How painful is the CO2 laser treatment and how long does the pain last?

Fraxel, (profractional), and/or Co2 are the best laser options for resurfacing, but erbium is a good alternative. You will be properly numbed and medicated which reduces pain levels and downtime generally last about two weeks. Feel free to check out my recommended pre and post care products at emeragecosmetics.com. I always combine lasers with microneedling/(RF/)prp for more robust outcomes. For skin tightening, I recommend a combination of ultherapy with RF treatments and sculptra for skin tightening. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with a cosmetic dermatologist. Best, Dr. Emer

Hello! Thank you for your question! Prior to CO2 laser procedure a topical numbing is left on for one hour which helps with the pain. There is some discomfort during the treatment, however we ensure that our patients are comfortable throughout the whole procedure. The sensation can best be described as elastic band snapping, or pins and needles on the skin with heat involved. After the procedure is complete the skin is hot like a bad sunburn for a few hours. After a few hours the pain subsides completely.

Hello and thank you for your question. Active FX is done primarily with just topical anesthetic cream. If we employ Deep FX we will do some blocks to the face where we will be working. We also offer IV sedation for those individuals having the deeper procedure (Deep FX). Our patients really do well during and after the procedure. Discomfort post-procedure varies from patient to patient. I find that patients use over the counter medication for post-procedure pain and do very well. Best of luck to you.