Chemical Peel

Answer: Chemical peels may help with pigment and texture issues, but are not a good choice for acne scars. For acne scars, dermabrasion or certain lasers will produce better results.

Answer: Patients who are prone to cold sores may get them while healing from chemical peels and this can cause scars. The theory behind it is that chemical peel or laser treatment can reactivate dormant virus in your nerve ganglions. One way to prevent this from happening is to have your provider prescribe Valtrex few days prior to your treatment.

Answer: A chemical peel is an excellent option to help remove sun damaged spots and fine lines from the face and neck. I often perform a medium to deep chemical peel for face and neck and achieve very nice results. It requires 5-7 days of downtime. It is not for every skin type and you will need a consultation to decide if chemical peel is right for you.

Answer: In general, the face is much more vascular (has more blood flow) than other parts of the body. This may be one of the reasons why chemical peels may work better on the face/neck than arms/legs/hands.

Answer: Having dry skin is not an absolute contraindication for chemical peels. What is more important is your skin type. For most fair skinned patients, chemical peel works very well for photo damaged (sun damaged) spots and fine lines even if your skin is dry.

Also, don't forget what Benjamin Franklin said - "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". Dr. Choe's 5 Rules for Healthy, Beautiful Skin will help keep your skin looking great as you age. Products such as Dr. Choe's Renuvare Skin Perfecting Serum make it easy to take care of your complexion.

Answer: A long time smokers often have a poor skin texture, tone, and deep rhytids (wrinkles/lines). Fillers would definitely help with certain facial lines by adding volume. Sometimes a laser procedure or chemical peel (moderate to deep) will also significantly improve your face.

For darker skin patients, dermabrasion is usually not advised because it has a possibility of hyperpigmentation or if done inappropriately, hypopimentation. It may be possible that very light chemical peels can be performed. It would be important to see the patient in person to make individualized treatment plans.

Chemical peel is a general term used to describe a procedure where a medical professional applies a thin layer of (usually an acid) to the face/neck/chest. Chemical peels come in variety of different types and concentrations but can be divided into categories of superficial, medium, or deep peel. Most estheticians and nurses apply superficial type while medical doctor applies medium to deep peels. I believe chemical peels are a great choice for improving sun damaged spots but they do not work well for acne scars.  They just do not go down deep enough into the skin layer to make an appreciable difference. Dermabrasion or laser will work better for acne scars.