How soon might I get a chemical peel after fractional CO2 laser?

Kpat2010  A thorough consultation and history needs to be taken in order to come up with your best game plan.  As there are many different Fractional CO2 lasers, there are many different chemical peels that you can have.  To further muddy the waters, the skill set of your cosmetic surgeon also affects your outcome.  If you were happy with the fractional laser , repeating it at this time will have more benefit  than one fractional laser itself.  yes you could also choose a chemical peel.  The real question is are you getting the results you want in the time frame that you request?  Best of Luck Dr B

Our treatments use combination therapy to improve the epidermis and dermis for most deep scars. The options available for acne scars depend on the character of your scars, in terms of topography and contour. We see atrophic and hypertrophic acne scars, as well as scars that have hypo and hyperpigmentation. We begin each scar evaluation with an assessment of scar quality and subtype. Our main concern is rebuilding collagen and that is why we use a HIDEF protocol that includes combination therapy. Morpheus 8, scar subcision, fibrous release, fractional laser, CO2 laser, Thulium laser, PDL Vbeam laser, and fractional resurfacing can be used in addition to TCA Cross and chemical peels to further improve skin. Patients should start Melarase AM and Melarase PM for active hyperpigmentation. Always begin with a consultation to decide whether early subcision should be started.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

my suggestion is to wait at least 3 months and then consider clear+brilliant and microneedling PRP or venus viva and microneedling PRP. these are great "maintenance" treatments after ablative co2 resurfacing. A little stronger would be Fraxel dual, but has a little more downtime and can be combined with PRP as well.  I suggest only going to a well trained laser physician who understands maintenance treatments.  Sculptra injections help increase the collagen production from co2 laser and can give you volume if needed.  Radiofrequency skin tightening like Thermage or Venus legacy should also be used to further the lifting you see from co2 resurfacing.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Hello Kpat2010,When it comes to resurfacing, there are lots of variables which makes comparing apples to apples quite difficult.  There are different depths involved with different resurfacing techniques.  This makes providing an absolute safe timeframe quite difficult.  What I tell my patients is that when the pink from the resurfacing has faded you are a candidate for another resurfacing procedure.  I usually wait at least 3 months but each patient is differentThe next question is which resurfacing is best for you?  The benefit of the laser that is fractionated is that not all of the skin is treated so you tend to heal faster.  The drawback is that not all of the skin is treated so the results may not be as good as if you used a chemical peel or a laser with more power or greater density (more skin being treated).  There are many different types of chemical peels ranging from superficial (glycolic acid peel), intermediate (35% TCA), or deep (Baker Gordon or phenol).  The deeper you go the better the result if you have very damaged skin.  The risks also increase as you go deeper and it takes longer to heal and not everyone needs that.  The appropriate choice will be based on your goals, your time available to heal, your skin, and the thorough discussion with your treating physician.  I hope this helps and good luck.