Life changing. We all have those things about our appearance that stand out to us more than anything else. Things that most people don’t see. But to us, they are huge flaws that hurt our confidence. For me, that’s always been my acne scars and the overall texture of my skin.
Life changing. We all have those things about our appearance that stand out to us more than anything else. Things that most people don’t see. But to us, they are huge flaws that hurt our confidence. For me, that’s always been my acne scars and the overall texture of my skin.
As an ambassador for CosmetiCare, I’ve been lucky enough to try treatments to help improve my skin. I’ve had 3 microneedling treatments (see my microneedling before and after photos and the final results of my microneedling). They helped so much but I just got to do a CO2 Laser Treatment for my face and I can already tell the results are going to be AMAZING!
*As an ambassador for CosmetiCare, I am given complimentary treatments and I share the experience with my readers. All opinions, pain and amazing results are my own!
The photo above is after several of my microneedling treatments. While my skin looks great here (go see the before pictures if you haven’t seen them already), it’s still not as smooth as I want it to be. CosmetiCare suggested a laser skin resurfacing treatment and I was totally on board. Check out this post on exactly what a CO2 Laser Resurfacing treatment is.
To prepare for my laser peel, I had a consultation with Tannaz at CosmetiCare. She went over what to expect and how I should prepare for the procedure (stay out of the sun for 2 weeks, not wine or blood-thinning medicines for a few days beforehand) and what I should get to have ready during the healing process (gentle soaps and lotions as well as vitamin C).
The CO2 Laser Skin Resurfacing Process
To start my appointment, Tannaz took some before photos to show the texture of my skin. She pointed out the sun damage, which the laser will help to improve, as well as the areas she would focus on that had the most scarring.
Does a CO2 Laser Treatment Hurt?
I have to admit, I was super nervous. 2 of my microneedling treatments hurt like crazy! The laser is a little more aggressive so Tannaz made sure that I would be comfortable. During our initial consultation, she prescribed something to relax me and a pain medication that would help during the procedure.
On the day of the treatment, I had my mom drive me to CosmetiCare. I arrived an hour before the lasering would begin so I could take the two prescriptions. Because the prescriptions are strong, I needed to make sure I had a driver to take me home after.
This might be skipping ahead a little bit, but thanks to the medicine, the procedure didn’t hurt at all. There were only a couple of times where I felt something that felt like a tiny pinprick. The hairline, upper lips, and eyes can be a little more sensitive. But it was totally tolerable. Dang, I’m grateful for that medicine!
After I took the medicine, Tannaz put numbing cream on my face. A half hour later she came back in to massage it in again. And finally, an hour later, we were ready to start!
Tannaz removed the numbing cream and cleansed my face to make sure all the grease and oils were off my skin.
What the Laser Skin Resurfacing Treatment Looks Like
I was given breast implants to act as a kind of stress ball in case I needed it which I thought was super funny. But I really didn’t need them. I can’t believe how fast the treatment was. I was also given a small handheld fan to keep pointed at my face to help cool myself down. The laser makes your face feel really hot. It’s only slightly uncomfortable.
The laser has a small head that creates a honeycomb shape made of smaller dots. The laser is basically stamped on the face. This is what it looks like! Isn’t that crazy! The whole process was so much easier and shorter than I thought it would be. The only part I didn’t like was the smell (burning flesh…) when she lasered right below my nose. But it lasted only a few seconds and the fan totally helped with that too.
When my face was done, Tannaz wiped my face off…
Then she put on a recovery balm. While my face looks really red, there was no pain. It just felt hot.
Tannaz made sure I knew how to care for my face and gave me directions for the next 2 weeks.
Laser Facial Recovery Process
Before I left CosmetiCare, I took this quick photo. I was expecting my face to look way worse than it did. I was pleasantly surprised. My mom drove me home and by the time we got there, my stomach was really upset. I think the medicine was really harsh on my stomach. But I am so glad that I had it. It made the whole process so easy! I just took a nap and felt better after that.
My face was really oozy the rest of the day. Gross. It was hard to sleep the first night because of all the Aquaphor on my face and I didn’t want it to stick to the towel I had on my pillow. I made sure to schedule this CO2 laser treatment at a time when I had 2 weeks where I wouldn’t need to leave the house.
Because there is a chance for infection with this type of laser treatment, I was also put on an antibiotic to help with any breakouts.
After Photos of my Laser Resurfacing
Day 1: Waking up, my face was crusty. Ew. I took a shower and used a mild cleanser to clean my face. It stung a little bit but wasn’t too bad. When I got out, I added a thin layer of Aquaphor. My face felt hot all day but it wasn’t too bad. I never needed any pain medicine.
The instructions, for the next couple of days, were to wash 3 times a day and keep it covered in Aquaphor. Because of my sensitive skin, I was to try to work towards using Cetaphil lotion after a few days so the Aquaphor didn’t make my skin break out.
I didn’t want to edit these photos even though some of the lighting isn’t great. I wanted to make sure you could see what my skin looked like in terms of color.
Day 2: My face started to dry out and was itching like crazy! I had to take a Benadryl to make it stop. I also put on a little bit more Aquaphor to try to keep it hydrated. I think today is when the peeling started.
Day 3: It was still itching like crazy so I took Benadryl. Each time I had to take it I only took one pill and it never made me feel like I had to take a nap. I switched to using only Cetaphil instead of Aquaphor. That made everything a little bit easier. I could sleep better since I didn’t stick to my pillow. My face peeled a little more today but it mostly flaked off instead of big peels like you see with a sunburn.
Day 4: The redness wasn’t that bad today. I think the peeling was mostly done. My skin was still rough but not itchy. Thank goodness! I stopped washing my face 3 times a day and went to 2. The recovery process of the laser treatment was SO much easier than I thought it would be!
Day 5: Red, but that was it! I only had a few rough patches near my ears, but I just took a washcloth and gently rubbed my face. I’m still using the Cetaphil lotion twice a day to keep it moisturized. Tannaz said that would help with the healing.
Day 8: At day 7 Tannaz said I could start wearing makeup as long as it was mineral powder makeup. Since I made sure I wouldn’t have to leave the house, I’m not rushing to wear makeup and just letting my skin heal as much as possible. I can go back to my regular liquid foundation after 14 days, as long as I don’t keep it on for very long and wash my face at night.
I did buy mineral makeup so I could start leaving the house again (it’s hard to be home for 2 weeks, one was no problem) and started wearing that at Day 10.
I think I am already starting to see results! My skin looks way smoother so I don’t feel like I even need to wear that much makeup (aside from concealer for my dark circles).
I finished the antibiotic after the first few days and made sure to keep my hands off my face as much as possible. She also had me take 1000 mg of Vitamin C a day to help with healing.
Per Tannaz, I need to continue to use the Cetaphil lotion, every day, to help with the healing. But I can start using my normal anti-aging skin care after 4 weeks.
Where to Get a Laser Treatment for the Face
If you are interested in having a CO2 treatment, you should definitely check out CosmetiCare. I loved my experience with Tannaz! She’s an RN and has years of experience with the laser. I loved how she made sure I knew exactly what I needed or what to expect every step of the way. Plus she’s the sweetest girl ever!
Is a Laser Skin Resurfacing Worth It?
It’s been 15 days since I had my treatment and I would say YES! I can see improvements already and final results will continue to happen over the next 4 weeks!
I’m beyond grateful to have been given the gift of this treatment by CosmetiCare. To have smoother skin has always been a dream and to see it happening is truly mind-blowing!
What I love about CosmetiCare is that not only do they make the Real Housewives of Orange County looks amazing (I’m a RH super fan) but they really listen to what you want. I never wanted to do any treatments that would be too much or make me look like I’ve had anything done. The treatments I’ve gotten have been very conservative and made me look like myself, only better.
Mark your calendars for November 13, 2018 at 5 pm for CosmetiCare’s Beauty Land event! It’s an open-house style event where you can learn about all the treatments they offer and get mini consultations for the treatments you are interested in! It’s the best way to see what might be right for you!
Use code SHARON100 to save 10% off this treatment! Discount cannot be combined with any other offer.
