Preparing for a CO2 laser session

Fractional CO2 laser creates micro-columns of heat in the skin to trigger its repair. It is the most demanding procedure on this list: it requires preparation, several days of social downtime, and follow-up.

What to expect

The session lasts thirty to sixty minutes, under numbing cream applied an hour beforehand. The sensation is one of intense, brief heat.

Allow five to seven days during which the face is red, swollen and then crusted. This is not a complication: it is the normal timeline, and it must fit your diary before the date is set.

Preparing, 72 hours before

No sun exposure or self-tanner for the four weeks before: tanned skin is not treated. A depigmenting preparation is prescribed according to your phototype, and preventive antiviral treatment if you get cold sores.

Within 72 hours: no retinoids, acids or hair removal. Arrange your journey home — it is better not to drive far straight afterwards.

What to tell us

Isotretinoin treatment in the past twelve months, pregnancy, breastfeeding, a history of keloids, recurrent herpes, poorly controlled diabetes, or an auto-immune disease.

How the session goes

Protective goggles are fitted, the settings adjusted area by area according to skin thickness, and cooling accompanies each pass. The settings are recorded: they are the basis for the next session.

Afterwards, and what to do

Gentle cleansing several times a day, a healing cream, and above all: do not pick the crusts. SPF 50 sun protection for at least three months — the single most important instruction in this article.

When to call us back

Call if pain increases after day three, if there is yellowish weeping, fever, or an area that stays white. These signs suggest infection or too deep a burn, and are treated early.

None of the above replaces the prior consultation: it alone says whether this procedure is right for you, and on what terms.