TCA Cross Acne Scar Singapore

Prior to your TCA CROSS acne scars procedure, your face will be cleansed and topical anaesthesia (numbing cream) will be applied.

An applicator is used to apply the TCA at the base of the selected acne scar.

We use either the “syringe-dropper” or tooth-pick methods to apply the TCA.

Areas treated with TCA Cross chemical peel will turn white. This is called “frosting”.

This treatment is well tolerated by most individuals. You may feel a warm heating sensation during the treatment.

An antibiotic ointment is applied after the procedure to facilitate scar healing and to reduce the risk of infection.

Immediately after the procedure, there will be some redness that lasts 3-5 days. Pain is minimal post-procedure.

Collagen stimulation takes at least 3-4 weeks to form, and is maximal at 3-4 months.

Depending on individual, scar location, scar depth and skin type, generally 2-4 sessions spaced about 1 month apart will give the best results.

Yes, TCA cross can improve acne scars, even deep “pitted” scars.

Acne scar severity is graded using Goodman and Baron’s qualitative acne scar grading system for objective comparisons.

1. Macular scars
Macular scars can be erythematous, hyperpigmented (brown) or hypopigmented (pale) flat marks. They do not represent a problem of contour like other scargrades but of color.

2. Mild atrophic or hypertrophic scars
Mild atrophic (thin) or hypertrophic (thick) scars may not be obvious at social distances of 50 cm or greater.

3. Moderate atrophic or hypertrophic scars
Moderate atrophic or hypertrophic scarring is obvious at social distances of 50 cm or greater and is not covered easily by makeup or the normal shadow of shaved beard hair in men or body hair if extrafacial, but is still able to be flattened by manual stretching of the skin (if atrophic).

4. Severe atrophic or hypertrophic scars
Severe atrophic or hypertrophic scarring is evident at social distances greater than 50 cm and is not covered easily by makeup.

Yes, TCA is a non-toxic chemical (trichloracetic acid) that has been used to perform skin peels for more than 20 years.

Deep acne scars and enlarge pores lie below the safety zone of lasers.

Lasers including CO2, Erbium and Fraxel can all deliver the necessary power to reach scars. However this might push the safety margin for deeper acne scars, such as ice pick scars.

TCA CROSS overcomes the complications of laser by placing a known concentration of acid to ‘scars’ the scar, stimulating collagen and raising the level of the scar.

After just one treatment, you will notice a difference, however most ice-pick scars will require 2-3 treatments before they reach the ‘safe to laser’ mark.

Your specialist will choose the most suitable concentration of TCA for you. TCA Cross concentrations range from 35% to 100%- this depends on your skin colour, and depth of your acne scars.

Yes. In some cases pore size can be reduced by TCA CROSS, however most patients will need 2-3 treatments for a 30-50% reduction in pore size.

The larger the size of the pore, the greater the improvement.