Growing up in South Florida with my three brothers, I wasn’t a fan of beauty products or treatments. I exercise a lot, so sweat + makeup = skin disaster. In high school, makeup wasn’t in my vocabulary, and in college I rarely wore foundation or mascara (when I remembered to wear it).
My skin care is also simple: wash my face with soap. Dry face. Do this twice a day.
So, when I moved to New York after undergrad, the change in climate and the adjustment to wearing makeup and going to work every day was a challenge for my face. Acne replaced my once radiant, sun-kissed skin. And then the scars follow. Of course, I wasn’t happy.
About five years ago, I had Fraxel (a brand of fractional CO2 laser) done three times (once a month). It completely changed the texture of my skin. I was shocked, surprised, and undoubtedly impressed.
My acne scars have significantly reduced – most of them are gone. This is the super problem-solving laser of my dreams! (The recovery process was a nightmare though – more on that later.)
Since then, I’ve tried other lasers—like PicoSure, Clear + Brilliant, etc.—to enhance my skin, with limited success. But I have always believed that carbon dioxide is the Holy Grail. Even though my skin has improved a lot over the past five years through other methods, I still wanted to fix some discoloration and pore size. Plus, I’m five now and this baby is great for fighting signs of aging. So, to reaffirm my thoughts and get some touch-ups, I went to facial plastic surgeon Dr. Andrew Jacono for some treatments.
Experts featured in this article
Andrew Jacono, MD, FACS is a double board certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon. He lives in New York.
What is CO2 fractional laser?
“The fractional carbon dioxide laser is designed to treat aging and damaged skin by creating tiny ‘wounds’ in targeted areas just below the outermost layer of the skin, thereby triggering the body’s own natural production of new collagen and skin cells,” Dr. Harkono told PS.
This sounds painful because it is likely to appear on the exposed face. Before the procedure, I applied numbing cream to my clean, product-free cheeks for about 30 minutes.
The actual procedure takes less time than the prep process—up to 15 minutes (but according to Dr. Shah, this varies from person to person and depends on the area being treated). I heard the buzz of lasers. Only occasionally—perhaps once every two and a half minutes—a sharp pain that feels like a rubber band snapping brings tears to my eyes.
My CO2 fractional laser results
My initial experience with carbon dioxide left me holed up in my apartment for nearly seven days. This is cruel. This time, I was looking forward to it. So I schedule my dates for times of year when I can hibernate/antisocial/work more peacefully.
“After fractional CO2 laser treatment, most patients experience sunburn for a few days,” explains Dr. Jacono. Yes, I agree with that. Piercing sunburn. When a laser hits your face, it creates lines and boxes, like graph paper. Redness and swelling may occur immediately after surgery.
For the next week, I was prescribed antibiotics and instructed to apply ointment after washing my face twice a day with a mild cleanser. I also had to avoid taking aspirin for 48 hours. Simple enough!
After the first day, there was no pain, but my face wasn’t that noticeable. My face was very red until the fourth day. By day five, I could almost wear makeup again (but I didn’t because my face was still peeling. Day seven, I was back to normal). Recovery usually takes five to 10 days, Dr. Shah said.
By the end of my CO2 journey, my face looked clearer with discoloration, my pores were less noticeable, and my friends and I were in awe of my results (my break, not so much).
Dr. Jacono said CO2 treatments, which are not covered by insurance, cost $2,000 to $5,000 per treatment, depending on the severity. Three to six sessions are usually recommended.
While this is an expensive process and will make you less social for a few days, I find it’s worth it. I may not need another five treatments, but I would undoubtedly go back if I did.
