What used to be a teenage problem brought on by adolescence has now become evident in adulthood as well. And the main cause of adult acne is stress. It is mostly accompanied by inflammation and that is the diva side of it. Most of us hope for the first two types of acne if we ever bump into it, no pun intended, and that comprises of whiteheads and black heads. These can easily be treated with a physical exfoliant otherwise known as a scrub, providing desquamation of the dead skin cells sitting on the stratum corneum (top layer) of the skin. No inflammation is usually present.

Now taking it up a notch as we move onto papules and pustules. These can be slightly sensitive to the touch, and that is because of the inflammation they are accompanied by. They are filled with puss due to the infection in the pore caused by the P-Acne bacteria. They are usually very tempting to squeeze, even when one knows they should not be. Squeezing them causes trauma to the surrounding tissue and will leave the skin with dark spots and cause scarring (post acne scarring) which can only be treated after the breakout has cleared, resulting in a much longer route to clear skin. 

TCA, also known as Trichloroacetic Acid, is known to be a wonder ingredient when it comes to skin rejuvenation and dermal remodelling. K-Surgery realised that skins most in need of TCA treatments couldn’t use TCA due to its low pH and inflammatory production – many physicians won’t risk applying TCA to darker skin types or skins that are prone to hyperpigmentation. Understanding the need for TCA but also the risk, K-Surgery formulated TC Plus with the addition of AHAs specifically focused on reducing melanin / pigment. With the addition of these ingredients in a gel suspension as opposed to a liquid, the dispersion, application and saturation of ingredients is far more manageable for both the patient and physician. The gel allows for optimum and even penetration whilst limiting the burning / tingling / heating sensation most TCAs give – a clear sign of less inflammation on the skin. The combination of these three acids also allows for very superficial, superficial and medium depth penetration – three areas within the skin are therefore simultaneously treated with one peel.

When it comes to treating pigmentation, the gentler the treatment, the better. K- Surgery’s TC Plus can be used weekly, making for a gentle, repetitive treatment protocol yielding optimal, long lasting results. Physicians can also add K-Peels pure acid Salicylic 2% for better penetration or for advancing the depth of the treatment.

Being able to customise a peel experience and treatment to a patient’s needs has become a must in aesthetic treatments as we are all individuals and so our skin should be treated similarly!

The ideal candidate for this treatment is in good physical health, understands the procedure and has realistic expectations of the outcome – where the main goal is to alleviate acne, smooth wrinkles, improve skin texture, eliminate age spots or reduce the effects of sun damage. Conditions for effective results from TCA peels generally include:

• Skin that has developed brown spots
• Wrinkling caused by the onset of ageing
• Sun damage
• Complexion that has become dull