Effective way to improve your pitted scars: TCA cross method

I wrote this series of articles because (i) I have pitted scars myself and know how depressing this can be, (ii) I think this approach to improving pitted scars is effective and provides hope, and, (iii) to my knowledge, this is not widely known in the Philippines.

The TCA cross method is a hope for people wanting to improve pitted scars. The good thing about TCA cross is that, unlike other products or treatments, it completely focuses on the pitted scar and offers as much as 70% improvement (according to the original study which I will briefly discuss below). This, of course, still depends on your skin condition and the treatment itself.

I broke down this topic into several parts to make it simple and readable. There is a study and scientific explanations about the TCA cross method, and I will try to talk about them in layman's term. Okay, read on.

Dr. Jung Lee and the original study

A before-and-after TCA Cross treatment photo from acne.org

The TCA cross (chemical reconstruction of skin scars) method allows pitted scars to be filled in through new collagen production. The best result that you can achieve is for the scars to be barely noticeable unless you look closely or viewed in a certain angle or light.

The TCA cross method was discovered by a Korean doctor (surprise), Dr. Jung Bock Lee, and this study was published in 2001. All in all, 64 patients that have acne scarring were studied, and all of them showed significant improvement. The observed results were better when using a higher concentration of TCA (65% versus 100%).

Read the abstract of the study in Cosmetic Skin and Surgery Center. There's also a follow-up study regarding the efficacy and safety of using 100% TCA in NCBI.

TCA cross

Basically, the TCA cross method uses a high concentration of trichloroacetic acid (TCA), which is applied locally on pitted scars. Reported complications are rare because of the localized and focus treatment; unlike other kinds of treatment, only the pitted scars are treated and not the whole face, which means that you spare the healthy skin tissues.

The TCA cross method reconstructs acne scars by inducing new collagen production and dermal thickening. The scar is treated with TCA, a scab forms and will eventually fall off, and the weeks of collagen regeneration begins.

The TCA cross methods works best on ice pick scars. According to the study, the TCA Cross method can also normalize deep rolling and boxcar scars. However, I have yet to see a testimonial on its effectiveness on the latter scars mentioned.

How does it work?

The TCA causes cell death to several years of the skin cells. These layers will then slough off and new tissues will form. Dermal collagen remodeling then follows and will continue for several months. The TCA cross method results in cumulative effect; since the skin is filled in gradually in each treatment, result improves with the number of treatments.

This procedure is conducted by professionals but can also be done at home. This is because the steps are quite basic and simple.

Ready? Read the basic steps here.



PS: Once formed, pitted scars will be hard to remove; in fact, with the current technology that we have now on skin care, I think that it would be downright impossible to bring back the old smooth skin. But you’re thinking, “I saw this testimonial, this advertisement, this comment on a forum…” well, that's just marketing folks. You can, however, improve the scars and make them less noticeable to the point that it's only visible in certain angles and lighting condition.

Mercedes Cabral

Mercedes Cabral is one Filipina to be proud of.

Dubbed the "Princess of Independent Film of the Philippines," she has appeared in various indie films including Serbis, where she starred as the girlfriend of Coco Martin; Kinatay; and the latest 2011 indie films Ligo na U, Lapit na Me, where she played the main female lead, and Ang Babae sa Septic Tank.

She was also voted as the most beautiful woman in Cannes in 2008.



Unbeknownst to many, the model-turned actress is a Fine Arts student who majors in Sculpture in the University of the Philippines, Diliman.


What I like most about Mercedes Cabral is that she fully embraces her native Filipina look, that brown exotic color most Asians are famous for. She doesn't give in to the pressure from the show business, where most actresses are mestiza.


She's also excellent in acting (have you watched her in the South Korean film Thirst?) and definitely someone to watch out for, especially now that she is making her name in the mainstream television.

Digital perms: the current hottest hair trend

Have you always wanted that soft, natural-looking loose curls on you see on Hollywood actresses? Then digital perms are the treatment that you are looking for.

Digital perm before and after

Digital perms are just starting to make its name especially in the West. Also called the "hot perm," it was invented in Korea and is popular in southeast Asian countries. It gives more natural-looking waves on your hair. You have probably seen someone with beautiful soft curly tresses and wondered, "wow, her hair is so pretty, I wonder if it's natural?" Well, unless that person has been gifted with really beautiful hair, that is probably a digital perm.

Digital perm versus normal perm

Digital perm (left) versus normal perm (right)

• Digital perms are called a hot perm because the process requires perm solution and heat, whereas a normal perm, or a "cold perm" only requires perm solution.
• If you want looser and bouncier waves, digital perms are the way to go. Normal perms, meanwhile, brings out tighter curls.
• Digital perms are general a bit more expensive than normal perms. :p

Get that effortless feminine waves

A digital perm will give more volume to your hair and leave it softer and shinier. You can wear it simply with your hair down or in other hairstyles. My personal favorite style for a digital permed hair? A bun, with soft curls hanging loosely and elegantly!

If you are leaving in the US or in other western countries and your local salon does not offer this treatment, try looking for Japanese or Korean hair salons. 

Prim and proper hair style

A simple graphics showing how to do a prim and proper hair style.

Did you know?

... that you can determine whether your hair is healthy by taking a few strands of your hair and putting them in a glass of water? Healthy hair strands float, while damaged ones sink and need to soak up moisture.

This "hair float" trick is particularly useful when you are planning to go to a salon for a hair treatment that involves chemicals (such as hair rebond, relax, perm, etc.). If the hair strands sink, you'd better skip that treatment for a while.

You can also use this to try if a hair color product suits your hair, health-wise. Try the color first on a few strands and see if the hair still floats.

How to burn 600 calories with 4-5 minutes of exercise

Now I will talk about a revolutionary exercise that burns a lot of calories in just a manner of minutes and will leave you asking, "why didn't I know of that before?" This program is introduced by coach Jim Saret, the fitness instructor of The Biggest Loser in ABS-CBN, trainer of Philippine teams, and a known specialist in sports medicine.

(I learned about this from a friend of mine, whose mother, who is a doctor, happened to listened to one of the coach's talks.)

This work out consists of four steps and can be done in a matter or 4-5 minutes. The unbelievable thing is that it burns about 600 calories—extend this to 20 minutes and burn up to 2000 calories. Do you know how many calories an hour of running burn? Only about 100-200.

The reason why it is effective is because it is a metabolic work out. Imagine yourself riding a bicycle. You're pushing the pedal for the bike to run, but notice that even after you stop pushing the pedal, the bike continues to run for a while. That's how it works. It engages different muscle groups in the body, so even after the actual exercise, the metabolic effect is still active up to 24 hours.

HERE ARE THE STEPS

How to do lunges

• 10 basic jumping jacks
• 10 squats, arms raised
• 10 push ups
• 10 lunges for each leg
• Repeat these steps until the 4 or 5 minutes is up

As you can see, these are very basic. Coach Jim Saret said that you can do this exercise any time. You can visit Coach Jim Saret's website if you want to know more.

Why you should drink green tea

I found a great simple infographic on why you should drink green tea. Here it is:

It's simple and it summarizes the health benefits of green tea. See how a cup of drink can improve your body's health? :)