Is it okay to have a 5 weeks gap for another Fractional CO2 Laser Resurfacing?

I realize this question was posted several months ago, but I think it is a good one that comes up for many patients from time to time. I'd be curious to hear how you are doing if you ended up getting the second treatment after a 6 week delay.This seems too soon for a second fractionated CO2 treatment, but the answer depends on a few things.  The main issues are the type of laser used but, more importantly, how light or aggressive the treatment was.  This has to do with things such as power (watts), density, pulse duration, skin prep prior to the procedure, etc.I tend to be VERY conservative with fractional CO2 resurfacing.  My preference is for a medium strength treatment followed by a planned second session about 6 months later and augmented with some good medical grade skin care before, during, and after.If you had a very light treatment initially (which it doesn't sound like since you had nearly 2 weeks of redness) then a shorter gap between treatments would be OK.  With fractional CO2 resurfacing there is some additional collagen remodeling and improvement that is going on under the skin surface.  That process evolves over a period of at least 4-6 months, and that is the main factor in waiting before a second treatment is performed.I think most would suggest a longer delay until your second treatment; however, you need to be able to trust the opinion of the doctor who performed the treatment since we don't know all of the details of what was done.

Healing time between fractional laser treatmentsThis time.DependsIn partUpon the settings usedAnd the specific laser that is used. 

It takes time for significant collagen remodeling to happen following a fractional ablative CO2 laser resurfacing. It seems too soon for you to have a second treatment. Most really and ideally should wait more than six months before a second procedure to allow the skin to respond and heal appropriately. On occasion, some might recommend a three-month wait -- but four to five weeks seems way too early. 

Given the fact you had a good 10-14 days of redness, I assume the power was high, as well as the density of the fractional treatment. Collagen stimulation is maximal at 4 months and beyond, so I do advice my patients an interval of 3-5 months before the second. The exception to the rule is if I perform low density CO2 for patient who can not have the downtime. Low density (less than 6-7%), but high power, gives a much quicker healing time. Because only small amount of skin is affected by the laser, you can undertake this type of resurfacing more frequently. Low density CO2 factional laser heals up within 3 days, and in this situation you can have this performed every 3 weeks. The downside is that you will require many more treatments to achieve the desired outcome. All the best,



Dr Davin Lim

Laser, surgical and aesthetic dermatologist

Brisbane, Australia