This gallery showcases real fractionated CO₂ laser before and after results, highlighting advanced skin resurfacing treatments that smooth wrinkles, refine texture, and restore youthful radiance with minimal downtime.
These real patient transformations highlight the results of fractionated CO₂ laser resurfacing, an advanced skin rejuvenation treatment performed by Dr. Balikian and his expert aesthetic team.
Fractionated CO₂ resurfacing works by delivering focused beams of light energy to create micro-channels in the skin, stimulating new collagen production while leaving surrounding tissue intact. This controlled process smooths wrinkles, softens fine lines, improves skin tone and texture, and reduces sun damage, scars, and enlarged pores.
Each result in our Fractionated CO₂ Resurfacing Before and After Gallery reflects our commitment to natural-looking rejuvenation. By restoring skin quality from the inside out, this treatment helps patients achieve a brighter, smoother, and more youthful complexion with lasting improvement and minimal downtime.
(Select a photo for full procedure details.)
CO₂ laser resurfacing is one of the most effective ways to smooth wrinkles, refine texture and restore a brighter, healthier complexion. It treats sun damage, fine lines, crepey skin, scars and overall skin quality with results that continue to improve as collagen rebuilds.
At Balikian Plastic Surgery’s Med Spa, CO₂ resurfacing is never a one-size-fits-all treatment. Every plan is customized around your skin type, depth of damage and long term goals. Our approach focuses on rejuvenating the skin while preserving its natural character, giving you fresher, softer and more luminous results without looking overdone.
What sets our Med Spa apart is the combination of clinical precision and an artistic understanding of facial balance. Your treatment is designed with the same aesthetic principles used throughout Dr. Balikian’s surgical practice: natural improvement, careful judgment and results that age beautifully.
Key Advantages of Our CO₂ Laser Approach
Patients choose our Med Spa because they want healthier, clearer skin that still looks like their own. Each treatment is performed with long term skin quality in mind, supporting results that feel refined, natural and radiant.
CO₂ resurfacing stimulates collagen production and removes damaged skin layers, revealing a smoother, more even surface as healing progresses.
As results develop:
Your improvements continue to refine for months as collagen strengthens. Many patients see the best outcome when CO₂ resurfacing is part of a personalized plan that includes light-based therapy and medical-grade skincare.
What results can I expect from CO₂ laser resurfacing?
Most patients see smoother texture, softer fine lines and wrinkles, more even tone and a brighter overall complexion. Clinical studies show that fractional and ultra pulse CO₂ lasers can significantly improve wrinkle depth, photoaging changes and overall skin smoothness in properly selected patients.
How long does it take to see CO₂ laser results?
You usually see an early “new skin” effect once the surface heals over the first 7 to 14 days. Collagen remodeling continues for several months, with studies showing progressive wrinkle and texture improvement over 3 months and sustained gains at longer follow up.
How long do CO₂ laser results last?
With good skincare and sun protection, results can remain visible for years. Long term studies of CO₂ resurfacing report wrinkle improvements in the 30 to 45 percent range that are still present at 24 months or more after treatment.
How much improvement should I realistically expect in wrinkles and texture?
CO₂ laser is designed to create meaningful but natural change rather than a “perfect” surface. Research on fractional and ultra pulse CO₂ lasers shows moderate to marked improvement in most patients, with measurable reductions in average and maximum wrinkle depth and global photoaging scores.
Can CO₂ laser help acne scars and other scars?
Yes. Fractional CO₂ laser is one of the most studied technologies for depressed acne scars and traumatic or surgical scars. Recent systematic reviews and prospective trials report significant improvement in scar texture, depth and patient satisfaction after a series of fractional CO₂ treatments.
Will my skin look natural after CO₂ laser, or like I had something done?
When settings are tailored to your skin type and concerns, CO₂ resurfacing should leave you looking like yourself with smoother, clearer and healthier skin. Expert reviews emphasize that fractional CO₂ techniques were developed specifically to deliver rejuvenation with fewer textural changes and a more natural outcome compared with older fully ablative methods.
How many CO₂ laser treatments will I need for good results?
Many patients see a visible improvement after a single full face CO₂ session, especially for lines and sun damage. Some concerns, such as deeper acne scars, may respond best to a series of fractional treatments, with studies commonly using three or more sessions spaced several weeks apart.
Lippincott Journals
What areas tend to respond best to CO₂ laser resurfacing?
The face, especially the periorbital and perioral regions, responds very well to CO₂ resurfacing. Research on ablative fractional CO₂ lasers shows particularly good improvement in static periorbital wrinkles and facial rhytids when energy and density are carefully optimized.
What will my skin look like during recovery and when does it start to look good?
In the first several days you can expect redness, swelling and a bronzed or crusted surface as the old skin sheds. As new skin forms, texture begins to look smoother and more even, with redness fading over weeks and collagen remodeling continuing beneath the surface for months. Clinical reviews confirm this pattern of early surface healing followed by gradual deeper improvement.
Is CO₂ laser safe for all skin types and tones?
CO₂ laser must be used carefully in medium to darker skin tones because of the higher risk of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Recent trials highlight that adjusting energy, density and pre and post treatment pigmentation control can greatly reduce this risk, and expert consensus papers stress the importance of proper patient selection and parameter choice for safety.
How do CO₂ laser results compare with non ablative lasers or light based treatments?
Non ablative lasers and BBL type devices can improve tone and mild texture with less downtime, but they usually need more sessions and give more subtle results. Reviews consistently describe ablative CO₂ resurfacing as the gold standard for deeper wrinkles and significant photoaging changes when patients can accept more recovery for a stronger outcome.
What can I do to maintain and maximize my CO₂ laser results?
Daily broad spectrum sun protection, medical grade skincare and healthy lifestyle habits help protect your collagen gains and pigment balance. Studies suggest that combining fractional CO₂ with other modalities, such as IPL, RF microneedling, PRP, exosomes or ongoing topical regimens, can enhance and prolong improvements in texture and wrinkles over time.
Patients choose Dr. Richard Balikian for precision facial procedures, personalized care and results that look naturally you.
Richard V. Balikian, MD, FACS
Double Board-Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon
Balikian Facial Plastic Surgery: Richard V. Balikian, MD, FACS
Tyler Frew, MD
Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon
