What Should I Expect After Mixto CO2 Laser Treatments?

All Fractional CO2 Lasers including Mixto have comparable post-op recovery, depending on the setting of the laser as determined by your board-certified aesthetic physician and your skin types. Expect to have some post-op swelling for the first couple days as well as post-op redness for the first several days. You may experience some itching or even insomnia for the first few days and oral Benadryl can be quite helpful. If you experience any pain or blisters beyond the first couple days, you should contact your physician to rule out secondary bacterial or viral infection, both of which can be minimized by appropriate pre-op medications. Most patients should be presentable in the public in about a week.

Because MIXTO treatments can vary in intensity and depth, you should expect anything from a quiet face with a little bit of texture that is easily covered by makeup to a red, swollen face that looks like a very deep sunburn.

All of our patients have Red, Swollen, Tight, and greasy skin for the first 3 days after treatment. On days 3 and 4 they experience peeling and by days 6-8 are able to use a light mineral makeup to cover any remaining pink skin and they are able to return to work. They are instructed to call us and be seen the same day if they have pain as this may indicate an infection. All of our patients get my home and cell phone number and are told that I am on call 24/7. It is normal to have mild to moderate itching which we treat with many different medications depending on severity. After more that 4600 CO2 laser resurfacing procedures since 1991, we have never had any scars caused by this treatment. We attribute this to careful lasering and patient education.

First, before I answer, let me say that without knowing which handpiece and settings were used, your skin color, conditions, etc. this is just a generalized answer as to what my experience with my own patients has been.
That being said, there are various levels of depth that can be done with the Mixto. For patients that want a mild, but rejuvenated and refreshed look, with minimal downtime, I could do the Mixto at a lower setting, with 5-7 days of redness or downtime.
With patients who want more tightening, or may have deeper lines, wrinkles, scarring, etc. the downtime could be 2-3 weeks or more. We as doctors can control the depth, and base it on the results and downtime that the patient desires.
It is an amazing treatment, and one of the top treatments in our office. With an experienced doctor, this treatment delivers outstanding results. The before and afters in our office speak for themselves.

The Mixto Micro Fractional CO2 laser can be used at different energy levels so there can be some difference betwen you and others who have had the procedure. I would advise you communicate with your doctor about the process of recovery.