Generally speaking you can expect your affected skin to require 1 – 2 treatments with a fractional CO2 laser. This is much quicker than with other treatments.

However, keep in mind that depending on the severity of the condition you’d like to treat, the number of sessions can differ from person to person, and for each treatment area.

Before your treatment, we apply a numbing cream on the area to be treated.This takes about 30-45 minutes in most cases. Once the numbing is complete, we use the fractional CO2 laser to create small, intentional holes in the skin.

This happens in sequenced, square sections at a time. We cool the treatment area simultaneously, to help with pain.

The procedure takes about 1 hour. Discomfort can range from mild to moderate, depending on your pain tolerance levels.

Serious complications arising from fractional CO2 laser treatments are rare, when they are performed in a reputable, doctor-led clinic. Dr. Shah is at our clinic on a daily basis. He is available for help, should any issues come up during or after your treatment.

Other than that, there are some more common side effects that can occur with such a deep laser treatment on the skin. These are things we are prepared for at our clinic, and ready to help with. For example: pain, redness, wound healing, swelling or pigment changes.

We will provide you with specific laser treatment pre-op instructions, but one general rule of thumb is to avoid tanning for at least 4 weeks prior to treatment, as skin that has been exposed to UV rays is at a higher risk for complications and discomfort during the procedure.

Laser treatments are the fastest way to remove hyperpigmentation, but it still takes time to see results. Pigment will darken for 1-3 weeks following the treatment, then will begin to fade.