Treating Acne, Scars, and Wrinkles With a TCA Trichloroacetic Acid Skin Peel
Everyone has heard of skin peels and there are many – lactic, glycolic, salicylic, TCA (trichloroacetic acid), and phenol. Of these there are basically 3 levels:
Minor, superficial peels – lactic, glycolic, salicylic.
Medium depth peels – TCA, Jessner’s
Deep peels – phenol.
We will only deal with medium strength TCA peels here as they are the easiest to apply (Jessner’s can require multiple concurrent applications and taping to aide in skin penetration), safest, and, by far, the most effective against numerous skin ailments/conditions. They are also one of the most effective treatments for acne currently known to the medical community.
The most common treated area is the face. TCA is applied usually in a cream. Doctors will mix Obagi, Apeel, or other previously prepared cream with TCA and then apply this mixture to the face or body area to be treated. The creams tend to have a skin dye of green or blue so the doctor can easily see what areas have and or have not been treated. It is usually applied with a cotton or foam applicator. This is then left on for 10-20 minutes. Some doctors prefer to use a straight (non-cream) solution of TCA. This works much faster and penetrates deeper and is used for deeper peels.
After application and proper time for the desired depth is achieved, the doctor will apply a neutralizer. This is usually just a mixture of baking soda and water made into a paste. Some doctors will add chipped ice to further cool the skin. The skin will now be inflammed and if no dye was used will look like a bad sunburn. This will last 2-4 days until it starts to peel off and reveal new, clean, younger looking skin. Depending on the skin problems treated it may take several treatments, but a major difference will be seen immediately.
The results from a TCA peel are far more reaching than with a regular, superficial peel. Results can last 6 months to a year and it has been known to keep acne at bay, shrink and lessen acne scars, reduce and tighten up wrinkles, improve color, pigmentation, etc… A TCA peel cannot be applied as often as a more superficial peel. Generally speaking, a superficial peel can be applied every 2-5 weeks. A Stronger, medium depth peel needs more time batween peels for the skin to properly heal and regenerate. Doctors like to wait 2-6 months or more between these peels.
This process of chemically exfoliating the skin is more rapid and deeper in a TCA peel than in most peels. Many skin peels, like lactic, glycolic and salicylic are good at reducing oily buildup (overactive sebaceous glands), and very minor skin imperfections. but they cannot effectively treat acne, wrinkles, fine lines, etc… TCA has been proven to treat these deeper skin conditions and is offered at almost every dermatologist and plastic surgeon office. The improvement in skin color, tone, etc… is so drastic that women, even men are lining up in droves to have this done all over the world.
David Maillie is a chemist with over 12 years experience in biochemical research and clynical analysis. He is an alumni of Cornell University and specializes in biochemical synthesis for public, private, and governmental interests. He can be reached at M.D. Wholesale: bestskinpeel.com bestskinpeel.com or by visiting or mdwholesale.com mdwholesale.com.
Recharge And Relax At Work With These Simple Techniques
Our busy lifestyles and work demands mean that we often find it difficult to exercise our bodies as frequently as we should. This leads to tiredness, stress and reduced work performance.
However taking a short break to complete a few simple yoga postures at your desk can help to relieve stress and tiredness and refresh you for another work session.
To help you reduce the effects of working long hours at a desk or in front of a computer, Total.Yoga.Practice suggests you periodically perform 2 simple yoga practices at your desk. The first part of this work relaxation series can be found in our free yoga newsletter
Office yoga – part 2
Take a moment to clear your mind. Be conscious of your thoughts and how they erratically pop into and out of your mind. Actively still your mind by focusing on your breathing. Vigorously rub your hands together until you feel warmth on your palms. Place your hands on your face with your palms cupping your eyes and your fingers on your forehead. Open your eyes into your cupped hands and keep your body and mind still for a few moments.
Nadi Shodhana (alternate breathing)
Sit comfortably in your chair with your back straight. Hold your right hand in front of your face with the middle two fingers resting between your eyebrows. Your thumb should be above your right nostril and your ring finger above the left. Close your right nostril with your thumb and breathe in slowly and silently through your left nostril, until your lungs are full without straining. Release the right nostril and close the left nostril with your ring finger. Exhale through the right nostril slowly, keeping the duration of the exhale the same as the inhale. Inhale slowly through the right nostril. Release the left nostril and close the right nostril with your thumb while you exhale. Repeat the sequence 10 times making sure that your breathing is silent. This Pranayama is good for relaxing your mind.
Pandanguli Naman (Toe curling)
Sit upright in your chair with your back straight. With your feet on the ground, shoes off, inhale as you stretch the toes of both feet backward away from the floor. Exhale as you stretch your toes downwards to make fists with your feet. Hold each position for several breaths as you feel the stretch. Repeat 10 times.
Goolf Naman (Ankles bending)
Still sitting erect with your legs slightly extended, heels on the floor. Inhale as you bend at the ankle pulling the feet back towards your leg. Exhale as you push the foot forward trying to touch the floor. Hold each position as you feel the stretch. Repeat 10 times.
Goolf Chakra (Ankle rotation)
In the seated position with your legs slightly extended, heels on the floor. Starting with the right foot, keep the leg still as you rotate the foot at the ankle clockwise 10 times. Rotate 10 times in the opposite direction. Repeat with the left foot.
Next rotate both feet together in a clockwise direction 10 times. Repeat, rotating 10 times in an anti-clockwise direction.
Try rotating both feet at the same time, but in different directions, clockwise with the right foot, anti-clockwise with the left foot. Repeat, with the right foot rotating anti-clockwise and the left foot rotating clockwise.
Throughout the exercise, inhale as the foot is rising, exhale as the foot in falling.
Janu Naman (Knee bending)
In the seated position, clasp your hands under the right thigh, raise and straighten the leg keeping your spine straight. Bend and contract the leg bringing the knee towards your chest, and heel towards your buttocks. Straighten the leg. Repeat 10 times and switch to the left leg and repeat 10 times. Inhale while straightening the leg, exhale as you bend the leg.
Seated forward bend
Sit with your back straight and your knees together. Bend forward allowing your head to move close to your knees. Remain in the bend for the count of ten as you relax all the muscles in your back. Breathe normally through your nose. This posture helps to relieve tension from your back.
Meru Wakrasana (Spinal Twist) – variation
Sit with your spine straight and your knees together. Keep your legs facing forwards and both buttocks on the chair as you slowly rotate your upper body to the right. Start the twist with your abdomen then chest, shoulders and neck as you look behind you over your right shoulder. Once you start the twist you may hold the back of the chair with your left hand to assist the twist, but with care not to over twist. Twist your spine as far as is comfortable and hold for the count of 10 as you breathe slowly through your nose. Repeat the spinal twist to the left.
Bent knee leg lift
Turn sideways in the chair so you can hold the back of the chair for support. With the legs bent, and without holding your legs, lift your feet off the ground and pull your knees close to your chest, without leaning forwards. Pull your knees towards the chest for the count of 10 while you breathe normally through your nose. Release your feet to the floor and relax for the count of 10. Repeat 3 times.
With our busy lifestyles, we can’t always exercise as frequently as we should. At Total.Yoga.Practice we’re helping our members fit a full yoga practice into their busy schedules. To find out how we can help you by bringing professional yoga instruction into your own home 24/7, try out our 14 day free trial membership.
Please note the following important cautions before using Total.Yoga.Practice.
Not all exercise is suitable for everyone, and this or any exercise programme may result in injury. Consult with your doctor before you use the Total.Yoga.Practice services.
To reduce the risk of injury, never force or strain yourself during exercise. If you feel pain, stop and seek medical attention if necessary.
Any liability, loss or damage in connection with the use of Total.Yoga.Practice and its yoga instruction, including but not limited to any liability, loss or damage arising from the performance of the exercises demonstrated here, or any advice or information provided by Total.Yoga.Practice in the videos, or on the website, is expressly disclaimed
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jez Heath is helping real people TotalYogaPractice.com learn yoga online so they can make the commitment necessary to improve their yoga and their health – mind, body and soul. Learn how TotalYogaPractice.com yoga streaming video can help you transform your life
Dry Eyes Burning You Out?
‘Dry eyes’ refers literally to what it means – the eyes not having enough of hydration. Why does this happen? It could be because of a lack of the watery secretion of the tear glands. It could be because of a lack of mucin secretion which is the mucous layer in the eye and the third reason could be a lack of lipids, which means the tears evaporate as fast as they are made!
Your tear glands are also called lachrymal glands and they are constantly releasing a watery substance to keep your eyes moist and hydrated. Of course, when you laugh too much or cry, these glands go berserk and go into an overproduction mode so you find yourself wiping away a copious flow of tears. As long as your eyes are hydrated, you face a lowered risk of any infections in the eye. So when the tear glands start producing less, there’s cause to worry. How do you know that it isn’t enough? Besides the itchy, irritable feeling? There is a test that your eye physician will probably subject you to in order to measure how dry your eyes are. This is a sort of litmus test for the eyes and the measurement of the aqueous fluid in them. It involves testing with a strip of paper that measures the amount of hydration. If the score you get is less than 10, it means you have a dry eye problem. Of course, how much below 10 shows you how serious the problem is.
The other problem could be the lack of enough secretion of the mucin layer in your eye. This is the layer that lies between the eye surface and the inside watery layer. When this mucous-like fluid is deficient, there is not enough of this slightly sticky substance to keep the eyes moist. This, too, could result in an uncomfortable or scratchy feeling in the eye. Sometimes, a lack of mucin makes one feel like there is a piece of grit in the eye that won’t go away. Measuring this is not common but one can deduce that if it isn’t any other cause, it could be a mucin deficiency.
The third problem could be a lack of lipids. When this happens, the tears that are made by your tear glands evaporate so fast that you are left with dry eyes. This can be determined by doing a ‘tear break-up time test’ where a little bit of dye is put into your eye and the evaporation time monitored. As the tears evaporate, the dye gets deposited as spots and this is how the physician knows that the tears are disappearing from your eyes. This process is observed through a special lamp and the time taken for the dye spots to appear is how they calculate just how bad your problem is. In normal eyes, it takes about 10 to 15 seconds for the dye spots to appear. Anything less than this and it’s a deficiency. This, too results in the usual itchy feeling and sometimes a constant feeling of discomfort.
More information on dry eyes
How Serious Is Long Term Insomnia?
Long term insomnia is a serious sleep disorder that affects millions of people in the United States. Persistent insomnia, which is sometimes called chronic insomnia, is characterized by the inability to sleep that often persists for several nights. This type of sleep disorder can even last for up to months depending on the gravity of the problem.
Long term insomnia is often caused by a number of factors although most experts hold worrying as the culprit responsible. However not all experts believe that psychological factors are the root of persistent insomnia. In some cases, persistent insomnia can even be a result of some type of physical problem.
Certain physiological factors have been found to cause persistent insomnia in some patients that participated in a study conducted by the Association of Sleep Disorders in the United States. An individual with physical disorders such as abnormal muscle activity or breathing problems often experience sleep disorders that can be as serious as persistent insomnia.
Long term insomnia can also be attributed to two well-known psychological factors namely depression and stress. Research has also shown that more women are at risk of experiencing persistent insomnia due to biological factors such as menopause. Other factors that can cause persistent insomnia can also be caused by an unhealthy lifestyle with too much caffeine, nicotine or alcohol as well as late night snacks.
Dependence on prescription drugs such as anti-depressants can also lead to sleep disorders. Several environmental factors can also lead to persistent insomnia like excessive light or noise, working the night shift, and jet lag. Sleeping on an uncomfortable bed can also lead to persistent insomnia.
Easy Techniques to Ease Long Term Insomnia
Despite being a serious sleep disorder, people suffering from persistent insomnia need not worry, as there are natural remedies that can be employed to help ease the problem. The most logical solution would be to refrain from takings naps during the day. Too much sleep during the day will make it harder to sleep at night.
Yoga is a great exercise that can help a patient suffering persistent insomnia loosen up and focus. Yoga is a unique form of relaxation technique that can teach a person to meditate and visualize away their worries. Reducing stress will help decrease stress hormones.
Other than yoga, insomniacs can also engage in physically energizing workouts to raise adrenaline levels and increase the body’s core temperature. Exercise such as this is best done in the afternoon or even in the early evening as the hormone levels go down five to six hours after exercise can help promote deep sleep. Avoid exercising right before bedtime, as the body will be too stimulated to fall asleep.
Pass up a heavy meal at least four hours before hitting the sheets. Going to bed on a full stomach will make it harder to sleep, as the tummy feels bloated; however drinking a glass of warm milk before bedtime can help promote sleep as it contains tryptophan.
Aside from milk, other protein-rich foods like nuts, tuna, dates, and even potatoes can help promote sleep. These foods contain tryptophan, which is a chemical that sends a message to the brain that initiates the release of the hormone serotonin to help a person relax.
Alternative remedies such, as acupuncture may be a solution to persistent insomnia. This ancient Chinese remedy is known to be quite effective in treating a variety of sicknesses and is a dependable alternative to taking prescription drugs that at times can be addictive.
Vitamin and mineral supplements can also be taken to treat persistent insomnia. These may include calcium, zinc, and magnesium. Other types of supplements that can be taken to pacify the nervous system would be vitamins B3, B6, and C.
The overall ambience of the bedroom can cause a person to lose sleep. In some cases, loud wall colors or uncomfortable beddings, curtains or carpets with frenzied patterns can keep a person awake all night. It helps to have bedroom walls painted in soft pastel colors that are calming to look at.
Severe chronic insomnia will require professional assistance and a lot of patience on the part of the patient. It is also a good idea to start a sleep diary wherein the patient can write down their observations in order to identify any pattern that could have led to the sleeping disorder.
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Gaetane Ross is a Certified Natural Health Consultant who has spent over 4 years focusing on Nutrition and Health. She also specializes in Alternative Medicine, Spiritual Healing and Healthy Lifestyle. Gaetane’s mission is to positively transform the lives of everyone she meets by providing advice on Healthy Living.
Please visit Gaetane’s website for Professional Health Advice or Nutritional information at:
Live-O-Natural.com Live-O-Natural.com