A chemical peel is a kind of deliberate skin injury but of course it is done carefully and according to your preference. You can choose to have a mild peel, moderate peel, or strong peel, which affect the skin to different depths. There is method behind this apparent madness. When you remove the surface skin cells, the skin responds as if it were injured. The dermis produces new cells and when they rise up to form a new surface layer, they are smoother and tighter than the ones that were removed.

Basically, a chemical peel is like a sunburn. The skin does not peel off immediately. First the skin becomes red, as if you had spent a day at the beach. Then it peels and by the end of a week, you have new skin. This is a great way to treat skin imperfections like:

  • Fine lines around the eyes and mouth
  • Age spots and freckles
  • Mild scarring
  • Roughness caused by sun damage or heredity
  • The dullness that comes with aging
  • Some types of acne

Chemical peels do not treat sagging or severe wrinkles. For that, you might consider laser skin resurfacing or cosmetic surgery such as a facelift, forehead lift, or blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery).

The Chemical Peel Procedure

Dr. Rai can do your chemical peel here as an outpatient procedure. You would first discuss the options and determine whether to have a mild, moderate, or deep peel. If you choose a moderate or strong peel, you may have an anesthetic applied before the peel is done.

The skin is first cleaned and excess oil is removed. The hair and eyes are protected. Then a chemical solution is applied. You feel it as warm and after a short time perhaps a little stinging. During your recovery period, you will need to protect yourself from the sun and depending on the type of peel you had, you might have a bandage over the treated area as protection and to improve the effectiveness of your peel. Dr. Rai will explain how to care for yourself post-procedure and you may have some follow-up visits.

If you would like to know more about methods of skin rejuvenation, and which one would be best for your particular skin, please contact our Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas office today.