Treatment
The Lumenis AcuPulse laser offers AcuPulse technology, enabling the deep and safest treatments, as well as a full range of advanced capabilities for fractional and full resurfacing. It combines its power with versatility to make it a perfect tool in everyday aesthetic procedures and more advanced aesthetic procedures.
Ablative lasers generate beams of coherent light that are absorbed by the body’s tissue as energy.
The energy is delivered through a narrow range of wavelengths, and in the target area, the energy causes temperature elevation which results in tissue evaporation or ablation. Ablative lasers effectively treat a broad range of skin conditions by removing all or part of the skin. The body’s natural healing processes then replace the damaged skin with new and healthy tissue. Although several types of ablative lasers exist, differing mainly by wavelength, CO2 lasers have long been considered the industry’s ‘Gold Standard’ for ablation, delivering an exceptional ratio between ablation and coagulation (heating tissue without evaporating it).
A consultation/test patch with one of our Drs/Nurses is required before proceeding with this treatment. The treatment will include after care products and prescribed antibiotics to help with the healing process.
What to expect after your Co2 Laser skin treatment?
Following the laser treatment, patients will experience a burning sensation for the first few days. There will be swelling of the treated area followed by a gradual sensation of tightening as the effects of the laser treatment occurs. There will be a degree of peeling and crusting which must not be removed, and allowed to naturally drop off. This should resolve itself around 4 to 6 days after treatment. During the peeling and crusting stage, it is not unusual to feel itchy, which is the body’s way of letting you know the healing is happening.
Patients are likely to see a dramatic improvement in their skin by 7-10 days post-procedure.
How many Co2 Laser sessions will I need?
You will see the difference you want after only one treatment. In the days after the treatment, your skin will gradually look softer, smoother and with less unwanted pigmentation. The fine lines, wrinkles, age spots and uneven texture will start to show improvement. However, the final results you want to accomplish should be discussed and assessed by our Medical Practitioner in order to provide a correct treatment schedule.
What conditions does Co2 Laser treat?
Why choose Lumenis?
The advantage of the Lumenis Accupulse CO2 Laser is that as the most powerful in the world, it has the most dramatic effect with less swelling, damage and downtime compared to other lasers. There are over 100 scientific papers that demonstrated its use and versatility, which have quantified it as being six times more powerful than the closest competitor, 4 times the depth penetration and 2 times faster than any other laser. This means that patients are more likely to get a better effect with just 1 treatment, unlike others where the treatment has to be repeated, in some cases on a monthly basis.
Approximate recovery after laser resurfacing treatment is as follows:
DAY 1: Return home. Keep treated areas moist by reapplying ointment frequently. The face will start to swell, get bruised or turn bright red and will have light bleeding.
DAY 2: Extensive swelling and redness. The face may go scabby and brown. You can start soaking with vinegar . Apply ointment and creams regularly and religiously after soaks or even without soaks. Repeat at 6 times per day or as advised. May start to itch (use hydrocortisone cream and take Antihistamines. The key to successful treatment after your Co2 surgery is how much you keep face lubricated and kept moist. Warning! At any point you were exposed to daylight, SUN PROTECTION IS COMPULSORY!
DAYS 5-14: Bruising and scabs starting to go away. Each time you clean your face you might experience pinpoint bleeding, just make sure you Do Not Tamper with scabs as they are a protective mechanism to the skin and they shouldn’t be picked or removed unless they come off on their own. Skin is being resurfaced. Discomfort much less.
WEEK 10: Usually the skin is fully resurfaced by now.
WEEKS 6-12: Redness has usually faded by now.
3 MONTHS: Enjoy your result and avoid the sun.
Makeup can be applied when the skin is fully resurfaced with no open wounds or scabs. To remove makeup and cleanse the face a non-irritating and non-soapy face wash should be used.
Before your treatment, you may receive an antiviral, an antibiotic, pain pills and hydrocortisone cream depending on the severity and depth of your laser. (fully ablative or fractional ablative)
You should also purchase the following supplies prior to treatment.
Arrive for your treatment in comfortable clothing. Your top should button or zip rather than pull over your head.
Start taking the antiviral and antibiotic on the day or the night before.
Do not take any aspirin or any anti-inflammatory medicines for 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after your treatment unless you first discuss it with the Doctor. If you have only mild discomfort, you may take paracetamol.
It is advised to not smoke 2 weeks prior to treatment and 3 weeks after. Smoking can affect your blood circulation and can significantly compromise your results/recovery.
You should thoroughly wash your hair with an antibacterial shampoo or soap the night before treatment. You may also be given a prescription for antibiotic ointment before treatment. If so, apply as directed by the Doctor.
It’s important you continue to show your skin some love following your treatment at Grand Aesthetics to get the best results. You’ll be prescribed a bespoke course of treatments and home care products to take with you, all of which will be explained in detail. Make sure you’re following the recommended routine between each of your appointments at our clinic to enhance the effects of your aesthetic treatments.
After the laser treatment, the treated areas will be covered with ointment. You may notice some clear or yellow oozing from these areas for up to 7-10 days after. This is normal and to be expected.
*It is critically important to keep the treated areas moist at all times. They should never be allowed to dry and form crusts.*
For the first 24 hours keep reapplying ointment to keep the treated areas moist. After 24 hours start using the gauze sponges to soak the treated areas. The solution is made of 1 tablespoon of white vinegar mixed with 1 cup of clean, cool water. This should be done for 20-30 minutes each time, up to 6 times a day. This is until the skin has fully Epithelialized. This generally takes 7-10 days. Do the soaks for 20 to 30 minutes at a time.
After each soak, you should apply your ointment to the treated areas. Do not pick crusted areas. Do not allow the treated areas to dry out or scab over. Itching is common as the skin heals, this usually occurs in the first 5/7 days. Hydrocortisone cream may be
applied to the itchy areas before applying the ointment. You may also take Antihistamines to ease the itch. If you become itchy at night we advise wearing bulky mittens to avoid any damage to the healing skin.
Between 2 weeks and 2 months after treatment
You may notice what looks like whiteheads on the treated areas. This is what is known as Milia. They represent areas where fresh epithelium has overgrown the underlying glands. They may be gently scrubbed and removed.
You should not do vigorous exercise and avoid physical exertion, lifting or straining for a minimum of 2 weeks after your treatment, as this could affect your wound healing.
You should not rub/massage your face or apply make-up until you have been seen by the Doctor. This normally takes 7-14 days. At this time the skin will be fully resurfaced (no weeping, blistering or breaks in the skin) and soaks will no longer be necessary.
Contact lenses should not be worn for the first 10 to 14 days after the treatment, as applying them can affect the healing skin around the eye.
You should avoid the sun and use a sunscreen with at least SPF30 for six months after treatment. Sun exposure can cause hyperpigmentation. Therefore, avoid the sun, if at all possible.
Your skin will be bright red after the procedure. This is to be expected. The redness will gradually fade and begin to return to a more normal colour around the third week after surgery. However, some residual pink or light red colour will persist for 6 to 12 weeks. The length of time it will take for a complete return to the normal colouration of the skin will vary from person to person.
Whether you have a query, need more information, or wish to schedule a consultation, please fill out our form below, and we will promptly get in touch with you. Alternatively, you can book online or contact us here:
If you need to cancel your scheduled treatment, we kindly request that you provide us with a minimum of 24 hours notice. Failure to do so may result in the full cost of the treatment being charged.
