Fractional CO2 Laser results- What you can expect!

My Experience of Fractional CO2 laser

I had fractional CO2 laser on my face just after Christmas during the holidays as I had no idea how much downtime I’d require. It is essential the clinic that offers this treatment, gives you a patch test so you can see how your skin reacts. There are many people who have bad results from CO2 laser, for example dents in their face, visible ‘squares’ or ‘grid marks’ from the laser beam, redness, pigmentation changes and some people believe they have experienced fat loss. If you choose to have this procedure done, make sure you go to a provider who is qualified, experienced and can show you photos of good results as well as having a lot of good reviews.

Costs

CO2 fractional laser treatment costs vary significantly depending on which country you are in. The USA has some of the highest costs, costing from around $2,500, whereas places like South America and Turkey offer fairly cheap procedures. Europe in general offers fairly reasonable prices and I paid £235 for one session in a medispa clinic in London.

Benefits

So why have a CO2 laser treatment when there are these risks? Good question, although many professionals would say it is a fairly safe treatment, having been available to the public since the 1980s, becoming widespread in the 1990s.

CO2 laser is the only proven way of increasing collagen levels in your skin and results can last from 5-10 years.

CO2 laser resurfacing creates micro-injuries that trigger a deep, long-term healing response, resulting in a significant increase in collagen production and skin tightening that lasts even though the natural ageing process obviously continues. Key benefits of CO2 laser include reducing fine lines, wrinkles, acne scars, and pigmentation (sunspots) while tightening skin laxity.

What’s it like?

Just before I went to the clinic, I applied numbing cream to my face as I hd a feeling they were not going to do that. I was right! However, I’m not sure it made any difference; it still hurt.

Some areas of the face were definitely bearable and others were quite sensitive, for example the top of the forehead and the skin between the lips and the nose. Some people say it feels like an elastic band snapping on your face. For me, it felt like a burning crackling sensation. There was also a burning smell as the dermatologist was applying the laser… The whole procedure didn’t take very long- maybe 20-25 minutes for my whole face. At the end, she showed me my face which was a bit red but not too bad and I went outside into the cold night. As soon as I started walking, I felt my face burning! It felt so hot and sunburnt! It was really unpleasant and as soon as I could find a toilet, I went in to have a look at myself. My face by now, was getting pretty red and I noticed some white marks on my skin. I later learnt these dots were where the laser vaporised skin tissue to stimulate collagen.

I put my covid mask on and made my way into the underground to get my train back home. By now, the stinging sensation had stopped and my face felt a bit hot but not too bad. At first, I stood by the door of the train but quite soon, I went to find a seat and got a book out to read. The redness was barely noticeable with the mask on and who cares in London anyway?! When I got home and looked in the mirror, the white dots had disappeared and I looked red. I didn’t wash my face (as advised) and went to sleep, trying to sleep on my back but failing.

Day 1

I woke up, looked in the mirror and saw my forehead looked tanned and the rest of my face red. I washed my face in the evening and it stung! My face looked slightly swollen.

Day 2

The redness looked a lot less today and my face still stung a bit with moisturiser. The redness went down a lot in the afternoon. My face looked slightly swollen.

Day 3

My face was slightly red in the morning but looked brown and drier looking by the evening.

Day 4

Today, I looked like I just had a bit of sunburn but more a brown, crusty colour. My sunspots looked very brown and there was some light peeling.

Day 5

There was no redness when I woke up and I looked slightly brown. One grid mark was visible on the forehead but was very light and fading.

Day 6

I had slight peeling on the bottom of my face and my skin looks slightly brown but nobody would notice anything.

Day 7

My face looks normal. I went to the dentist and the receptionist thought I’d been away somewhere as I clearly look like I have a slight tan which is not a bad thing!

Aftercare

I was told not to wash my face for 24 hours and then moisturise regularly and use sunscreen factor 50 when going outside. It is advised not to have direct sun exposure for at least 2 weeks after the treatment, preferably longer. This is to avoid any skin damage and hyperpigmentation that can occur due to the skin's increased sensitivity in the sun. Some websites state that hyperpigmentation may happen after prolonged periods of sun exposure or tanning. I just mention this in case anyone gets worried that they accidentally had some sun exposure. I went for walks during the first week after the treatment and it was sunny but it was wintertime. Sometimes the sun was on my face but it only happened for maybe 10 seconds and then I moved out of the sun. It's good to be on the safe side but the risks are highest in the intense summer sun which is why many people have this treatment during the winter months.

Results

It’s said to take 3-6 months to see real changes from the increased collagen production so will update then. It’s been 1 month since I had the treatment and my face looks the same as it did before, I think. Let’s see if there is any change in a few months…