Congratulations! You have made the decision to rejuvenate your skin with laser resurfacing! To achieve the best possible results and protect your skin, please carefully read and follow the instructions below.
WHAT TO EXPECT
- Immediately after treatment, you will experience redness and moderate discomfort.
- Heat sensation can be intense for the first 2-3 hours. It is normal to have discomfort similar to a significant sunburn for the first few days.
- Swelling is expected, and usually worse in the morning. Swelling can be significant and cause a tight sensation to the skin
- Pinpoint bleeding is possible for the first few days
- Itching
- Your skin may feel dry or flaky.
- The skin will remain pink for some time after the treatment, for days to weeks.
PRE-TREATMENT INSTRUCTIONS
- Discontinue skin irritants 1 week prior to your treatment (retinoids, salicylic acid, hydroquinone, glycolics, etc.)
- Do not use medications that cause photosensitivity (doxycycline, minocycline for at least 3 days prior to your procedure).
- Avoid sun exposure, tanning bed or sunless tanning products and use a broad spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or greater for the month prior to treatment.
- Avoid deep facial peels for one month prior to treatment (this includes microdermabrasion, laser resurfacing or aggressive chemical peels)
- Arrive on the day of the procedure with clean skin, free of makeup
- Let us know if you are prone to cold sores or use a C-Pap while sleeping.
DAY OF TREATMENT: POST-TREATMENT INSTRUCTIONS
- Immediately post treatment, a sunburn-like feeling is common. This can last up to a few hours post treatment. To reduce the discomfort and remove the heat, saline soaks are recommended.
- Soak gauze in saline or sterile water and apply to the area that was treated. Keep the gauze on skin which will allow the skin to cool down for 5-10 minutes. Apply an occlusive moisturizer to keep the skin hydrated and protected.
- Patients should sleep in a modified upright position along with a clean pillow case and linens the first night.
POST-TREATMENT SKIN CARE INSTRUCTIONS DAY 1
Next day use a gentle cleanser and moisturizer. Remove previous application of moisturizer with cool moist cloth prior to re-applying moisturizer. Repeat as often as needed for comfort.
POST-TREATMENT SKIN CARE INSTRUCTIONS DAY 2-7
Begin cleansing the treated areas with a gentle facial cleanser using nothing more abrasive than the fingertips. Do no scrub treated areas. Continue to apply moisturizer and SPF as needed. Patient should sleep in a modified upright position for the second night if needed.
