Your Aftercare Guide

Pick your treatment for step-by-step care instructions. Questions at any point? Call or text us.

Your recovery journey

Fractional CO2 Laser

Some discomfort, redness, swelling and peeling are normal after treatment. They are signs that your skin is healing and building new collagen. The simple steps below help you heal quickly and protect your results.

  1. What to expect

    • Low: Redness and fine peeling for 2 to 3 days. Pinkness for 1 to 2 weeks.
    • Medium: Swelling for 1 to 3 days. Bronzing and crusting for about 5 to 7 days. Pinkness for 2 to 4 weeks.
    • High: Swelling for 3 to 4 days. Crusting for 7 to 10 days. Pinkness for 4 to 8 weeks.

    Also normal

    • A warm, sunburn-like feeling for several hours after treatment
    • Pinpoint bleeding or clear oozing on the first day
    • Swelling, often most noticeable around the eyes on days 1 and 2 (sleep with your head raised on an extra pillow)
    • Skin that darkens, feels rough like fine sandpaper, then flakes off on its own
    • Mild itching as your skin heals

    Discomfort usually eases within a day or two. If you need it, acetaminophen (Tylenol) can help; follow the package directions.

  2. Your daily routine until your skin has healed

    Your skin has healed when it stops flaking and feels smooth: about day 2 to 3 for Low, day 5 to 7 for Medium and day 7 to 10 for High.

    On treatment day, keep a thin layer of Vaseline on your skin at all times. Starting the next morning, do this 2 to 4 times a day:

    1. Cleanse. Wash your hands, then gently wash the treated skin with a gentle, non-foaming cleanser and cool water. Pat dry with a clean towel. Do not rub.
    2. Antimicrobial. Mist hypochlorous acid spray over the treated skin and let it air-dry.
    3. Moisturize. Apply a thin layer of Vaseline (plain petroleum jelly).

    Keep your skin covered with Vaseline between washes, and add more whenever it feels dry or tight.

  3. Until your skin has healed, avoid

    • Picking, scratching or peeling off flakes
    • Makeup, exercise and heavy sweating
    • Swimming pools, hot tubs, saunas, lakes and the ocean
    • Letting pets touch your face or your pillow
    • Antibiotic ointments such as Neosporin or bacitracin, which do not speed healing and can cause a rash
    • Retinol, acids and scrubs (restart them 2 to 4 weeks after treatment, when your provider says it is OK)

  4. Strict sun protection

    Sun exposure is the main cause of dark spots after laser treatment.

    • Until healed: stay out of the sun completely. Vaseline is not sunscreen. If you must go outside, keep it brief and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
    • Once healed: wear broad-spectrum SPF 50+ every day, reapply every 2 hours when outdoors, and wear a hat. Keep this up for at least 4 weeks, and ideally for good to protect your investment in your skin and get the best results.

  5. Once your skin has healed

    • Switch from Vaseline to a gentle, fragrance-free moisturizer.
    • Mineral makeup is fine.
    • Return to exercise and swimming.

Mention at your next visit: dark patches, small breakouts or tiny white bumps, or pinkness that lasts more than a month. These are common and treatable.

Important

Call us the same day if you notice

  • Pain that gets worse after day 2 instead of better
  • Pus, yellow or honey-colored crusts, a bad smell, spreading redness or fever
  • Clusters of small blisters or open sores, which may be a cold sore
  • White patches or intense itching after the first week
  • Skin that is still open or raw after 10 to 14 days, or firm, raised red areas
  • Eye pain, sensitivity to light or any change in vision
  • New bumps that appear weeks after treatment
Call or text (520) 482-3787

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