TCA stands for Trichloroacetic Acid. TCA chemical peels contain a certain percentage of TCA; the more TCA, the stronger the solution. Traditionally, TCA chemical peels are used to treat a variety of skin conditions. This includes removing or improving the appearance of wrinkles, dark spots, skin discoloration, lip creases, lines around the eyes, stretch marks, birthmarks, and cellulite.

In addition to the long list, TCA is effective to some degree at removing tattoos. It is also relatively cheap – very cheap when compared to something like laser tattoo removal. For example, a bottle of TCA solution sold as a tattoo removal product only costs about $50.

But how effective is TCA at removing a tattoo?

Through the repeated application of TCA peels, tattoo ink will fade and eventually be entirely gone. However, this is not a procedure or method that many dermatologists or doctors are going to recommend, especially those trained in tattoo removal methods!

The reason is that TCA for tattoo removal is not something that is regulated well. It’s not performed by someone trained in tattoo removal or TCA applications. Instead, it’s done by the person itself who has the tattoo. The irony is that the very reason TCA is touted as a great removal method (by those selling it, that is!) is the same reason tattoo removal professionals feel uneasy about it! Individuals applying these solutions to themselves, without any medical supervision, are at risk of doing it wrong, applying too much, applying at an inappropriate strength, and so on. This can lead to the very real concern of scarring. Making an acknowledgement to the fact that TCA works by creating a tiny “controlled inflammation” at the surface of the skin alludes to realistic concerns about scars.

For these reasons, while TCA has been shown to remove tattoos, it is not generally considered a safe, reliable, or recommended tattoo removal method. This is especially true in light of modern techniques such as laser tattoo removal, which has decades of proof behind it and carries a relatively small risk of scars and complications compared to TCA tattoo removal.

Good question!

Let’s see if we can put the use of TCA into context first. I feel a history lesson coming on!

Back in the 1970s, tattoo removal techniques were a lot different. They were – how shall we say? – a bit less sophisticated. Laser tattoo removal wasn’t widespread or really available, and things like over the counter tattoo removal cream just didn’t exist. People used horrible techniques such as tattoo excision in order to get rid of a tattoo they didn’t want to keep or couldn’t keep for personal / professional reasons.

*Side note: what the heck is tattoo excision? A scary thing, I tell you… it means you cut the skin out containing the tattoo (i.e. hence, you excise it) and then the skin surrounding the missing skin is sewed up over it. Ouch, right?! No kidding. This method certainly left its fair share of scars on my patients, that’s for sure. Okay – back to our history lesson.

It was in this time that people began using TCA for tattoo removal. TCA was successful in removing or treating other skin conditions or skin problems, such as warts and wrinkles, and somewhere along the line, people realized it was effective at fading tattoo ink from the skin. (And it was a heck of a lot more attractive than cutting your skin out via tattoo excision.)

This is important to note because yes – TCA does work for fading tattoos. It doesn’t work overnight but it does work.

(Note that ALL techniques take time – nothing works overnight. Except perhaps for the recently mentioned technique of tattoo excision.)

But then this begs the question: is TCA safe to use for removing tattoos?

It would depend on who you ask.

Countless people have used TCA for fading their own tattoos and it worked out okay. But unlike something like Tat B Gone or Wrecking Balm, TCA tattoo removal does cause some pain. Many people describe it as a mild stinging or burning sensation. This is because TCA creates what’s referred to controlled inflammation on the skin. This inflammation is the method in which it, after repeated use, fades the tattoo ink from the skin.

The risks of using TCA are then two-fold:

1) Some people don’t like the pain.

2) If you don’t know what you’re doing, you could do it wrong, like use pure TCA, and really hurt yourself.

That being said, sellers on Ebay, Amazon, and other places sell TCA in solutions specifically formulated and pre-mixed for tattoo fading like this one here: TCA 20% Chemical Peel solution or this one, a TCA 20% + Jessner’s Solution.

The bottom line: sticking with one of these solutions, or a similar TCA peel, removes or minimizes the risks associated with TCA tattoo removal.

However, it is also effective as an aid to fade or altogether remove tattoos. In fact, researchers claim this has been proven in the lab under two medical tests.

It can be purchased over the internet without a prescription, and applied privately at home without going to any office or seeing a doctor.

How does TCA work to remove a tattoo?
TCA removes a tattoo by applying a method of controlled inflammation on the surface of the skin above the tattoo, using a q-tip to the apply the water-like gel. This inflammation causes a reaction in the skin in which the ink from the tattoo is broken up and surfaces to the top of the skin. Repeatedly applying this technique will cause the tattoo to fade or completely disappear over time.

TCA should at be applied once every 6 weeks. Two weeks its initial application, the treated skin should start peeling, and then from this point it will take aboout a week for the dead skin to peel off completely. At this point, it is recommended to wait another 3 weeks and then start all over again, repeating the process, which is known as a “skin peel”. After repeated skin peels, the tattoo should be either significantly faded or removed altogether.

Does it hurt?
Users reports a mild sting associated with this method. However, this is very mild compared to other tattoo removal methods such as laser treatment.

How much does TCA treatment cost?
Cost varies between different companies making TCA for tattoo removal.

Nuviderm is such company, whose treatments start around $40 per bottle.

Please note that TCA manufacturers claim that this product is not a tattoo removal cream, noting that the substance itself has more of a water like consistency, and works with a different methodology than creams.

However, anyone wanting to get rid of their tattoo and is considering using a tattoo removal cream would likely be very interested in TCA as well, no matter if you call it a gel, lotion, or a tattoo removal cream!