Alpha hydroxy acids in skin care.

Although not surgery in the traditional sense, skin care offers the ability to treat patients with a wide range of skin pathology. Skin care is another facet in facial rejuvenation, whose magnitude will increase as the pathophysiology and treatment of photoaging and other skin conditions becomes better understood. Patient satisfaction has been overwhelming for physician-directed skin care, but as the number of products, regimens, and adjuncts increase exponentially, we must emphasize a well-founded, scientific approach to the individual patient's pathology.