Fractional CO2 laser for the face: anti-wrinkle, scarring...

With fractional CO2 laser treatment, the Clinique du Lac offers you a solution for smoothing your skin and reducing scars caused by acne or other benign lesions, such as cheloid scars.

Would you like to find out more about this highly effective and virtually painless aesthetic medical procedure?

We explain everything there is to know about the fractional CO2 laser.

Duration of intervention :

Fractional CO2 laser sessions generally last less than an hour.
Between 2 and 4 sessions are required, spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart.

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What is the fractional CO2 laser?

CO2 lasers work by emitting gas (CO2) via infrared radiation. They have been used for years for surgical and dermatological procedures, as well as for aesthetic treatments. While CO2 laser treatment for acne scars or wrinkles can be effective, the procedure involves a relatively long period of social withdrawal (15 days) and meticulous care. What's more, CO2 laser treatment of the face causes redness that can remain visible for several months. 

Fortunately, this technology has evolved, for the greater comfort of patients. We now use the fractional CO2 laser, a technology that has revolutionized this type of treatment. Unlike the traditional CO2 laser, the fractional CO2 laser causes less skin ablation, because it is only partial. As a result, the procedure is shorter and less burdensome, and the patient no longer has to be socially excluded.

To achieve a more gentle, in-depth treatment of the problem, the CO2 laser beam is simply split into several micro-beams. This division leaves spaces of intact skin (invisible to the naked eye) between each area affected by the laser microbeams. These healthy zones are very useful, as they facilitate skin healing.

Fractional CO2 laser: practical information

Thanks to this new technology, which allows impacts to be applied "more gently", the fractional CO2 laser :

  • Makes treatment virtually painless
  • Allows rapid healing (in 6 days)
  • Eliminates socio-professional eviction time


Fractional CO2 laser sessions are performed without anesthesia. An anesthetic cream is simply applied to the treated areas for the patient's comfort. What's more, fractional CO2 laser sessions generally last no more than an hour, and are virtually painless. As a result, they can be performed at Clinique du Lac on an outpatient basis, enabling patients to return to their normal activities once the procedure is over.

Note that while results may be visible from the very first session of fractional CO2 laser treatment, several procedures are required to guarantee them. Depending on the objective of the procedure (fractional CO2 laser for stretch marks, wrinkles, acne, etc.), Clinique du Lac surgeons may recommend between two and four sessions. Each session should be spaced four to six weeks apart.

Lastly, certain pathologies or conditions are contraindicated for fractional CO2 laser sessions: an overly pronounced tan, hypersensitivity to light or taking medication that makes you hyper-sensitive to light... That's why, before each procedure, Clinique du Lac's surgeons take the time to examine you. This time of exchange with your practitioner also allows you to explain your expectations. This will help him or her set up the right protocol to meet them.

Fractional CO2 laser: objectives and principles

In aesthetic medicine, fractional CO2 laser treatments can be used in particular on :

  • Photorejuvenation for skin smoothing: wrinkles, fine lines, dilated pores, blurred complexion, décolleté wrinkles...
  • Acne scars
  • Benign skin lesions: moles, warts, etc.
The aim is to treat these skin imperfections with a fractional CO2 laser. When applied to the skin, the laser's micro-beams create micro-wells. Thanks to the principle of laser fractionation, each micro-well is separated by areas of healthy skin, which promotes healing. Micro-well healing stimulates fibroblasts, the cells responsible for collagen renewal. New skin cells are thus generated, smoothing out the skin and making the various skin imperfections disappear.