Question:
My family has a long history of skin cancer. I have heard or read somewhere that chemical peels may remove pre-cancerous skin growth. Would this be a good procedure for me to start having on a routine basis?
Answer:
Family history is a good predictor of your propensity to have skin cancer. The reason being, if your family has a history of skin cancer, they likely have lighter colored skin. Individuals with less pigmented skin have a higher incidence of developing skin cancer. Chemical peels can help remove precancerous cells from the skin and if these cells are located on the surface of your skin, the chemical peel can in fact remove these cells. For individuals with extensive sun damage who are concerned with the treatment of precancerous cells, we recommend photodynamic light therapy and Levulon to treat the facial skin. We will also recommend biopsy to any areas that are somewhat more suspicious than a precancerous lesion.
Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld
