Fractional CO2 Laser Treatment Limits?

This is a great question.There are two types of Laser Resurfacing treatments...Ablative and Non-Ablative. Ablative (CO2) can give a significant improvement with one treatment and more downtime. A Non-Ablative laser with a series of 3 treatments can yield the same results and with less downtime. Taking into consideration age, skin type, skin concerns, health and area being treated would determine the subsequent maintenance plan. A good skincare regimen and sun protection can help protect your skin post laser and slow down the aging process. 

There is no limit to the number of fractional CO2 laser treatments that patients can have as long as the skin is healthy and well-healed from prior treatments. The interval between treatments will vary depending on the depth of treatment and the patient's individual healing time frame. I have some patients who will come in every few months for a series of treatments, and others who come in once every year for a treatment to refresh and rejuvenate the skin.Be sure to see an expert.All the best,

The number of treatments will depend on the type of system, CO2 vs Erbium.  The greater the amount of skin resurfacing, the more significant the result.  Erbium laser treatments will require a series vs CO2 which may only require 1 or 2 sessions.  Results should last for several years, at which time you may benefit from additional treatments.

When you go for a factional laser treatment, your doctor or technician should let you know what you can expect in terms both the treatment and the post-treatment downtime and results. The full effect of the fractional treatment occurs three to four months after your treatment. The full effect of the collagen simulation is visible at this point.

You may do more than one treatment for a given area for harder-to-fix problems, or more sensitive regions. For example icepick acne scars may be treated 3 to 5 times with treatments 2-4 weeks apart. Another example would be treating strechmarks 3 times with a similar protocol for better results.

After completing the right number of treatments with the right intensity for your given situation, we recommend touchups every 3 to 4 years. The idea for undergoing Fractional Laser treatment(s) is to stimulate the collagen so you don’t need repetitive treatments. All this information should be covered in your consultation.


At the Victoria Park Medispa, we take off the doctor consultation fee from any appointment booked and offer complimentary consultations with our technicians, therefore reducing a client’s risk of having a treatment performed without taking the time to think about what they really want. Any esthetic tool needs to be in the right hands, to achieve the best possible results.

The answer depends on the reason you were having the laser treatment done in the first place, but as long as safe practices were employed and enough healing took place between treatments you can definitely have multiple treatments.  The results are additive to some degree, but unpredictably.  You may get your biggest improvement after one or after 3 treatments for instance, but it is unpredicable.  However, at some point, the improvement begins to level off and thus you experience what I tell patients: The Law of Diminshed Returns.  When that will be for you or me is uncertain.  

I hope this helps.

Since the amount of skin replaced during each treatment is from 5 to 33%, after a certain number of treatments a large amount of skin is essentially replaced.  For example if we are doing 20% resurfacing, in 4-5 treatments most of the epidermis and some to most dermis is replaced.

After completing such a series I would give the skin a chance to complete its rejuvenation and deposition of new collagen for the next 2-3 years or even longer before considering any more resurfacing.