel work?
Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) is a long-established peeling acid. At medium strength it works through the top layer of skin into the upper part of the layer beneath, where fine lines and sun damage sit. It is deeper than a glycolic acid peel, so one session delivers more change, though it does not lift sagging skin or fill hollows.
As the acid works, the skin turns briefly white, called frosting. Over the next days it darkens, tightens and peels away, and this controlled healing switches on new collagen, so the fresh skin underneath is smoother and more even. Deeper peels give bigger changes but need longer recovery.
Who shouldn’t have a TCA peel?
It isn’t suitable during pregnancy or breastfeeding, with broken skin, an infection or a cold sore in the area, if you scar easily, take isotretinoin (Roaccutane) or can’t avoid the sun while healing. Your doctor checks this at your consultation.
Your TCA peel, step by step
- Free consultation: your doctor checks your skin type, health and goals, and chooses the strength.
- Skin preparation: you may use a prescribed cream for 2–4 weeks to lower the risk of dark patches.
- Treatment: the skin is cleansed and the acid applied evenly, taking 30–45 minutes.
- Healing: skin darkens, then peels; it is usually healed in 1–2 weeks.
- Follow-up: your doctor checks your healing; a repeat peel, if needed, comes months later.
Results and recovery
Once your skin has healed, usually in one to two weeks, it looks smoother, brighter and more even, and texture keeps improving for months. With daily sun protection, your fresh result lasts many months.
Redness, swelling and peeling are normal for about a week. In brown skin, temporary dark patches are the main risk, so preparation, strict sun protection and hands-off healing lower it. Scarring is rare in trained hands.
Aftercare
- No make-up for 5–7 days, until skin heals
- Don’t pick or peel flaking skin
- Keep skin moist with the cream you’re given
- Avoid the sun; then sunscreen every day
Why choose Cutera Aesthetics
- Doctor-led: your TCA peel treatment is assessed, planned and performed by our qualified doctors.
- Free consultation: an honest assessment and a clear plan before you commit to anything.
- A plan made for you: your treatment is tailored to your goals, your skin and your health.
- 12 clinics in 7 cities: Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Hyderabad and Sialkot. Find your nearest clinic.
Sources
- American Academy of Dermatology. Chemical peels: Overview. What peels treat.
- American Academy of Dermatology. Chemical peels: FAQs. Healing time, aftercare and side effects by peel depth.
- American Academy of Dermatology. Chemical peels: Preparation. What to tell your doctor before a peel.
- Soleymani T, Lanoue J, Rahman Z. A practical approach to chemical peels: a review of fundamentals and step-by-step algorithmic protocol for treatment. Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2018; 11(8): 21–28.
