How should skin be cared for after CO2 laser resurfacing?

Aftercare for CO2 laser resurfacing comes down to a short list of routines. Readers in Rancho Cordova want that list in order, along with a sense of what the visit price should include.

Cleansing, sleep and cooling in the first days

Cleveland Clinic says to cleanse the treatment area two to five times a day as instructed by your doctor. It advises sleeping on an extra pillow at night to help reduce the swelling for the first four days after the procedure. During the first 24 to 48 hours, it says to apply a cool compress or a wrapped ice pack for 15 minutes every one to two hours as needed.

What goes on the skin until it heals

Cleveland Clinic recommends a thin layer of petroleum jelly, or any occlusive moisturizer, or an antibiotic ointment such as bacitracin. It says to apply the layer to the area twice a day until the skin heals.

Sun protection once the skin has healed

After healing, Cleveland Clinic calls for a daily broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect your newly laser-resurfaced skin. Broad-spectrum means it screens both ultraviolet B and ultraviolet A rays. Choose a sunscreen formulated for use on the face, with a sun protection factor of at least 30.

Questions to settle before you ask for a price

The cleansing step is as instructed by your doctor, so the exact routine comes from your provider. Ask for the steps in writing, and ask whether follow-up visits are part of the quoted price or billed separately.

For wider reading, one review covers physician-directed lasers, chemical peels and other noninvasive modalities. Another covers complications of fractional CO2 laser resurfacing. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons keeps an overview of laser skin resurfacing. A separate evidence-based review looks at nonablative fractional resurfacing in skin of color.

The routine to hold yourself to

Follow your own provider's written instructions over any general list, including this one.