CO2 laser before Deep Plane facelift - how long should I wait in between?

Question

I don't want to do everything at once; so if I have a CO2 laser now, how long do I need to wait to do the DP facelift? Thank you!

Ronald J. Edelson, MD · Answer

I would re commend 3 months between you procedures and it doesn’t matter which procedure you do first

Kyle Kimura, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question.
In general, I don't think it makes a huge difference in timing as I often perform laser resurfacing at the same time as a facelift. I would ask your surgeon if it would just make sense for your to have this done at the same time as surgery to save you the hassle of recovering from two procedures. If you decide to have them separately, I would say the recovery from a resurfacing procedure is probably 2-4 weeks before you are most of the way healed. 
Hope this helps and best of luck!Kyle Kimura, MD

Williams Bukret, MD · Answer

Hi, thank you for your question.

In general, I prefer not to plan a deep plane facelift immediately after CO2 laser resurfacing.

The correct waiting time depends on the depth and intensity of the laser treatment. A light fractional treatment is very different from a more aggressive ablative CO2 resurfacing. The key point is that the skin should not only be closed, but also calm, stable, and free of significant redness, swelling, crusting, or sensitivity before surgery.

As a practical rule, many patients should wait at least 3 months after a moderate CO2 laser before considering facelift surgery. After a deeper or fully ablative treatment, waiting closer to 4–6 months may be safer.

This is not because a facelift is impossible afterward, but because deep plane surgery requires healthy skin and soft tissues for predictable healing. Your facelift surgeon should examine your skin quality, laser depth, pigmentation risk, and healing response before choosing the safest timing.

If you already know you want a facelift, it may be worth discussing the sequence with your surgeon before doing the laser.

Best regards,  
Williams Bukret, MD  
Plastic Surgeon

CO2 laser before Deep Plane facelift - how long should I wait in between?

Answers (3)

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