Have you ever been influenced by CO2 fractional laser advertisements? The tempting promises of “smoothing acne scars,” “smoothing wrinkles,” and “rejuvenating the skin” sound like black technology! But when you eagerly search for user feedback, you find that the comment section has become a battlefield of “polarization”: some people cheer for “skin to be reborn”, while others lament “face as if burned”!

CO2 fractional laser, which sounds like a high-tech weapon, is actually a technology that uses tiny laser beams to create a “dot matrix” on the skin, aiming to stimulate collagen regeneration and repair skin problems. Sounds great, right? But don’t worry, things are not that simple! Its effect varies from person to person. Some people have smooth and new skin after finishing it, while others can only look in the mirror and exclaim, “Is this money worth it?”

What’s even more confusing is that the postoperative care of the CO2 fractional laser is comparable to “skin training” – sunscreen, moisturizing, and dietary restrictions, none of which can be omitted! A slight mistake can turn from skin rejuvenation to skin destruction. So, is CO2 fractional laser a “skin savior” or a “beauty trap”? Next, we will unveil its mysterious veil for you!

What is CO2 fractional laser?
CO2 fractional laser is not a laser, but a working mode of a laser. As long as the diameter of the laser beam (spot) is less than 500μm and the laser beam is arranged in a regular lattice shape, the working mode of the laser is lattice laser. Dot matrix laser is a relatively new medical optical skin care method that changes the emission mode of light and is a minimally invasive treatment between invasive and non-invasive methods. Dot matrix laser can emit focal spots of 50μm-80μm through a high focusing mirror, and scan these focal spots into six rectangular shapes: circular, square, rectangular, diamond, triangle, and linear, which are suitable for different parts and skin types of operations.

The working nature of the CO2 fractional laser
CO2 fractional laser therapy replaces surface with dots, using laser to evenly create tiny holes on the skin, which can directly penetrate to the dermis layer, forming three areas of thermal peeling, thermal coagulation, and thermal effect in the skin layer, thereby initiating a series of skin reactions such as tissue repair, stimulating skin collagen regeneration, collagen rearrangement, etc., and achieving the goal of skin reconstruction. CO2 fractional laser only irradiates a small part of the skin, creating tiny three-dimensional columnar thermal injury areas in the tissue, known as “micro thermal injury areas”, while the surrounding tissue remains intact. Through the migration and growth of active cells in the surrounding area, rapid repair is achieved, and patients can resume normal life in four to five days.

What CO2 fractional laser treats for?
CO2 fractional laser provides strong thermal stimulation in the skin and has many extended applications for skin problems. Therefore, it can effectively solve the following problems:
1.Treatment of acne and acne scars.
2.Removal of fine and dry lines around the eyes, such as eyelids and crow’s feet.
3.Effectively improve facial and forehead wrinkles, joint wrinkles, and stretch marks during pregnancy.
4.Treatment of pigmentary lesions such as freckles and cheekbone lesions.
5.Tighten and elevate the skin.
6.Stretch marks and other deep scars.

What advantages does CO2 fractional laser has?
CO2 fractional laser is a laser with a wavelength of 10600nm emitted in a dot matrix mode using carbon dioxide as the medium. It has a sufficiently long wavelength, which is also very effective for treating deeper skin problems. CO2 fractional laser can instantly heat water in tissues to above 100 ℃, and when applied to the skin, vaporize the epidermis and dermis at different depths, creating vaporization pits on the skin. Due to its high peak energy, small heat induced side damage zone, precise vaporization of tissue, and minimal damage to surrounding tissues, laser wounds can heal in 3-5 days. At the same time, the possibility of complications such as pigmentation or hypopigmentation is relatively small, which improves the shortcomings of high adverse reactions (scars, erythema, long recovery time, etc.) and unclear therapeutic effects in non dot matrix laser mode, and presents a good therapeutic effect.

Is that everyone can receive CO2 fractional laser treatment?
CO2 fractional laser therapy has the following contraindications:
1.Patients with scar constitution;
2.Patients with severe diabetes and hypertension;
3.Patients with mental illness or those who have high expectations for treatment;
4.Active vitiligo and psoriasis, systemic lupus erythematosus;
5.Pregnancy or lactation period;
6.Light allergy sufferers;
7.Those who have undergone chemical peeling, grinding, and other skin replacement procedures;
8.Those who use retinoic acid drugs;
9.Patients who are unwilling to receive postoperative sun protection and the risk of undergoing grinding surgery.

Precautions for postoperative care of CO2 fractional laser therapy
Heat Neutrality
After the CO2 fractional laser therapy, if you applied cold compress immediately, the heat of the laser will continue to exist in the skin tissue, and the skin will have redness, swelling, burning sensation and other reactions. It is necessary to use medical facial mask or ice bag cold compress in time to reduce inflammation and discomfort. Please note that cold compress, not ice compress, does not require excessive cooling. In addition, the surface temperature of the skin can also be reduced through small fans, cold sprayers, etc. If the patient has no obvious burning or pain on their own, they can leave the hospital after applying medication.

Postoperative Protection
3-7 days after the CO2 fractional laser therapy, the skin will scab. During this stage, it is important to avoid contact with water or rubbing to prevent infection or pigmentation. If you need to clean your skin, you can gently pat or wipe it with physiological saline or mineral water.

Postoperative Moisturizing and Sun Protection
The skin after CO2 fractional laser therapy may be dry and sensitive, and it is necessary to use moisturizers or repair creams to moisturize and repair it. The above-mentioned moist healing can replace moisturizers for skin moisturization and repair. After scab removal, medical moisturizers with relatively single ingredients can be selected to continue moisturizing care.

Postoperative Dietary Regulation
The diet after CO2 fractional laser therapy should be light and easy to digest, and eat more foods rich in vitamins C and E, such as fruits and vegetables. Avoid eating spicy and stimulating foods, oily and high-fat foods, seafood allergies, and other foods. Drink plenty of water to replenish fluids.

Q&A
Q: Does CO2 fractional laser hurt?
A: Before CO2 fractional laser treatment, local external application of anesthetics should be started 40~60 minutes later. During CO2 fractional laser treatment, the pain is mild. After treatment, there is local burning sensation, redness and swelling. After cold compress, it will initially improve. It can also cooperate wit facial mask to promote recovery.

Q: Will CO2 fractional laser make the skin thinner?
A: After standardized CO2 fractional laser treatment, except for mild local pain and redness, the probability of pigmentation is low (<1%), which does not make the skin thinner or increase skin sensitivity. CO2 fractional laser stimulates the growth of collagen in subcutaneous dermal tissue, but instead increases skin elasticity and sensitivity.

Q: Can I take care of my skin normally after shedding scabs?
A: After scab shedding, you can clean your face with water normally, strengthen hydration and repair, and it is not recommended to use stimulating skincare products and makeup in the short term.

Q: What should I do if my skin turns red after shedding scabs?
A: After the scab falls off, because it is new skin, the skin in the treatment area is red as a whole. You can continue to apply epidermal growth factor gel and some restorative dressings, pay attention to sunscreen, and gradually fade with time.