Chemical Peels & Skin Resurfacing

Dr Fortes's practice offers chemical peels and laser skin resurfacing to improve skin texture, tone, pigmentation, and fine lines. Chemical peels use controlled exfoliation with acids at varying depths to stimulate epidermal renewal and collagen production. For deeper resurfacing, the practice offers Fraxel fractional laser treatment (face and neck from $4,000) and TRL (Tunable Resurfacing Laser) ablative resurfacing ($7,000), which addresses more significant photoageing, acne scarring, and texture irregularities with downtime of five to fourteen days.

Chemical peels and laser skin resurfacing at Dr Paul Fortes MD Plastic Surgery Houston provide a spectrum of epidermal and dermal renewal options, from superficial no-downtime peels to deep laser resurfacing for more significant photoageing correction. Chemical peels use topical application of exfoliating acid solutions — including alpha-hydroxy acids (glycolic, lactic), beta-hydroxy acid (salicylic), trichloroacetic acid (TCA), and phenol — to induce controlled injury to the epidermis and varying depths of the dermis, prompting epidermal shedding and the wound-healing cascade that produces new, more evenly pigmented and smoother skin. Superficial peels (glycolic or low-concentration TCA) address mild texture irregularity, early pigmentation, and dull skin tone with one to three days of mild peeling and no social downtime. Medium-depth peels (higher-concentration TCA, combination peels) reach the papillary dermis and produce more significant skin renewal for solar lentigines, moderate photoageing, and epidermal melasma, with five to seven days of peeling. Deep phenol peels achieve the most dramatic resurfacing but require the most significant downtime and careful post-peel wound management. For laser-based resurfacing, Dr Fortes's practice offers Fraxel fractional laser treatment of the face and neck at $4,000, which uses non-ablative fractional photothermolysis to create a grid of microscopic treatment zones in the dermis while leaving intervening skin intact, stimulating collagen and elastin remodelling with a recovery of two to five days of redness and mild peeling. For more advanced resurfacing, the TRL (Tunable Resurfacing Laser) system — priced at $7,000 — delivers ablative resurfacing with tunable depth of epidermal and dermal ablation, providing results comparable to CO2 laser resurfacing for acne scarring, deeper rhytids, and significant photodamage. TRL resurfacing requires five to fourteen days of healing during which a new epidermis reforms over the treated surface; the rebuilt skin is smoother, more evenly pigmented, and tighter than pre-treatment skin. Chemical peels and laser resurfacing are often combined with injectable treatments at the practice, and are particularly valued by patients seeking to optimise skin quality either pre-operatively or to maintain their surgical results over time. Consultations are available in English and Spanish; PatientFi financing is available.