Chemical Peels

The Oaks Plastic Surgery Houston med spa performs medical-grade chemical peels to address hyperpigmentation, sun damage, acne, rough texture, and dull skin tone. Superficial, medium, and deep peel formulations are available, each using acid-based solutions — including glycolic acid, salicylic acid, lactic acid, TCA, and Jessner's combination — to exfoliate targeted skin depths. Peel selection is matched to the patient's skin type and concern. Superficial peels require no downtime; medium peels involve three to seven days of skin flaking; deep peels produce more significant regeneration with longer recovery. Treatment may be combined with other med spa services.

Chemical peels at The Oaks Plastic Surgery Houston med spa apply controlled chemical exfoliants to the skin surface to accelerate epidermal turnover and stimulate dermal collagen remodelling at a depth that varies with the concentration, pH, and formulation of the agent used. The classification of chemical peels by depth — superficial, medium, and deep — reflects both the layer of skin affected and the degree of post-treatment downtime and regeneration involved. Superficial peels use lower-strength alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) including glycolic acid (derived from sugar cane) and lactic acid (derived from milk), or beta-hydroxy acids such as salicylic acid — which additionally provides anti-inflammatory and comedolytic action that makes it particularly effective for acne-prone skin. These agents exfoliate the stratum corneum and upper epidermal layers, producing a brightening effect, improved texture, and mild stimulation of epidermal renewal without disrupting the viable epidermis or dermis. There is no significant downtime, and superficial peels may be performed as a series for progressive improvement of sun damage, uneven tone, and mild pigmentation. Medium-depth peels use trichloroacetic acid (TCA) at 20–35% concentration, often preceded by a Jessner's solution primer (a combination of resorcinol, salicylic acid, and lactic acid in ethanol) to enhance penetration uniformity. TCA produces protein denaturation through the full epidermis and into the upper papillary dermis, creating a 'frost' of white coagulated protein that indicates appropriate penetration depth. The treated skin flakes or peels over five to seven days following the procedure, revealing a smoother, more even-toned epidermis beneath. Medium peels produce meaningful improvement in moderate photoaging, melasma, solar lentigines, and superficial acne scarring. Deep peels using high-concentration TCA or phenol-based formulations penetrate into the mid-reticular dermis and produce the most dramatic improvement in severe photoaging and deep rhytids, with significant downtime and post-procedure care requirements. At TOPS, peel selection and formulation are matched to the patient's Fitzpatrick skin type — deeper Fitzpatrick types (IV–VI) carry higher risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation with medium and deep peel agents and require careful pre-conditioning with topical hydroquinone and tretinoin protocols before treatment.