What it is
A laser that treats the skin in microscopic columns and leaves untreated skin in between, which is what lets it work at depth and still heal. It is used for depressed acne scars, surgical and burn scars, stretch marks, fine lines around the eyes and mouth, and rough texture. The ablative CO2 form reaches deepest with the most downtime; the erbium form works more superficially with less residual heat.
What this page covers
- Fractional CO2 resurfacing for fine lines, texture and mild laxity
- Fractional CO2 for atrophic acne scars — rolling, boxcar and mixed
- Fractional CO2 for surgical, traumatic and burn scars, including cautery and cupping scars
- Fractional Er:YAG 2940 nm resurfacing where less residual heat is wanted
- Periorbital and perioral fractional resurfacing, with internal metal eye shields for eyelid work
- Fractional laser for striae, including post-pregnancy and post-bariatric stretch marks
- Vascular and fractional laser for the redness of hypertrophic and keloid scars, alongside intralesional treatment
- Antiviral and antibacterial cover before ablative or deep fractional sessions
Honestly
The downtime is real — days of redness, crusting and swelling — and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation after fractional CO2 in Fitzpatrick IV–VI is common rather than rare, so skin threaded or waxed in the last few days, skin thinned by an unlabelled mixed cream, and uncontrolled diabetes each postpone the session rather than merely change the settings.