My Experience and Recovery from a CO2 Tetra DOT Laser Procedure

CO2 laser resurfacing recovery showing skin healing progression and improved texture after treatment

A little bit about me:

I consider myself a “try anything” type of gal when it comes to skincare and aesthetic treatments. You name it, I’ve probably tried it!!!

Since I grew up worshipping the sun and spending many, many hours on the beach competing with my sister to see who could get the most tan, sun damage is unfortunately something I am constantly trying to reverse. I am always researching and reading about the latest and greatest procedures and products that will help me to obtain my dream of dewy, glowing and bright skin.

I started dabbling in the skincare and aesthetic treatment world when I was in my very early 20’s (I am a few days shy of 38 years old now). My skincare cabinet at home looks like a mini Sephora, because if I hear of something that promises beautiful skin, I’ll buy it. I try and be very good about sticking to my morning and nighttime skincare regimen, which consists mostly of medical grade skincare products with a few Instagram must haves thrown in.

I keep up with my quarterly botox appointments and try and do at least one skincare procedure/treatment every couple months. As far as skincare treatments go, I’ve tried microneedling, IPLs, several types of lasers (like Halo, Pearl, Laser Genesis, etc.), chemical peels (from mild to full blown 30% TCA peels) and all types of the “fluffier facials” like Hydrafacials and Microderms. The one procedure I have never had done is a CO2 laser.

Since I had a couple weeks without any social engagements or commitments that required me to be outside for long periods of time, I figured now was the perfect time to make the appointment and commit!

So what exactly is a CO2 Laser?

The procedure I chose to have done was the CO2 Tetra DOT Laser, performed by Dr. Capraro at Grossman | Capraro Plastic Surgery.

This particular laser technology is the gold standard when it comes to targeting pigment, textural irregularities and stimulating collagen for overall skin rejuvenation. The laser works by creating small micro-injuries within the skin and tissue, which triggers your body’s natural healing process and stimulates the growth of new collagen and elastin.

In terms of downtime, I was told to expect about 7–10 days of redness, swelling and flaking. I scheduled the procedure for Friday afternoon and warned my husband that I would be hibernating for the weekend and that he was on play date duty with our daughter for the next week or so.

My Patient Diary

Prior to the Big Day:

I met with Nicole Kenyon, PA-C, a week prior to my procedure and she informed me of what to expect, what supplies I needed to have on hand for my recovery and gave me my options as far as controlling any pain associated with the treatment.

I consider myself to have a relatively high pain tolerance, so I declined the oral sedatives and pain medication and opted for just topically applied numbing cream.

She told me to make sure I stopped using any retinols or products with active ingredients 7 days before my procedure. She sent in prescriptions for a steroid pack, an antibiotic and an anti-viral for me to start taking before my procedure, as instructed.

There was no turning back now!

Procedure Day:

I showed up at my scheduled check-in time and could not have been more excited to have the procedure done!

Since I opted out of taking any oral sedatives or pain meds, I was able to drive myself to and from the procedure, which my husband appreciated!

After having very thorough pre-op photos done, Nicole applied numbing cream to my face and neck and we let it soak in and work its magic.

About 45 minutes later, I was taken into the procedure room and I laid down on the procedure bed. Even though I was at a “Doctor’s office”, I appreciated the warm blanket, dim lights and great playlist. I was so cozy.

Nicole removed the numbing cream, thoroughly cleansed and disinfected my skin and applied patches over my eyes.

Dr. Capraro chose settings based on the condition of my skin and we agreed to do a moderate treatment, in terms of depth and power.

Dr. Capraro began on my forehead, moved to the sides of my face, did my nose and chin, my upper and lower eyelids and then finished with my neck.

The whole procedure took about 20 minutes. I was completely shocked at how little discomfort I felt throughout the procedure. I would say on a scale of 1–10, the procedure was a 1.5 overall.

The only areas that felt a little “spicy” were my upper lip and a couple spots close to my hairline where the numbing didn’t quite reach, but honestly it was such an easy, painless treatment.

After Dr. Capraro finished the laser, Nicole applied a cooling hydrogel mask to my face and I laid there for about 15 minutes. Nicole then removed the mask and sent me on my way.

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On my drive home, my face felt a little warm, but that’s about it!

The Night of my Procedure:

My face and neck were definitely feeling warm, but nothing felt painful. Everything did begin to feel a little tight, so I was thankful that Dr. Capraro had instructed me that I should apply the post procedure ointment at about the 4 hour mark.

I splashed my face with cool water and applied a thick layer of the ointment all over my face and neck. I had been instructed to sleep with several pillows under my head in order to stay elevated and help with any swelling.

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Day 1 Morning:

I tend to be a major sweller, so I was expecting to wake up looking crazy, but to my surprise, I woke up to barely any swelling!

My face and neck felt pretty gross and “gunky” from all of the ointment, so I grabbed my prepared, refrigerated vinegar solution soaked gauze pads and covered my face and neck. Wow did this feel great!

It immediately cooled my skin down. I left the soaked gauze on for about 10 minutes. Then I cleansed my face and neck, applied the TNS serum and followed that with a nice, thick layer of the ointment.

My skin definitely felt a little “raw”, almost like a bad sunburn, but I didn’t experience any pain whatsoever.

Day 1 Midday:

Around lunchtime, I did another vinegar soak, cleansed and reapplied the TNS serum and the ointment. You can definitely see all the pigment coming to the surface now!

Day 1 Evening:

That evening I repeated the vinegar soak, cleansed and then applied the serum and ointment and went to bed with my head elevated with some extra pillows. Day one was complete!

Day 2 Morning:

I woke up today to a very itchy face and neck. But the vinegar soak and fresh coat of ointment definitely helped calm the itching down.

I really noticed “coffee-ground” like pieces of skin coming off, which meant the pigment was surfacing.

Day 2 Midday:

I started to get a little stir crazy at this point since I had been inside my house since 7pm on Friday, I just couldn’t stand laying around anymore. I decided to do a little cooking and cleaning, which I quickly realized is exactly why Dr. Capraro said to take it easy all weekend. Within about 15 minutes of moving around and exerting some energy, I noticed my face got HOT and RED. I guess it was back to being lazy for me!

Day 2 Evening:

The redness and heat from this afternoon subsided quickly. At this point I was just feeling very itchy. I was worried the itching would keep me up throughout the night tonight, so I decided to take a benedryl before bed. Underneath the brown, flaky skin I could definitely see the fresh, pink skin emerging. I was so excited! Day two was complete!

Day 3 Morning:

Today was a big day for me. I was officially venturing out of the house and getting back to work and my daily routine!

I honestly thought I would look too crazy to be in public, but my recovery had been so quick and easy.

Day 3 Midday:

Thank goodness slicked back buns are all the rage these days, because I certainly wouldn’t have been able to wear my hair down quite yet! My face and neck still had to stay “greased up” all day, so the last thing I wanted was to have loose hairs sticking to my face. I packed myself a little bag with my supplies in case I felt that I needed a midday vinegar soak, and boy was I glad I did! After lunchtime, my face was feeling super itchy and warm, so I did a little midday soak and cleanse. I felt so much better afterwards! I followed that with my TNS serum, TNS moisturizer and a thin layer of the ointment.

Day 3 Evening:

I washed my hair this evening, and it made me feel like a whole new person! I was very careful to avoid getting shampoo or any products on my face and neck and made sure the water didn’t get too warm, but boy was this a game changer for me! Getting all the residual ointment out of my hair and taking an “everything shower” made it seem like I was over the recovery hump and speeding towards the skin of my dreams!

Day 4 Morning:

Today I swapped out the ointment for my usual skincare balm. My skin felt smoother and less heavy.

I started noticing a real improvement in texture.

Day 4 Midday:

This afternoon I spent quite a bit of time in the car driving my daughter to cheer practice and really noticed how much the heat affected my face. My cheeks got pretty blotchy and warm. Lucky for me, I had an Epicutis Recovery Mask in my bag, so I decided to apply that while waiting for daughter to be done with practice. I’m sure I got some crazy looks as people walked past my car (which was parked in the middle of the packed Cherry Creek High School parking lot), but what better opportunity to use an hour of uninterrupted time than to apply the face mask and blast some AC on my face? I left the mask on for about 25 minutes and when I took it off, all of the redness was gone and my skin felt cool to the touch.

Day 4 Evening:

I was happy to have made it through the day without applying any ointment today. The last thing I wanted to deal with was a bunch of breakouts after healing from the laser. After my shower I applied the TNS serum, the TNS ceramide cream and my Anfisa balm and called it a night!