Home / Laser Treatments / Crepey Skin Treatment
Crepey Skin Treatment St. Louis
Crepey skin is thin, finely wrinkled skin that has lost collagen and elastin in its deeper layer. Lotions can hydrate the surface, but they cannot rebuild what is missing underneath. Laser treatments can. At St. Louis Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery in Troy, MO, crepey skin on the face, neck, chest, arms, and legs is treated with CO2 laser resurfacing, CoolPeel, and ResurFx under the direction of Dr. Brandon T. Beal, a double board-certified, fellowship-trained dermatologist.
Double board-certified
Dermatology and Mohs micrographic surgery
Fellowship-trained
Advanced cosmetic and reconstructive training
Physician-owned
Independent practice, never corporate
Troy & Chesterfield
Second location now open
What Is Crepey Skin?
Crepey skin gets its name from crepe paper: thin, loose, and finely wrinkled, often with a slightly saggy or papery feel. It is not the same as a deep expression line. Crepiness is a texture change across an area of skin, and it shows up most on the upper arms, thighs and knees, the neck and chest, the backs of the hands, and under the eyes.
The cause is structural. Collagen and elastin, the proteins in the dermis that give skin its thickness and snap, decline with age, and cumulative sun exposure speeds that decline up considerably. Dryness, significant weight change, smoking, and genetics can all contribute. Because the thinning is happening below the surface, treatments that reach the dermis are the ones that can change it.
Where At-Home Care Ends
Good skin care matters, and we recommend it to every patient. A moisturizer with hyaluronic acid or ceramides keeps the surface hydrated so crepiness looks less pronounced. A retinoid, prescription or over the counter, can gradually improve texture with consistent use. Daily broad-spectrum sunscreen slows further collagen loss, which is the single most useful preventive step. Gentle exfoliation can help with rough, dull texture.
What these products cannot do is rebuild collagen and elastin that are already gone. Lotions work on the epidermis, so the improvement is temporary plumping rather than structural change, and once the skin has thinned noticeably, home care tends to hold the line rather than reverse it. That is the point where an in-office energy treatment becomes the more realistic option.
In-Office Treatments for Crepey Skin
All three treatments below work the same way at a basic level: controlled laser energy reaches the dermis and prompts the skin to produce new collagen over the following weeks and months. They differ in how much surface they treat, how much correction they can deliver per session, and how much downtime they involve. We match the tool to the area and to your schedule.
CO2 laser resurfacing
Fractional CO2 laser resurfacing is the most powerful option we offer for crepey skin on the face, neck, and chest. It removes microscopic columns of damaged surface skin while heating the dermis below, which can tighten and thicken thin, crinkled skin in a single treatment. Healing typically takes about a week, and improvement continues for several months as collagen rebuilds. Our CO2 laser before and after gallery shows results from patients of this practice.
CoolPeel
CoolPeel uses the same CO2 laser at a lighter, faster setting. It treats the surface layer without the heat load of full resurfacing, so downtime is usually a few days of redness rather than a week of healing. It suits milder crepiness on the face, neck, and chest, and patients who want to spread treatment across a short series instead of one larger session.
ResurFx for arms, legs, and body
ResurFx is a non-ablative fractional laser. It leaves the surface intact and delivers energy into the dermis in a grid of microscopic zones, stimulating collagen without an open healing period. Because it can cover larger surfaces with minimal downtime, it is our usual recommendation for crepey skin on the upper arms, thighs, knees, and hands. Treatment is done as a series, usually spaced several weeks apart, and results build gradually.
Under the eyes
Crepey lower eyelid skin is treated with CO2 laser blepharoplasty, a non-surgical laser tightening of the thin skin beneath the eye. When loose skin or fat pads are the larger issue, lower eyelid blepharoplasty performed by Dr. Beal may be the better path, and the two are sometimes combined.
Which Treatment for Which Area
- Face, neck, and chest: CO2 laser resurfacing for the most correction per treatment; CoolPeel for milder crepiness or less downtime.
- Under the eyes: CO2 laser blepharoplasty, with surgical lower eyelid blepharoplasty when skin laxity or fat pads call for it.
- Upper arms, thighs, knees, and hands: ResurFx, in a series, combined with medical-grade topicals at home.
- Brown spots or redness on crepey skin: M22 IPL can be added when discoloration, not texture, is part of what you see.
Many patients have more than one area or more than one concern, and plans often combine two of these. A consultation is where the plan gets built.
Your Crepey Skin Visit
1
Consultation
We look at the areas that bother you, assess how much thinning and laxity is present, and review what you are already doing at home. Then we recommend a treatment and an honest expectation for it.
2
Treatment
Treatment is performed in-office with topical numbing. ResurFx and CoolPeel sessions are generally brief. Full CO2 resurfacing takes longer and comes with detailed aftercare instructions for the healing week.
3
Recovery & results
Redness settles within days for ResurFx and CoolPeel and within about a week for CO2. Collagen remodeling continues for months, so the texture change you see at week one keeps improving through month three and beyond.
Results You Can Expect
The goal is thicker, smoother, firmer-looking skin in the treated area. CO2 resurfacing can produce a visible change from one treatment; ResurFx and CoolPeel build improvement across a series. No laser restores the skin of a twenty-year-old, and crepiness can return over time as aging and sun exposure continue, which is why we pair every treatment plan with sunscreen and a maintenance routine.
Results vary. A consultation is required to determine which treatment, if any, is appropriate for your skin. Treatment plans are individualized, and outcomes differ from person to person.
Schedule a Crepey Skin Consultation in Troy, MO
If the skin on your arms, neck, or face has started to look thin and crinkled and lotions have stopped making a difference, a consultation is the next step. We see patients from across Lincoln County at our Troy office, and our Chesterfield location is a shorter drive for Lake St. Louis and O’Fallon. Call (314) 834-1400 or request a consultation online.
Common questions
Crepey Skin FAQs.
Can crepey skin be reversed?
It can be improved, often noticeably, but not returned to the way it was decades ago. Laser treatments that reach the dermis stimulate new collagen and can thicken and smooth thin skin. How much change is possible depends on how far the thinning has progressed, the area treated, and your skin.
What is the best treatment for crepey skin on arms and legs?
For larger body surfaces, we usually recommend ResurFx. It is a non-ablative fractional laser that treats the deeper layer of the skin without an open healing period, so it can cover the upper arms or thighs with only a few days of redness. It is done in a series and paired with a retinoid and moisturizer at home.
CO2 laser or ResurFx: how do I know which one?
CO2 delivers more correction per treatment and is our choice for the face, neck, and chest, with about a week of healing. ResurFx is gentler, covers more area, and has minimal downtime, which makes it the practical choice for arms and legs or for patients who cannot take a week off from their normal appearance. CoolPeel sits between the two. Your consultation settles it.
Does retinol help crepey skin?
Yes, modestly and over time. Retinoids speed cell turnover and can gradually improve texture and thickness with consistent nightly use. They work best as part of a routine alongside sunscreen and a good moisturizer, and as maintenance after an in-office treatment, rather than as a replacement for one.
Do collagen supplements or coconut oil help?
Coconut oil and similar emollients moisturize the surface, which can make crepey skin look a little smoother while the skin is hydrated, but they do not rebuild collagen. Evidence for oral collagen supplements is limited and mixed. Neither is harmful for most people, and neither replaces sun protection or a treatment that reaches the dermis.
How many treatments will I need?
CO2 resurfacing is often a single treatment. ResurFx and CoolPeel are typically done as a series of three or more sessions spaced several weeks apart, with results building over the course of the series. Maintenance sessions may be recommended down the road.
Is crepey skin treatment covered by insurance?
No. Laser treatment for crepey skin is cosmetic and is not covered by insurance. We review pricing with you at your consultation.
Thicker, smoother skin, built from within.
CO2 laser resurfacing, CoolPeel, and ResurFx for crepey skin, under the direction of a double board-certified dermatologist. Troy, MO, and Chesterfield now open.