Can I Get Laser Resurfacing w/o Sedation?

the old fashioned-CO2 laser was too painful in my experience, for patients to have it done with the use of topical anesthetic cream and local anesthetic injecitons. intravenous sedation was very helpful to make them comfortable. i find the same with fractional ablative CO2 Fraxel Repair.  Fraxel Restore, however, only needs numbing cream.

Fractional laser is an amazing and highly effective treatment in our office. We use the laser treatment to help with acne scars, large pores, fine wrinkles, tissue collagen loss, scars, sebaceous hyperplasia, active acne, and for brightening dark pigmentation. Although there are very strong fractional lasers such as CO2 laser, we use lighter treatments for corrective skincare and maintenance of results. Our Thulium fractional laser, clear and brilliant laser, and Ultra Thulium laser are excellent options in our clinic. We also perform CO2 fractional and erbium depending on skin tone and tolerance for downtime. Patients do have to use a Melarase cream before and after treatment to help further reduce pigmentation after laser. Dark spots can improve with these treatments. I recommend fractional laser for incisional scars as well, especially after plastic surgery.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Laser resurfacing can certainly be done without sedation if you want. The amount of pain that a laser treatment causes depends on the type of laser/planned depth of resurfacing. Topical numbing creams and/or injection of numbing medicine can be done in many cases.

I commonly perform deep fractional CO2 laser treatments without any sedation in the office.  I prefer to first place a topical anesthetic on the face for 45 minutes and follow this with nerve block injections to numb the entire face.  Lighter treatments can be performed under topical anesthetic only (a skin cream) but the results of the lighter treatment are not as good for fines lines and wrinkles as the deeper treatments.

Deeply penetrating skin lasers - such as the fractional C02 ( ex. smartskin)  can provide excellent rejuvenating skin resurfacing. They are most often performed after a topical anesthetic cream has been applied for 45 to 60 minutes.

Not all numbing creams are equal. Besides the active ingredients, the emollient  aids in the absorption.

With a good topical numbing cream, applied for the appropriate time - it would be exceedingly rare to need sedation.