CO2 Laser Resurfacing in Riverside
our most powerful resurfacing
Fractional CO2 laser resurfacing in Riverside at Skin Clinic Med Spa. The gold standard for acne scars, deep wrinkles and sun damage — dramatic, long-lasting results from a single treatment, with real downtime and physician oversight.
required before booking
What is CO2 laser resurfacing,
and is it right for you?
At Skin Clinic Med Spa, CO2 laser resurfacing in Riverside is the most powerful treatment we offer for acne scarring, deep wrinkles and sun damage. It delivers results other treatments simply can’t match — and it asks something real of you in return: about a week of genuine downtime.
The CO2 laser emits light at a 10,600 nm wavelength, which is absorbed intensely by water in your skin cells. That energy vaporizes damaged surface tissue in a controlled way while heat travels into the deeper dermis, triggering a powerful wound-healing response that produces new collagen and elastin over the following months. It’s an ablative treatment — it removes tissue, rather than just heating it.
We use fractional CO2, which delivers the energy in a pixelated pattern that treats a percentage of the skin surface while leaving healthy tissue between the treated zones. That untreated tissue drives faster healing, which is why fractional CO2 offers most of the power of fully ablative resurfacing with meaningfully less downtime.
Every treatment requires a consultation and patch test, and is performed under the medical direction of Dr. Syed W. Bokhari, MD. This is a medical procedure with real risks, and candidacy matters enormously — if microneedling or a RevePeel would serve you better and more safely, we’ll tell you so.
What CO2 laser
resurfacing treats
Acne Scarring
Widely considered the gold standard for ice pick, boxcar and rolling acne scars through deep dermal remodelling.
Deep Wrinkles
Resurfaces etched lines that no longer respond to Botox or filler alone.
Sun Damage
Removes years of accumulated sun damage, age spots and rough actinic texture.
Rough Texture
Vaporizes damaged surface tissue to reveal genuinely smoother, refined skin beneath.
Lip Lines
One of the few treatments that meaningfully improves deep vertical lines above the lip.
Crepey Eyelid Skin
Tightens fine, crepey skin around the eyes where surgery may be too much.
Enlarged Pores
Tightens the skin surrounding pores so they appear visibly refined.
Mild Skin Laxity
Stimulates substantial collagen remodelling for a firmer, tighter surface over months.
Real results,
real downtime
We won't pretend otherwise: this treatment involves about a week where you will not want to be seen. Days one and two are genuinely uncomfortable, and peeling follows. Patients who plan properly — time off booked, help arranged, expectations set — are consistently the happiest with their outcome.
- Plan 5–7 days away from work and social plans
- Days 1–2 involve swelling, heat and weeping skin
- Pinkness can linger for several weeks afterwards
- Best scheduled in autumn or winter
Why we insist on a
patch test
CO2 is an inflammatory treatment, and inflammation stimulates pigment. Patients with Fitzpatrick types IV–VI carry a substantially higher risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and for types V–VI we often recommend a safer alternative entirely. This isn't caution for its own sake — it's the difference between a great result and months of new pigmentation.
- Fitzpatrick typing and patch test before every treatment
- Conservative settings and pigment-priming for deeper tones
- We may recommend microneedling or a peel instead
- We would rather turn you away than cause PIH
Still the benchmark
for acne scars
For atrophic acne scarring — ice pick, boxcar and rolling — fractional CO2 remains the most effective resurfacing option available, outperforming non-ablative lasers and radiofrequency microneedling in dermal remodelling. If your scarring hasn't responded to gentler treatments, this is usually the next step.
- Effective across all three atrophic scar types
- Drives collagen remodelling deep in the dermis
- Often achieves in one session what others need six for
- Results continue improving for 3–6 months
The treatment process
step by step
Consultation, skin typing & patch test
We assess your concern, determine your Fitzpatrick skin type, review your full medical history, and perform a patch test. For some patients we prescribe skin priming for several weeks beforehand.
Pre-treatment priming
Depending on your skin type we may start you on a pigment-preventing regimen and antiviral medication in the weeks before treatment. This step meaningfully reduces complication risk.
Numbing
Topical numbing is applied for 45–60 minutes, and we can add nerve blocks or oral sedation for deeper treatments. This is not a treatment you want to rush.
The laser treatment
Your provider passes the fractional CO2 handpiece across the treatment area at settings chosen for your skin type and concern. The face typically takes 30–60 minutes.
Occlusive care & recovery plan
We apply cooling and a protective occlusive ointment, then send you home with a detailed recovery protocol, all products required, and direct contact for any concerns.
Your recovery,
day by day
Plan 5–7 days away from work and social events, and longer for deeper settings. This treatment is best scheduled for autumn or winter when sun exposure is easier to avoid.
How to prep & care
before and after
Before your treatment
- Complete your consultation and patch test — mandatory, no exceptions
- Follow any prescribed skin-priming regimen exactly
- Take antiviral medication as prescribed, even without a cold sore history
- Stop retinoids and acids 1–2 weeks before
- Strict sun avoidance for four weeks — no tanning or self-tanner
- Tell us if you've taken isotretinoin (Accutane) in the last 6–12 months
- Arrange 5–7 days off work and someone to drive you home
- Stop smoking — it significantly impairs healing
After your treatment
- Keep the skin coated in occlusive ointment as instructed — never let it dry out
- Gentle cleansing and soaks exactly as we direct; no scrubbing
- Never pick, peel or exfoliate flaking skin — this is how scarring happens
- No makeup until the skin has fully closed, usually around two weeks
- Mineral SPF 50 and strict sun avoidance for at least three months
- Sleep elevated and use cool compresses for swelling in the first days
- No exercise, saunas, pools or sweating for at least a week
- Call us immediately about increasing pain, spreading redness, pus or fever
How much does CO2 laser resurfacing cost
in Riverside?
Fractional CO2 laser resurfacing at Skin Clinic Med Spa starts at $1,800 for a full-face treatment, including your consultation, patch test, the procedure itself, all post-care products and your follow-up visits.
Many patients achieve their goal in a single treatment — which is precisely what sets CO2 apart from treatments requiring long courses. Deeper acne scarring may need two or three sessions spaced several months apart. Because this is a significant procedure and a significant investment, we quote everything transparently at consultation before you commit.
First-time guests enjoy a special rate on their first treatment. Ask us about current pricing at your consultation.
Claim This OfferEstimated CO2 laser resurfacing pricing — Riverside, CA (confirm current pricing with our team)
| Treatment Area | Sessions | Best For | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Face | 1–2 | Acne scars, wrinkles, sun damage | $1,800 |
| Full Face & Neck | 1–2 | Comprehensive rejuvenation | $2,400 |
| Face, Neck & Décolletage | 1–2 | Full upper-body resurfacing | $3,000 |
| Periorbital (around eyes) | 1–2 | Crepey eyelid skin, fine lines | $900 |
| Perioral (lip lines) | 1–2 | Deep vertical lip lines | $900 |
| Acne Scarring — Series of 3 | 3 | Significant atrophic scarring | From $4,800 |
A consultation costs you
nothing but honesty
CO2 laser is not right for everyone, and we won't sell it to you if it isn't. At your consultation we'll assess your skin type, your concern and your tolerance for downtime — then recommend CO2, a gentler alternative like microneedling or a peel, or a combination. You'll leave knowing exactly where you stand.
Book a Consultation & Patch TestWhy patients trust us
Skin Clinic for laser
Provider expertise is everything
With ablative laser, settings and depth are the difference between transformation and injury. Ours are chosen by trained providers under physician direction, tailored to your skin type.
Pigment-aware protocols
Skin typing, patch testing, pre-treatment priming and strict aftercare are standard here — not optional extras. This is how PIH is prevented rather than managed.
We turn people away
If your skin type, healing history or lifestyle makes CO2 a poor choice, we'll say so and offer a safer alternative. Our reputation matters more than one booking.
Jessica Bokhari, NP
Founder & Lead Provider
Jessica is a Family Nurse Practitioner and the founder of Skin Clinic Med Spa. Since 2014 she has specialized in results-driven skin treatments, and her approach to ablative laser is deliberately conservative — thorough patient selection, careful skin typing and rigorous aftercare. Her willingness to recommend a gentler treatment when it’s the safer choice is why Riverside trusts her.
Which is right for you?
Both remodel the skin at a deep level, but the trade-off between power and downtime is very different.
CO2 Laser Resurfacing
Microneedling with PRP
Questions,
answered
Full-face fractional CO2 at Skin Clinic Med Spa starts at $1,800, including consultation, patch test, procedure, post-care products and follow-up visits. Because many patients achieve their goal in one treatment, the total often compares favourably with a long course of gentler treatments. (Please confirm current pricing with our team.)
Plan for five to seven days of visible recovery, and up to ten to twelve days for deeper settings. Days one and two involve significant swelling, heat and weeping. Peeling follows through days three to five, and residual pinkness can last several weeks. We'd rather you over-plan than be caught out.
During treatment, no — we apply topical numbing for 45–60 minutes and can add nerve blocks or oral sedation. Afterwards, the first 24–48 hours feel like a strong sunburn with heat and tightness, which is managed with cool compresses and the ointment protocol we provide.
It requires real caution. Because CO2 is inflammatory and inflammation stimulates pigment, Fitzpatrick types IV–VI carry a substantially higher risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Treatment is possible for type IV with conservative settings, pigment priming and strict aftercare — but for types V and VI we often recommend microneedling or another alternative instead. Your patch test and consultation determine this.
Many patients achieve their goal in a single treatment, which is what distinguishes CO2 from gentler options. Significant acne scarring may need two or three sessions spaced several months apart to allow full healing between.
You'll see improvement once the redness settles at two to four weeks, but the full result develops over three to six months as collagen remodelling continues. Results are long-lasting — documented improvement at one to three years — though natural ageing continues.
CO2 isn't suitable if you've taken isotretinoin (Accutane) within 6–12 months, have active acne or a skin infection, a history of keloid scarring or poor wound healing, certain autoimmune conditions, or are pregnant. Very deep skin tones, active melasma and widespread PIH also usually point toward a gentler alternative. We screen for all of this at consultation.
Autumn or winter. Freshly resurfaced skin is highly photosensitive, and sun exposure in the first three months significantly raises the risk of hyperpigmentation and prolonged redness. Lower-UV months make strict sun avoidance far more realistic.
What our patients say
CO2 laser patients say
“Fifteen years of acne scarring and one CO2 treatment changed my face. The week of recovery was exactly as rough as they warned — and completely worth it. They never sugarcoated a thing.”
“They actually talked me out of CO2 at my first consult because of my skin tone and did microneedling instead. A year later my texture is great and I never got the pigmentation I feared. That honesty earned my trust.”
“The prep and aftercare instructions were incredibly thorough — they gave me everything I needed and checked in during the worst days. My sun damage is genuinely gone.”
The most powerful
resurfacing we offer
Book a consultation and patch test, and we'll assess your skin type and concern honestly — then recommend CO2 laser or a gentler alternative, whichever genuinely serves you better. Physician-supervised, right here in Riverside.
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