Chemical Peels

Westlake Dermatology's Houston clinic offers physician-grade chemical peels across a range of depths — superficial, medium, and deep — to address sun damage, uneven pigmentation, acne-prone skin, fine lines, and overall skin texture. Superficial peels use alpha-hydroxy acids (glycolic, lactic) or low-concentration salicylic acid for gentle epidermal renewal with minimal downtime. Medium-depth peels using trichloroacetic acid (TCA) target deeper pigmentation, actinic keratoses, and moderate photo-ageing. Deep peels are performed under medical oversight for more significant resurfacing. Peels are tailored to Fitzpatrick skin type and clinical goals.

Chemical peeling at Westlake Dermatology West University Houston is a well-established method for controlled exfoliation and epidermal or dermal renewal, using chemical agents to disrupt cell adhesion at a defined depth within the skin and trigger a wound-healing response that replaces damaged tissue with healthier, more evenly pigmented, and more structurally organised skin. The clinic's peel menu spans three depths, each with distinct mechanisms, indications, and recovery profiles. Superficial peels penetrate only to the stratum granulosum or papillary dermis and are typically formulated with alpha-hydroxy acids — glycolic acid at 20–70% or lactic acid — or with salicylic acid, a beta-hydroxy acid with lipophilic properties that make it particularly effective for oily, acne-prone, and comedonal skin types. These agents loosen the corneodesmosomes that hold the stratum corneum's dead skin cells in place, producing controlled desquamation over two to five days and stimulating epidermal renewal and mild collagen stimulation. Superficial peels require little or no downtime and are appropriate for patients seeking progressive improvement over a series of sessions — typically four to six, spaced two to four weeks apart — in skin tone, texture, and early photodamage without disrupting work or social obligations. Medium-depth peels use trichloroacetic acid (TCA) at concentrations of 20–35%, sometimes in combination with Jessner's solution or glycolic acid to enhance penetration, and target the papillary and upper reticular dermis. Medium peels produce a protein precipitation reaction (frosting) in the epidermis and upper dermis, causing significant exfoliation over five to seven days. They are effective for moderate photodamage, solar lentigines, actinic keratoses, and textural irregularities, as well as for melasma management in lighter skin types with appropriate pre-treatment preparation. Deep chemical peels using phenol-based formulations penetrate to the mid-reticular dermis and represent the most aggressive chemical resurfacing modality; they are performed at Westlake Dermatology under medical oversight with appropriate patient selection, pre-treatment preparation, and post-procedure management. All peel procedures at the clinic are preceded by a skin assessment that considers the patient's Fitzpatrick skin type, history of isotretinoin use, herpes simplex virus history, and existing skin regimen to optimise candidacy and outcome.