CO2 laser | Plastic Surgery Procedures | Forum

Fractional CO2 is a really good choice when dealing with wrinkles and acne scars, and it's one of the only ways that you can shrink pores. :) As for the number of treatments, it really depends on your skin colour and the severity, so the settings on the machine can be adjusted accordingly. For example, if you're supperrrrr pale, you may only need one strong treatment every two or so years. However, if you're more tanned or have an olive/yellow undertone, you are more likely to hyper/hypopigmentate, so ideally, you should have several lower setting treatments (3 is usually a common number) spaced 4 weeks apart. 

Hope this helps! If you have any other questions, I can speak from experience. :)

Cindy Kim said
THANK YOU!!! what is the diff between this and "traditional CO2"?? i keep seeing that, but it says they do the same thing?

No problem. :) Yes, it is true that both lasers are effective at skin resurfacing; however, the traditional CO2 lasers were far more aggressive as that laser vaporises the epidermis entirely. On the other hand, the fractional CO2 burns off a smaller fraction and thus, it is "fractionated." The traditional CO2 had longer downtime -- 2 weeks, I believe--and had far more complications with hyper/hypopigmentation and scarring due to its aggressive nature. Fractionated CO2 has far less downtime (3-5 days) and has the ability to treat darker complexions although it requires more treatments.

Cindy Kim said

den ise said

Cindy Kim said
THANK YOU!!! what is the diff between this and "traditional CO2"?? i keep seeing that, but it says they do the same thing?

No problem. :) Yes, it is true that both lasers are effective at skin resurfacing; however, the traditional CO2 lasers were far more aggressive as that laser vaporises the epidermis entirely. On the other hand, the fractional CO2 burns off a smaller fraction and thus, it is "fractionated." The traditional CO2 had longer downtime -- 2 weeks, I believe--and had far more complications with hyper/hypopigmentation and scarring due to its aggressive nature. Fractionated CO2 has far less downtime (3-5 days) and has the ability to treat darker complexions although it requires more treatments.

wow you are so knowledgable about this!!

Haha, I did a lot of research about this laser because it was something I really wanted that was within reach and affordable. :]

Cindy Kim said
@dnice 

what did you do the laser for? acne?? i like how you answer fast, but its maybe because we are both in the same time zone lols 

I had acne as a teenager, plus living on the east coast where it is humid did not help much, so I ended up with enlarged pores and excessively oily skin. Overall, I felt really self-conscious about my pores and often wore makeup to cover them. So I did a lot of research about ways to shrink pores and came across this treatment. I finally saved up enough money to purchase three, and did them 4 weeks apart before I even found this website. Overall, the results were excellent, and my pores shrank tremendously. My skin looks softer and makeup application is smoother. Also, the other benefits of the laser include fixing skin discolouration and skin tightening, so in my experience, it was totally worth it~~ :)

And yeah, we are in the same time zone, so that helps, plus I enjoy reading the posts on this forum, haha.

Cindy Kim said

den ise said

Cindy Kim said
@dnice 

what did you do the laser for? acne?? i like how you answer fast, but its maybe because we are both in the same time zone lols 

I had acne as a teenager, plus living on the east coast where it is humid did not help much, so I ended up with enlarged pores and excessively oily skin. Overall, I felt really self-conscious about my pores and often wore makeup to cover them. So I did a lot of research about ways to shrink pores and came across this treatment. I finally saved up enough money to purchase three, and did them 4 weeks apart before I even found this website. Overall, the results were excellent, and my pores shrank tremendously. My skin looks softer and makeup application is smoother. Also, the other benefits of the laser include fixing skin discolouration and skin tightening, so in my experience, it was totally worth it~~ :)

And yeah, we are in the same time zone, so that helps, plus I enjoy reading the posts on this forum, haha.

WOW i have the same problem!!! well not living on the east coast, but i have acne prone oily skin.....i had to use a topical cream that was kind of harsh so i think thats why my pores are big. i dont have any more acne but i have uneven texture from the acne scars  can i ask you about how the treatment went?? how long did it take and what did they do? thx so much!! 

The treatment was rather simple. I made sure my face was bare (no makeup or anything). The doctor gave me ibuprofen and an anti-swelling medication (I forgot what it was called), then I was numbed topically for approximately thirty minutes. The doctor put saran wrap on my face to trap heat to allow for better absorption. After the numbing process was done, he wiped off the creme, and then proceeded with the laser treatment. Overall, it took about 45 minutes total.  

Cindy Kim said

den ise said

Cindy Kim said

den ise said

Cindy Kim said
@dnice 

what did you do the laser for? acne?? i like how you answer fast, but its maybe because we are both in the same time zone lols 

I had acne as a teenager, plus living on the east coast where it is humid did not help much, so I ended up with enlarged pores and excessively oily skin. Overall, I felt really self-conscious about my pores and often wore makeup to cover them. So I did a lot of research about ways to shrink pores and came across this treatment. I finally saved up enough money to purchase three, and did them 4 weeks apart before I even found this website. Overall, the results were excellent, and my pores shrank tremendously. My skin looks softer and makeup application is smoother. Also, the other benefits of the laser include fixing skin discolouration and skin tightening, so in my experience, it was totally worth it~~ :)

And yeah, we are in the same time zone, so that helps, plus I enjoy reading the posts on this forum, haha.

WOW i have the same problem!!! well not living on the east coast, but i have acne prone oily skin.....i had to use a topical cream that was kind of harsh so i think thats why my pores are big. i dont have any more acne but i have uneven texture from the acne scars  can i ask you about how the treatment went?? how long did it take and what did they do? thx so much!! 

The treatment was rather simple. I made sure my face was bare (no makeup or anything). The doctor gave me ibuprofen and an anti-swelling medication (I forgot what it was called), then I was numbed topically for approximately thirty minutes. The doctor put saran wrap on my face to trap heat to allow for better absorption. After the numbing process was done, he wiped off the creme, and then proceeded with the laser treatment. Overall, it took about 45 minutes total.  

wow! did you felt any side effects or pain during or after?? sorry if im bothering you  i have so many questions lols

The numbing creme worked amazingly. I hardly felt anything during the entire process. Moreover, my doctor was absolutely wonderful as well. He adjusted the settings during the treatment to minimise possible side effects. For example, on my more troubled areas (i.e. T-zone where my pores were larger), he used a stronger setting, and for the rest of my face, he toned it down. Generally people feel heat on where the laser is focused on at that moment, but I must've been a trooper or something because I didn't feel a thing. As for pain afterwards, I didn't really have any issue with pain. The doctor warned me about "hot flashes," but in general, I was ok. :)

Just keep asking! I wish that I had personalised responses to my questions when I was doing this research, hahaha. :b Feel free to PM me as well.

Cindy Kim said
THANK YOU @dnice !!! YOU HAVE BEEN SO HELPFUL!  thank you for your very detailed responses!!!!! 

No problem. :) Good luck! I hope it turns out well for you too~~

Maya JEferson said
Thank you very much!

No problem. :)

Cindy Kim said
how long is downtime following the treatment? i read somewhere that you have to avoid sun for 6 months.....it's not that bad right?

"Downtime" I would say is about one-two weeks for your skin to peel and return to an improved state. However, my doctor did advise me to avoid the sun for 6 months because your skin will be far more sensitive to it during that period. It's funny though because I know that you also live in Southern California, so that's basically impossible. I just advise that you wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen though! Just as long as your face or wherever the treatment is done is not in direct sunlight. :)

Cindy Kim said

dnice said

Cindy Kim said
how long is downtime following the treatment? i read somewhere that you have to avoid sun for 6 months.....it's not that bad right?

"Downtime" I would say is about one-two weeks for your skin to peel and return to an improved state. However, my doctor did advise me to avoid the sun for 6 months because your skin will be far more sensitive to it during that period. It's funny though because I know that you also live in Southern California, so that's basically impossible. I just advise that you wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen though! Just as long as your face or wherever the treatment is done is not in direct sunlight. :)

i had my first treatment!!! it wasn't painful at all bc the numbing worked super well!!! i want to get more treatments but i also want to save up to go to korea >.< how many treatments did it take for u to see results? @dnice 

My results were immediate. I noticed that my pores were significantly smaller and that my skin was less oily right away. After three treatments, my oily/combo skin was more on the normal skin side and my pores were not noticeable at all. As for saving, I had that concern as well, but I was always self-conscious about my skin plus there was a fantastic deal where three treatments were only 600$, instead of 600$+ each, as they normally are. So I decided to break into my savings, and I don't regret it at all. :) After three treatments spaced one month apart, they generally recommend to come back 1-2 years later for another CO2 treatment if necessary.

Cindy Kim said

dnice said

Cindy Kim said

dnice said

Cindy Kim said
how long is downtime following the treatment? i read somewhere that you have to avoid sun for 6 months.....it's not that bad right?

"Downtime" I would say is about one-two weeks for your skin to peel and return to an improved state. However, my doctor did advise me to avoid the sun for 6 months because your skin will be far more sensitive to it during that period. It's funny though because I know that you also live in Southern California, so that's basically impossible. I just advise that you wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen though! Just as long as your face or wherever the treatment is done is not in direct sunlight. :)

i had my first treatment!!! it wasn't painful at all bc the numbing worked super well!!! i want to get more treatments but i also want to save up to go to korea >.< how many treatments did it take for u to see results? @dnice 

My results were immediate. I noticed that my pores were significantly smaller and that my skin was less oily right away. After three treatments, my oily/combo skin was more on the normal skin side and my pores were not noticeable at all. As for saving, I had that concern as well, but I was always self-conscious about my skin plus there was a fantastic deal where three treatments were only 600$, instead of 600$+ each, as they normally are. So I decided to break into my savings, and I don't regret it at all. :) After three treatments spaced one month apart, they generally recommend to come back 1-2 years later for another CO2 treatment if necessary.

ooooooh. maybe the place i went to wasnt as good as yours, but i thought the machine was the same, so i dont know why it wasn't as good. i also paid a lot more...... i'm not sure i want to waste even more money. 

Oh I think I said earlier that even tho the machine is the same, it's really the doctor behind the machine that makes a difference since there are a lot of different settings that work for different skin types and help with different concerns. I think your best bet is to find a new doctor (look up reviews) that has a good track record in treating the concern you have for your skin type/colour. That way, you won't waste any money. :)

Cindy Kim said 

thatss truee. but i wonder, having spent so much, do you feel that your results were completely worth it??

I do actually. Like I said previously (so many posts now, it's hard to keep track haha), I did the procedure because I was always very self conscious about my enlarged pores, which lead to very oily skin in my T-Zone area. After the first treatment, my skin was SIGNIFICANTLY less oily and my pores noticeably shrank, so I was very excited then. After my second and third treatments, my skin progressively became less oily and my pore size diminished. While it was a pain to look like a lobster for five days (which depends on the person, some people aren't red at all), I think the procedure was completely worth the "downtime" and the money. 

Also, as I've stressed previously, it's imperative that you find a doctor that can use the machine effectively. I did so by reading a lot of reviews and by shopping around, consulting over the phone with different offices.

Hope this helps!

MCheng said
Thanks @dnice !!! I liked reading your super detailed responses ^______^ would you recommend this procedure for older individuals? My mom wants to get it, but I'm too lazy to really do any research about it, so I figured I'd get a personal experience/advice to help her out =D

I used to work at a plastic surgeon's office that had this procedure, and there were equally as many "young" people as there were older people. If your mom is worried about wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, skin-texture, etc, this is a good option because it resurfaces the skin by "vapourising" off the top layers of skin (epidermis), leaving brand new skin on top.

MCheng said
What if shes just worried about wrinkles?? Isn't botox a cheaper alternative?? :O

I wouldn't recommend going to Korea just for botox :P But yeah, it is cheaper for a one-time cost, but the results are far less permanent too, so if you think about it, it will end up being more expensive due to repeated costs. While they both alleviate signs of wrinkles, Botox wears off after a few months depending on the person. ALSOOO, since Botox is a neurotoxin (Botulinum toxin), you can't inject it in the neck, so even if a person has absolutely no wrinkles on their face, you can easily tell how old they are by looking at their neck. On the other hand, CO2 procedures can be done on the neck area as well as the face to achieve a more comprehensively youthful look.

MCheng said 

I guess i never thought abt that hahaha :OO do they have it in korea?? Price?! :D

I'm not quite sure what the average price is, but I know of someone who knows someone (haha) who paid ~$200 per session.

Cindy Kim said 

ohhhh, im so happy for you  i did another CO2 by a different doctor and this time i broke out really badly?? 

Ohhh, I think that happens during over-exfoliation as well. You probably had some deep acne/blackheads that surfaced because the CO2 laser vapourised the top layers of your epidermis! 

Cindy Kim said

dnice said

Cindy Kim said 

ohhhh, im so happy for you  i did another CO2 by a different doctor and this time i broke out really badly?? 

Ohhh, I think that happens during over-exfoliation as well. You probably had some deep acne/blackheads that surfaced because the CO2 laser vapourised the top layers of your epidermis! 

that makes sense!!!! thank you so much~~  i guess i just need to take care of my skin now lol

Yeah, just be sure not to over-exfoliate and stay out of the sun to prevent hyper-pigmentation! Also drink a lot of water since you and your skin will be very dehydrated.

Kelley McDaniel said
I have very noticeable Fordyce spots on my lips.  They make me look sickly.  Also, I think I have them as bumps under my eyes.  Does the CO2 laser fix this condition?  It's really embarrassing If so, do you know around how much it costs?  By the way, I am VERY pale.  When I went to the makeup counter to find a foundation the man said I have very porcelain skin. Any advice would be appreciated.

I've read that CO2 laser can help with Fordyce BUT it might not have the pinpoint accuracy to correct it and may even be overkill (in strength) for the condition since the downtime would be about a week. CO2 for the full face is approximately 1300-1700$ where I'm located, depending on the model of the machine being used. Also, darker skinned individuals are more likely to have side effects, such as hyper/hypopigmentation following a CO2 treatment, and must have several sessions in lower strength, but someone with paler skin can have one strong session and achieve similar results.