Question:
I have many age spots on my forehead and cheeks. Otherwise I don’t look too bad for a 76-year-old grandpa. I would like to reduce the appearance of these pigmented spots. Can a chemical peel do this and what would the recovery time for a chemical peel be?
Answer:
There a many ways to treat brown spots, from topical creams such as hydroquinone, to q switched or fractional lasers, gentle IPL light treatments to fairly aggressive CO2 laser resurfacing. Chemical peels offer a one time relatively quick and inexspensive way to treat brown spots as well as mild sun damage and fine lines. While there are differing strengths of chemical peels, a medium depth peel would provide effective removal of most brown spots in one treatment. Downtime is typically 5 to 7 days. Patients can apply make-up if desired after one week, but typically will have some pink discoloration for about a month. By 6 weeks, patients should appreciate better skin and fewer brown spots.
The first step to determining if a chemical peel is right for your is scheduling a consultation with a board certified facial plastic surgeon. You can schedule your appointment by calling (317) 859-3810 or filling out the contact form here.