My Experience and Recovery from the CO2 Tetra DOT Laser Procedure

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 tannest, 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 20s (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 to 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 to do at least one skincare procedure/treatment every couple of 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 done is a CO2 Tetra DOT Laser Procedure. Since I had a couple of 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 and 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 and 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 retinol 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, and 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 of 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 lay there for about 15 minutes. Nicole then removed the mask and sent me on my way! On my drive home, my face felt a little warm, but that’s about it!

Day 1 Midday:
Around lunchtime, I did another vinegar soak, cleaned and reapplied the TNS Serum and Ointmentment. You can definitely see all the pigment coming to the surface now!

The Night Following 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.

Before applying the Ointment

Close Up

After applying the ointment

Day 1 Evening:
That evening, I repeated the vinegar soak, cleansed, applied the serum and ointOintment went to bed with my head elevated and some extra pillows. Day one was complete! Check out my co2 laser recovery day by day

Day 2 Morning:
I woke up today to a very itchy face and neck, but the vinegar soak and fresh coat of ointmOintmented calmed the itching down. I really noticed “coffee-ground” like pieces of skin coming off on the gauze when I did my morning soak today, so that must be a good sign that the pigment is coming to the surface and sloughing off. My skin looked a lot more brown than red today.

Day 2 Midday:
I started to get a little stir-crazy at this point since I had been inside my house since 7 p.m. on Friday; I couldn’t stand lying around anymore. I decided to do a little cooking and cleaning, which I quickly realized was 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 feeling very itchy. I was worried the itching would keep me up throughout the night tonight, so I decided to take a Benadryl before bed. Underneath the brown, flaky skin, I could start to 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! Before I had the procedure done, I honestly thought I would be looking a little too crazy to be in public by day 3, but my recovery had been so quick and easy that I wasn’t nervous to be out and about at all. It just looked like I had overdone it in the sun over the weekend.

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 afterward! I followed that with my TNS serum, TNS moisturizer, and a thin layer of ointment. My co2 fractional laser recovery day by day is on right track.

DayOintmentng:
I washed my hair this evening, and it made me feel like a whole new person! I was cautious about avoiding 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 Ointmenty hair and taking an “everything shower” made it seem like I was over the recovery hump and speeding toward the skin of my dreams!

Day 4 Morning:
Today, I decided to try swapping out the ointment Ointmentide-or-die skincare product, the Anfisa Hydra-Balm. I followed my morning vinegar soak with the TNS serum and moisturizer and topped that with a generous layer of the Anfisa Balm. It felt nice not having the thick ointment on today. My co2 laser recovery is bang on! I really loved the texture of my skin at this point; it felt so smooth and fresh!

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 blotchy and warm. Luckily for me, I had an Epicutis Recovery Mask in my bag, so I decided to apply that while waiting for my 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 used the TNS serum, the TNS ceramide cream and my Anfisa balm and called it a night!

Day 5 Morning:
Today was another big day for me. I decided to put on a little mascara…and what a treat that was! I was on my way back to feeling and looking like myself, just with glow, more even-looking skin!

Day 5 Evening:
I have nothing new to report today! I still had some itching, but other than that, all I noticed was how even my skin looked!

Day 6 Morning:
I was still having quite a bit of itching, especially on the perimeter of my face and my neck. I noticed that the itching came on more when my skin dried out, so I made sure to carry my Anfisa with me to reapply throughout the day when needed.

Day 6 Evening:
Wow, look at the glow!

One Week Out:
Today was another milestone in my journey; I decided to try a little makeup for work! Usually, I am an all-over foundation type of girlie, but today, I opted for just tinted sunscreen, concealer, and blush. Wow! I have never in my life felt comfortable not wearing foundation, as you could see above in my co2 laser resurfacing recovery photos day by day, my skin was so even and radiant that I honestly didn’t even think I needed it! I am so, so, so happy with my results so far. The most noticeable differences are the tone and texture of my skin. Everything looks so much more even and smooth, and I know that will only get better as time (and hopefully lots of collagen production) goes on.

Three Weeks Out:
I am so thrilled with the results I have seen in my skin quality. My overall tone is much more even, and my face and neck look so much brighter. My only regret is that I didn’t get my chest done!