TCA Peels for New Moms

Motherhood comes with a number of small joys – your baby’s first smile, first steps and first word are only a few. However, stretch marks are one part of motherhood every women hopes to avoid.

Stretch marks are small streaks that are depressed into the skin. They are most likely to appear later in the pregnancy as the stomach grows more quickly. Some women will see these marks form on their buttocks, hips, breasts and thighs as well. When stretch marks are first visible they can be pink, red, brown, purple or dark brown. Often, the marks will fade over time, but rarely will they completely disappear.

Not every pregnant woman will get stretch marks. While it is difficult to predict each woman’s chance of seeing stretch marks form, the risk increases if other women in the family develop them. Overall, the appearance of stretch marks depends on how much and how quickly the mother’s stomach expands. Women are most likely to experience stretch marks if they gain weight rapidly, carry multiple children (i.e. twins or triplets), have a big baby or have excess amniotic fluid.

While there is no real way to prevent stretch marks, women can take steps during their pregnancy to reduce their risk factors. By gaining only 25 to 35 pounds, and gaining that weight slowly, women will be less likely to develop stretch marks.

Many women try to use creams to prevent these marks before they happen. Most of these creams contain soluble collagen and elastin, which will not help reduce the appearance of stretch marks. Since these marks occur on a deeper level than the creams reach, they will not be effective. Instead, mothers need to heal complex structures in the skin, and heal them from within the body.

TCA chemical peels are one way to reduce the appearance of stretch marks after a woman has given birth. TCA peels will penetrate the skin deeper than alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) or beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) and can encourage the growth of collagen and elastin. Since stretch marks occur at such a deep level of the skin, young mothers need a deeper reaching peel than a glycolic acid or other light chemical peel. TCA peels will not only reduce the appearance of stretch marks, they will tighten the skin in the affected area.

TCA chemical peels are far superior to deeper peels – such as phenol – to remove stretch marks. Phenol is the deepest and most dangerous of all chemical peels. While it will penetrate deep into the skin to remove damage, it can cause scarring and decrease the hemoglobin in the body’s red blood cells. Phenol could, in fact, cause a more serious problem than the stretch marks.

Chemical peels are one of the best ways to reduce – and even remove – the appearance of the stretch marks that can follow pregnancy. Not only does a TCA chemical peel penetrate the skin to the appropriate level, it has fewer side effects than deeper peels. Young mothers have enough to worry about with their new little one – shouldn’t stretch marks be a concern that’s easily crossed off the list?