Thank you for your question and photo. From your photo, I agree you will be an excellent candidate for TCA CROSS followed by Fractional CO2 laser resurfacing for optimal improvement of your acne scars. Whether you use 30% or 100% TCA CROSS refers to the strength of the trichloroacetic acid (TCA) applied to the scars. 100% TCA will give a better result than 30% but increase the risk of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation ie the brown marks that may appear after the initial scabs fall off.
For Chinese patients, I tend to use 70% TCA, as I believe it gives good results without causing too much post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. For darker skinned individuals, one may consider a lower strength of TCA, so that they do not get too much brown darkening after. The pain during application is actually very bearable, with most patients experiencing slight stinging sensation and redness, even when TCA 70% is used.
Hope this is helpful.
Warmest regards
Dr Stephanie Ho, Dermatologist
