Skin Resurfacing with CoolPeel and CO2 Laser

One of the fastest and easiest ways to turn back the clock is to invest in laser skin resurfacing at Pura Vida Medspa & Cosmetic Laser Center. Improve the look and feel of your skin with CoolPeel and CO2 laser treatments.

With time, exposure to the sun and even pregnancies, your skin can change with added redness, brown spots and fine lines. Skin resurfacing is a fantastic way to improve both the tone and texture of your skin.

What Is Skin Resurfacing?

Skin resurfacing uses lasers to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and scars, even out skin tone, tighten skin and remove lesions. The laser directs short yet concentrated pulsating beams of light at irregular skin, forcing the area to heal itself.

Laser skin resurfacing treatments remove skin layer-by-layer by vaporizing it. The laser treatment removes the outer layer of your skin and heats the underlying layer to stimulate the growth of new collagen fibers. This should leave your skin looking and feeling smoother and firmer.

Benefits

CoolPeel is a skin resurfacing treatment that is more cost-efficient, less painful and requires less downtime than alternatives on the market. You could find your skin looking normal but a little rough to the touch after 2-3 days of redness.

When receiving this skin resurfacing treatment, the pain is minimal. We just use a topical cream to aid the discomfort instead of the required sedation or anesthetic used with alternative laser treatments. Unlike most other skin resurfacing lasers, which remove the top layer of the skin, the CoolPeel treatment has an ultra-short pulse duration that creates with less heat build-up in the skin. This results in less redness, flaking and peeling afterwards, which means a shorter recovery time.

If you are interested in reducing the appearance of fine lines, sun damage and pores as well as improving skin texture with virtually no downtime, our skin resurfacing treatments could be the ideal procedure for you.

How We Perform Skin Resurfacing at Pura Vida Medspa & Cosmetic Laser Center

We are proud to offer innovative CoolPeel laser treatments! CoolPeel is a modern way to safely, quickly, and comfortably, deliver the benefits of a traditional CO2 skin resurfacing treatment. By only targeting the top layer of skin tissue, damaged skin is swiftly removed, revealing younger and healthier-looking skin.

CO2 lasers have traditionally been the gold standard in treating wrinkles, acne scars, age spots and other blemishes as well as tightening the skin and balancing tone. Traditional CO2 laser treatments have the downside of needing lots of recovery time. The precision and the control of the Coolpeel we use in our skin resurfacing treatment allows you to enjoy all the skin resurfacing benefits with none of the downtime and pain.

Tetra Deka CoolPeel

With the Tetra Deka CooPeel, our team of practitioners will have more control than with any other CO2 device on the market. This allows us to treat delicate areas, like the upper lip and the delicate area around the eyes, with unparalleled precision.

This customizable skin resurfacing treatments can eliminate the signs of aging including wrinkles, sunspots, reducing uneven texture and age spots for dramatically smoother, brighter, and younger-looking skin. Tailored to your requirements, Tetra CO2 laser skin resurfacing works with your lifestyle and skin for radiant results, without the downtime.

CO2 Laser

CO2 laser resurfacing has long been used in the treatment of benign and malignant skin conditions. Our updated version of a CO2 laser resurfacing uses very short pulsed light energy or continuous light beams in a precise scanning pattern to remove thin layers of skin with minimal heat damage to the surrounding structures.

CO2 laser skin resurfacing treatments can also be used to treat wrinkles and scars as well as other benign skin growths including warts, birthmarks and rhinophyma (enlarged oil glands on the nose). This only takes two weeks for your skin to recover from this procedure.

Ideal Candidates for Skin Resurfacing

Most people who want to minimize fine lines, reduce signs of sun damage, decrease the look of pores, or improve skin texture make good candidates for our skin resurfacing treatments. If you have lines and wrinkles around your mouth, eyes or forehead, the precise laser will be greatly effective.

It can also treat skin conditions including scarring, acne scarring, hyperpigmentation, and pigmentation such as age spots and sunspots. A good candidate should be healthy with no active skin inflammation or infection. You also should inform us if you have a history of herpes (cold sores or fever blisters).

We may advise you to avoid laser skin resurfacing procedures if you have a deeper complexion due to post-treatment discoloration. We will be happy to find an alternative treatment if you are not the ideal candidate for skin resurfacing.

If you have lines and wrinkles around your mouth, eyes or forehead and are looking for noticeable rejuvenation and younger-looking skin, this treatment will give you exceptional results. It can also treat skin conditions including scarring, acne scarring, hyper-pigmentation and pigmentation such as age spots and sunspots.

You may be an ideal candidate for skin resurfacing if you have:

• Uneven skin pigmentation
• Fine lines or wrinkles around or under the eyes, forehead or mouth
• Enlarged oil glands on your nose.
• Scars from acne or chickenpox
• Scars or birthmarks
• Age spots and liver spots
• Sun damage
• Non-responsive skin after a facelift

Before & Afters

In most cases, you will be able to resume your day-to-day activities immediately after the skin resurfacing treatment. For the optimal recovery, we recommend not exposing your skin to the sun or using retinol or glycolic acids for a few weeks after treatment.

There will be some stinging immediately after the procedure and your skin will be red, like it has sunburn, for 1-2 days. After this period, your skin will have a sandpaper-like texture and have small little brown dots from the laser treatment. These dots will flake off after about 5 days to reveal healthier, brighter, and smoother skin. Within a week your skin will look brighter and more radiant, by day 10 your skin will look fresher and younger.

The results of CoolPeel are impressively long-lasting. You will see noticeable improvements in the way your skin looks after just one treatment. With three treatments, you will see a whole transformation in your skin with signs of aging reduced, texture minimized, and redness lowered.

What to Expect From Your Skin Resurfacing Treatment

 At Pura Vida Medspa we use a CO2 laser to heat the skin, causing it to naturally peel. During an initial consultation, you will be explained the benefits and what to expect from your skin resurfacing treatment. You will also be told how to prepare for the treatment, which includes what medications to avoid and what skincare products to skip.

The CoolPeel treatment only takes 10-15 minutes. We will clean your skin and apply a topical anesthetic for about 30 minutes. The laser will be precisely applied to the treatment area. No general anesthetic is required, unless you are having a large area treated.

This heating process might cause a mild burning sensation during treatment. However, this sensation is normal and will fade away quickly. After the treatment session, you may experience light side effects such as redness and swelling, which will quickly resolve.

Recovery and aftercare

Following laser resurfacing, a non-stick dressing is applied to the treatment area and should stay there for 24 hours. You will need to clean the area 2 to 6 times a day with a saline or diluted vinegar solution before adding an ointment or moisturizer to stop scabbing. 5 to 7 days after laser resurfacing, your skin will become dry and peel. Your new skin will at first appear pink, but it should begin to gradually up over the following two to three months.

Avoid activities that may cause flushing for two weeks after treatment and do not undertake any aggressive facial treatments, such as tretinoin or glycolic acid, for four weeks. Be careful to not use any topical products that may cause irritation for six weeks following the skin resurfacing treatment.

The treated area of the skin will heal in five to 21 days, depending on the area and method used. Sleep on an extra pillow at night for the first four doors to help reduce the swelling. Smoking will slow the healing process so avoid it for four weeks after the procedure. Apply SPF every day of at least 30 to protect your newly resurfaced skin.

Cost

The cost of skin resurfacing will vary depending on the size and depth of the area being treated. The average cost is $975 but it can range between $850 and $1,200.

Multiple treatments may be necessary to achieve the desired results, affecting the cost of treatment. The number of treatments you need will depend on the severity of the condition being helped.

Related Treatments

Many patients choose to add CoolPeel to their VirtueRF treatments to augment their results. Often thought of as the ultimate duo, this non-invasive combination treatment addresses sun damage, wrinkles and fine lines, uneven and dull skin texture, acne scarring and other blemishes with minimal downtime required.

If you are interested in CoolPeel treatments but want something with a bit of a punch, our microneedling procedures can achieve a superficial and deep skin injury. This combination of procedures can trigger collagen regrowth and is much more powerful in tightening the skin and improving texture than what CoolPeel can accomplish alone. These combination treatments can be done on the same day with minimal discomfort and a similar downtime. 

For patients who are concerned about sunspots, lentigines and facial redness, CoolPeel can be combined with BBL treatments. A BBL procedure targets the redness and brown spots while the CoolPeel targets fine lines and wrinkles.

FAQs

How should I prepare for my skin resurfacing?

Avoid tanning or heavy sun exposure before attending your skin resurfacing appointment, and use a broad-spectrum sunscreen daily for four weeks before the treatment.

Avoid any deep facial peel procedures for four weeks before the procedure. Don’t use medications that cause photosensitivity (for example doxycycline or minocycline) for at least 72 hours prior to the treatment. Men should have a cleanly shaven face, without any visible stubble. 

If you have a history of herpes or shingles in the treatment area, it is important you let your doctor know and start your antiviral medication as directed. To prepare for skin resurfacing, you may be asked to apply a topical retinoid on your skin for about four weeks before.

What is the difference between CoolPeel and a Co2 laser treatment?

CoolPeel treatments are undertaken using a special form of CO2 laser. This skin resurfacing treatment offers a similar result to standard CO2 laser treatments but without the same amount of downtime.

Is anesthesia or numbing required with skin resurfacing?

While some types of skin resurfacing treatments require general anesthetic, we use methods that are less painful and don’t need anesthesia or localized numbing. We may use a numbing cream for additional comfort, if required.

How long should I wait between CO2 laser treatments?

CoolPeel and CO2 laser treatments should be done 4-6 weeks apart in a series of three. For advanced CO2 peels, this is a one-time treatment that can be done every 3-5 years if required.

How long will the skin resurfacing treatment last?

Skin resurfacing treatments are permanent, but they will not stop the signs of aging or further sun exposure.