When it comes to skin care, Dallas is about more than facials. This affluent Texas city has made non-surgical procedures like chemical peels, laser skin resurfacing, microdermabrasion and Botox treatments extremely popular and more common than plastic surgery.

If you live in or are visiting Dallas and want to learn more about each of these five non-invasive skin care procedures, keep reading. You'll also find information on where to locate a qualified skin care practitioner in the Dallas metropolitan area.

Chemical Peel Procedures

Texas law stipulates that a chemical peel can only be performed by a licensed dermatologist, nurse or a specially certified esthetician working under the supervision of a dermatologist. Chemical peels requiring anesthesia must be performed in licensed facilities and under proper medical supervision.

The average chemical peel procedure only lasts about 15 to 30 minutes, but can be somewhat uncomfortable as extremely thin layers of skin are being, essentially, peeled off your face.

For your after-peel skin care, dermatologists recommend that you stay out of the sun and avoid any abrasive or potentially irritating skin care products.

Laser Skin Resurfacing Treatments

Laser light skin resurfacing is a fairly comprehensive laser therapy that targets acne scars, age spots, uneven skin tone, sun damage and fine wrinkles. Because the laser is quite strong and designed to be deep-penetrating, most patients will experience subtle scarring that can last as long as 7 to 10 days.

The cost of laser light skin resurfacing can vary wildly depending on the size of the area to be covered, the nature of the treatment and the extent of your treatment plan. However, the average cost for a single laser skin resurfacing treatment is roughly just over $2400.

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion serves two purposes - it reverses existing sun damage, fine lines and skin discoloration, while also encouraging rejuvenated and more rapid new skin cell growth. The result? Younger, fresher-looking skin.

For in-office microdermabrasion skin care, clients typically use a licensed dermatological esthetician or nurse rather than a fully-licensed dermatologists.

Botox Injections

Essentially, Botox is a toxic poison that actually paralyzes muscles in the face, taking away their ability to contract and permit facial expressions. However, these facial expressions not only emphasize existing wrinkles, but also create them. Therefore, Botox both prevents and treats wrinkles.

As an FDA-approved, anti-wrinkling agent, Botox has proven its efficacy. In terms of skin care, Dallas residents have made it their most popular non-surgical choice for a reason - because it works.

Finding a Dermatology Practice or Skin Care Professional

For skin care, Dallas offers some of the country's best working professionals. To locate a quality practitioner, try either the Texas Dermatological Society (texasdermatology.org) or the Associated Skin Care Professionals (ascpskincare.com).