
Preparing for a CO2 laser session
Fractional laser requires genuine social downtime and skin preparation. What to organise before setting the date.
Lasers and technologies
This is a functional indication before an aesthetic one: dryness, discomfort, everyday difficulty, common after the menopause or with certain treatments. A consultation must come first, with an examination and the exclusion of another cause.
Examination, discussion of your request, screening for contraindications and a written plan. No procedure is carried out on the day of the first consultation: the time to think it over is yours.
On intermediate to darker phototypes, two to three weeks of preparation are required before the session: prescribed care and daily sun protection. Unprepared skin has its session postponed, not carried out at its own risk.
Protective goggles, a test on a small area, then a pass calibrated to your phototype. Redness, heat and flaking over the following days are expected, explained beforehand and never discovered afterwards.
Daily sun protection becomes essential for several weeks, including on overcast days. At our latitude, it is the factor that decides how the result holds on darker skin.
It depends on the device, the settings and the preparation. Some lasers are not offered beyond a certain phototype, because the risk of pigmentation outweighs the expected benefit. This is one of the reasons a request may be refused.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, an active skin infection, some autoimmune conditions and certain medications are among them. They are checked in consultation, not ticked on a form — and they can lead to a refusal.
Getting ready
What is asked before the session, what to tell us, and what the aftermath looks like.

Fractional laser requires genuine social downtime and skin preparation. What to organise before setting the date.

Two heat-based tightening techniques with very different aftermaths. What they share in preparation, and what separates them afterwards.
This page is informative. It does not replace a medical consultation and is not a promise of results: outcomes and suitability depend on each person.
Keep going

Medical care for functional discomfort or volume loss, where indicated.

Controlled heating of deep tissue, aimed at firmness, with no downtime.
The initial consultation examines, explains and proposes a written plan. It commits you to nothing.