Fractional CO2 Laser Treatment Review

Aesthetician: Dr Dana Elliott        

Duration: 45 minutes  

Cost: Price upon request

Location: The Aesthetics Clinic

Review of Fractional CO2 Laser Treatment

If you are suffering from deep acne scars or severe pigmentation, then this laser treatment is for you. Suitable for mature skin, this is a strong laser which generates more heat and requires a downtime of between three to five days. That being said, the discomfort and inconvenience can be overlooked  as this laser treatment will deliver more supple skin, build up more collagen and your skin will actually get better over time. It also promises smaller pores and has exfoliating benefits to unclog pores.  

This is also the last of my laser treatment programme with Dr Elliott and I must say that I have enjoyed the results of my treatments. My skin is definitely more radiant and smoother. Under Dr Elliott’s guidance, I started with the Dermlift, which is a mild laser, followed by the Erbium, a moderate laser and now, my skin is ready to take on the more ablative Fractional CO2 laser. “By starting slow, your skin has built up resistance and will be able to take the Fractional CO2 without much side effects,” says Dr Elliott. Side effects of the Fractional CO2 include some dark spots which will clear within five days and more redness or “blushing”.

Treatment process:

Fractional CO2 laser treatment

As usual, the therapist first cleansed my face before applying an anesthetic cream to numb my face and lower my discomfort during the laser treatment process. After applying a thick layer of cream, she wrapped plastic foils around my face so that my skin will absorb the anesthetic better. This was left for around 30 minutes and I soon lost sensation on my face.

Close up of my face after Fractional CO2 laser treatment. See the little white spots
where the laserbeams penetrated my skin!

The Fractional CO2 laser process can be quite frightening as it gave out a strong burning smell and smoke can be seen emitting from the laser machine. It felt like short, mild electrical currents on my face and it hurt more near sensitive parts of my face, like the nose. An ice pack was applied to the lasered spots immediately to soothe my skin.   

Results:

My skin is smooth, radiant and I have natural rosy cheeks after the laser treatment!

At the end of the treatment, my skin was still feeling quite numb. My face was red and felt sore. The therapist applied a thick layer of antiseptic cream and I was told to moisturise my face often and stay in an air conditioned room to be more comfortable. The next day, my face felt scaly like a reptile and when I looked closly, there were tiny brown dots all over my face where the laser had penetrated my skin.

It took almost a week for all the little brown scabs to dry up and fall off my face. Upon examining my face closely, I noticed that my pores have diminished and the fine lines under my eyes have also disappeared. My complexion even had a rosy glow to it. However, as my skin was not too bad to start with, I felt that the Fractional CO2 laser treatment was not necessary and a little inconvenient due to the downtime.

The Aesthetics Clinic is located at:

1. Orchard Road

No. 1 Scotts Road #27-00 ( Penthouse )

Shaw Centre

Tel : 6235 8770

2. Bukit Batok Civil Service Club

No. 91 Bukit Batok West Avenue 2 Block D #05-02

Tel : 6316 5282

<<Read more Laser Treatment Reviews

* Photos courtesy of Erwin Tan (contact:  defacto80@gmail.com  )