Chemical Peels – The Woodlands / Spring / Houston

Superficial peels are quite safe, although minor irritation of the skin can occur. The risk of deep peels can include infection, scarring, redness, and discoloration.

Chemical peels are used for the treatment of photo-aging (from sun damage), wrinkles, scarring, precancerous lesions, and discoloration (including melasma, freckles, and age spots).

Generally chemical peels are done once every 2-4 weeks, until the desired results are achieved. Maintenance peels can then be performed once a month.

With good sun protection, results can last months, even years. This is dependent upon the depth of the peel. The deeper peels generally provide a long-lasting effect.  Aging of the skin is a chronic natural phenomenon. A single peel can reverse some of the clinical and histological signs of aging, but once the skin has healed from the peel, the aging process starts again. Therefore, a daily program of specifically designed products that reverse the signs of aging is necessary to maintain long-term improvement.

  A. Light Peels- The light peel takes approximately three to five days to complete the shedding process. No downtime required. 

  B. Medium Peels- Medium peels usually persist for five to seven days. The skin may or may not flake and fall away.

  C. Deep Peels- May take several weeks to fully recover. This type of peel is usually effective in treating hyperpigmentation, acne scarring, fine lines and wrinkles.

Yes. Generally multiple treatments are required to achieve desired results. Subsequent peels may be repeated every 2 to 4 weeks. There is no limit to the number of peels a person can receive as long as improvement continues.

Sun avoidance during the recovery period is critical. After the peeling is complete, one can resume regular activities, but daily use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) is imperative for maintaining healthy skin.

Realistic expectations are:
Corrects sun damaged skin, diminishes fine wrinkles, reduces mild scarring, improves irregular discoloration, improves skin texture, and improves acne conditions.

Unrealistic expectations include:
Cannot remove or reduce broken blood vessels, cannot improve deep wrinkles.    It is also impossible to truly change pore diameter. However, after the procedure, the pores appear less pronounced. This is not a procedure to remove atrophic or hypertrophic scars.