Whats all the fuss about CO2
CO₂ Laser & CoolPeel®: What’s the Difference?
If you’ve been researching treatments for acne scarring, fine lines, sun damage, enlarged pores or uneven skin texture, you may have come across both CO₂ laser resurfacing and CoolPeel®.
But what’s the difference?
At Epicell Skin Clinic in Pascoe Vale, we use the DEKA Tetra Pro CO₂ laser, which allows us to customise treatment depending on your skin, your concerns and the level of downtime that is appropriate for you.
What is CO₂ Laser Resurfacing?
CO₂ is an ablative laser that delivers controlled energy into the skin, creating microscopic treatment zones and initiating the skin’s natural healing and remodelling response.
Depending on the treatment approach, CO₂ laser may be used to address concerns such as:
Acne scarring
Fine lines and wrinkles
Uneven or rough skin texture
Enlarged pores
Sun-damaged skin
Crepey skin
Some pigmentation concerns
General signs of skin ageing
One of the advantages of the DEKA Tetra Pro platform is that treatment can be customised. CO₂ isn’t simply one treatment at one strength.
What is CoolPeel®?
CoolPeel® is a CO₂ laser treatment — but it uses a different approach to traditional, more intensive CO₂ resurfacing.
CoolPeel® uses very short pulses of CO₂ laser energy to target the skin while limiting unnecessary thermal damage to surrounding tissue.
For appropriately selected patients, this provides a lighter resurfacing option with generally less downtime than more intensive CO₂ resurfacing.
CoolPeel® may be considered for concerns including:
Fine lines
Uneven texture
Enlarged pores
Mild sun damage
Early signs of ageing
Overall skin quality
It can be a good option for someone interested in CO₂ resurfacing who may not want the recovery associated with a more intensive treatment.
CoolPeel® or Deeper CO₂ — Which Do I Need?
Think of CO₂ treatment as a spectrum.
At one end, CoolPeel® provides lighter resurfacing with reduced downtime.
At the other end, more intensive fractional CO₂ treatments can target deeper or more established concerns, such as acne scarring, more significant texture changes and lines.
And there are treatment options in between.
This is why we don’t believe in simply choosing the strongest setting possible.
More aggressive doesn’t automatically mean more appropriate.
Your skin type, pigmentation risk, treatment goals, medical history and tolerance for downtime all need to be considered.
Your CO₂ Consultation at Epicell
Every CO₂ treatment at Epicell begins with a consultation.
We assess your skin, discuss what you would like to improve and consider factors that may influence how your skin responds to laser treatment.
Where appropriate, we can also use our OBSERV skin analysis system to gain additional information about your skin.
Your consultation considers:
Skin type • pigmentation • medical history • medications • current skincare • previous treatments • treatment goals • lifestyle • expected downtime
Some patients may also benefit from preparing their skin before undergoing CO₂ resurfacing.
What Downtime Should I Expect?
Downtime depends on the treatment performed.
Following a lighter CoolPeel® treatment, you may experience redness, warmth, dryness and a rough or sandpaper-like texture as the skin recovers.
With more intensive fractional CO₂ resurfacing, recovery is generally more noticeable. Redness, swelling, sensitivity, crusting or peeling can occur, and some redness may remain after the initial healing period.
We will discuss your expected recovery and provide appropriate pre- and post-treatment instructions before proceeding.
Is CO₂ Suitable for Everyone?
No.
Certain skin types, medical conditions, medications, active skin conditions, pigmentation risks and previous scarring history can affect whether CO₂ treatment is suitable.
Sometimes the right decision is to prepare the skin first, choose a different treatment or not perform CO₂ at all.
This is one of the reasons we place so much importance on consultation.
A Nurse-Led Approach to Skin
Epicell is a nurse-led skin clinic, and our approach combines skin assessment with clinical experience and advanced skin technologies.
Our team includes qualified nurses and dermal clinicians with education and experience across nursing, dermatology, dermal science and dermoscopy, with medical support or referral utilised when clinically required.
We don’t want you to walk into the clinic already knowing which laser setting or treatment you need.
That’s what your consultation is for.
CO₂ Laser & CoolPeel® in Pascoe Vale
Epicell Skin Clinic is located at:
110 Cumberland RoadPascoe Vale, Melbourne
If you’re considering CoolPeel® or CO₂ laser resurfacing, start with a consultation. We’ll assess your skin, listen to what you would like to improve and discuss the treatment options that may be appropriate for you.
At Epicell, we don’t start with the laser. We start with your skin.
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