How much downtime does fractional laser need?

Fractional laser sounds like a big step, and the first practical question is how many days it will take out of your life. The short answer is that it needs less downtime than traditional laser resurfacing.

West County Plastic Surgeons, at westcountyplasticsurgeons.wustl.edu, says traditional laser resurfacing may achieve the most dramatic results but is associated with a longer downtime than fractionated lasers. In other words, fractionated lasers come with a shorter downtime than the traditional kind.

Dramatic results versus fewer days off

You do not need to know how the device works to use that. The choice between the two types comes down to how dramatic a result you want and how much time you can set aside.

Madera is the town this site writes for, Madera Acres and Fairmead each have a place page, and the rest of the county is in range. The trade-off is the same in all of them.

Getting your downtime in days, in writing

Ask the clinic for your expected downtime in days, written down, and compare it with your work and family calendar. That costs nothing and helps you plan around the recovery. The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery has a page on laser resurfacing, and the same St. Louis practice has a longer answer on downtime with fractionated laser resurfacing.

Lasers as medical devices

Lasers are medical devices, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration keeps a page on medical lasers worth a read. Picking a clinic is the step that deserves the most care.

Healing that differs from what the clinic described

If your skin after a treatment seems to be doing something your clinic did not describe, call them rather than waiting to see.

Which laser type suits you

The next thing to settle is which of the two laser types suits you, and a consult is the right place for that. This site also asks who should avoid laser resurfacing.