Chemical Peel

What it is:

A chemical peel is a skin resurfacing treatment that uses natural and biosynthesized acids, or peeling agents, to refresh your skin and restore a healthy, youthful glow. There are several types of chemical peels that offer different levels of skin rejuvenation depending on your unique skin concerns and cosmetic goals, as well as the amount of downtime your schedule can accommodate.

Who it's for:

Chemical peels can be used by women, men and teens to treat skin problems and promote overall skin health. Lighter chemical peels, such as glycolic peels, other alpha hydroxy peels and salicylic peels, carry very few risks and are well tolerated by most patients. Deeper chemical peels, such as TCA peels and phenol peels, pose a greater risk for hypopigmentation and scarring, so patients with darker or ethnic skin tones should avoid these treatments. Patients who are prone to cold sores may also need to take anti-viral medication to avoid outbreaks that may be caused by skin resurfacing treatments.

How it works:

Light chemical peels smooth away rough, dry skin, improving overall skin tone and texture and reducing mild pigmentation and acne problems, while deep chemical peels provide more dramatic wrinkle reduction and skin tone and texture improvements, such as sun damage and acne scar correction.

During your treatment, the chemical peel solution may be applied to your  face and/or neck, and the entire procedure takes 15-30 minutes. As your skin heals after a chemical peel, it is important to avoid sun exposure and avoid picking at or scratching flaky skin, as this can cause pigmentation side effects. The length of your chemical peel recovery and amount of downtime you will experience depends on the depth of the peel performed -- lighter peels produce immediate skin rejuvenation results with only mild redness and peeling, while deeper peels cause a few days or weeks of redness and swelling before results can be seen.

If you're considering a chemical peel:

If you would like to refresh your skin with a chemical peel, contact New Horizons Plastic Surgery at (936) 564-3744 to schedule a consultation with Nacogdoches chemical peel expert Dr. Gregory Wittpenn. Dr. Wittpenn and his talented staff proudly serve skin care patients from all over eastern Texas and western Louisiana, including Lufkin, Tyler, Longview and Shreveport residents.