America's Future · 80th Anniversary

Procedure Compass

An honest map of your options

Pick a concern and see the common options from gentlest to most involved — what each really does and the downtime to expect — so you walk into a consult informed, not sold.

Pick a concern

Fine lines & wrinklesSkin texture & toneUnder-eye concernsVolume loss

Skin texture & tonegentle → involved

Prep questions for a consult →

Gentlest first

Gentle exfoliating routine

Intensity

?
Intensity (1–7)A rough sense of how involved an option is — from gentlest (1, like skincare) to most involved (7, like surgery). It counts things like recovery time and whether it's an in-office procedure. It is not a ranking of how well it works or which is right for you — that's a conversation for a qualified provider.

What it actually does
Smooths surface texture and evens tone gradually with consistent use.
Typical downtime
None. Possible mild sensitivity.

Option 2

Superficial chemical peel

Intensity

?
Intensity (1–7)A rough sense of how involved an option is — from gentlest (1, like skincare) to most involved (7, like surgery). It counts things like recovery time and whether it's an in-office procedure. It is not a ranking of how well it works or which is right for you — that's a conversation for a qualified provider.

What it actually does
Removes the outermost layer to brighten tone and refine texture.
Typical downtime
A few days of light flaking.

Option 3

Microneedling

Intensity

?
Intensity (1–7)A rough sense of how involved an option is — from gentlest (1, like skincare) to most involved (7, like surgery). It counts things like recovery time and whether it's an in-office procedure. It is not a ranking of how well it works or which is right for you — that's a conversation for a qualified provider.

What it actually does
Creates micro-channels to prompt collagen and smoother texture over a series.
Typical downtime
About a day of redness, like a mild sunburn.

Option 4

Ablative laser resurfacing

Intensity

?
Intensity (1–7)A rough sense of how involved an option is — from gentlest (1, like skincare) to most involved (7, like surgery). It counts things like recovery time and whether it's an in-office procedure. It is not a ranking of how well it works or which is right for you — that's a conversation for a qualified provider.

What it actually does
A more involved resurfacing for significant texture and tone concerns.
Typical downtime
Up to one to two weeks of healing.

Ask AI

AI can be wrong. Not medical, legal, or financial advice.

Content integrity

catalog.verify
$ procedure-compass verify --catalog
options: 16
concerns: 4
sha256: 7ea9d39d…72171f56
status: published content matches