u/RadiantWishbone4426

Hi Reddit! I’m looking for some advice from anyone who really knows their stuff when it comes to skin procedures.

For some context: I am a professional piercing artist and a medical student. I’m really interested in the physiological and clinical side of this, so I’ve been thinking about the following "what if."

Purely theoretically, is it possible to use TCA (trichloroacetic acid) to get rid of old piercing channels? To be clear, I’m only talking about soft tissue (I know you definitely can’t mess with cartilage this way).

Scenario 1: Imagine an earlobe with a standard piercing that has become stretched out under the weight of heavy jewelry. There’s a long, stretched-out channel running through the lobe, but the lobe itself isn't actually deformed or torn. Could one topically apply TCA inside the hole to cause skin frosting (essentially "burning" the inner lining of the channel) and then keep it closed with a bandage to let it fuse? I’m wondering if this makes any sense and if it’s a viable way to avoid traditional surgical earlobe repair.

Scenario 2: A poorly executed navel piercing that resulted in a shallow, "surface" channel. It’s no longer wearable, and repiercing isn’t an option.

Does this logic hold up, or is surgery the only real answer? Thanks!

Hi Reddit! I’m looking for some advice from dermatologists or anyone who really knows their stuff when it comes to skin procedures.

For some context: I am a professional piercing artist and a medical student. I’m really interested in the physiological and clinical side of this, so I’ve been thinking about the following "what if."

Purely theoretically, is it possible to use TCA (trichloroacetic acid) to get rid of old piercing channels? To be clear, I’m only talking about soft tissue (I know you definitely can’t mess with cartilage this way).

Scenario 1: Imagine an earlobe with a standard piercing that has become stretched out under the weight of heavy jewelry. There’s a long, stretched-out channel running through the lobe, but the lobe itself isn't actually deformed or torn. Could one topically apply TCA inside the hole to cause skin frosting (essentially "burning" the inner lining of the channel) and then keep it closed with a bandage to let it fuse? I’m wondering if this makes any sense and if it’s a viable way to avoid traditional surgical earlobe repair.

Scenario 2: A poorly executed navel piercing that resulted in a shallow, "surface" channel. It’s no longer wearable, and repiercing isn’t an option.

Does this logic hold up, or is surgery the only real answer? Thanks!