Recovery is part of the decision itself, so it helps to think about it from the start.
Asking for your recovery timeline
The provider who would do your treatment is the one to give you a recovery timeline. Ask them to write it out for you while you are still deciding. How they handle that one request tells you a lot about how a practice treats a beginner.
Planning the days you spend at home
Downtime is the part of laser resurfacing to ask about in the most detail.
Here is what we would ask ahead of committing:
- How many days should I plan to stay home?
- What will my skin look like each day, and which signs mean I should call you?
- Which products can I use, and which should I stop?
- When can I go back to work, to exercise and to makeup?
- Who do I contact if I am worried after hours?
If the answers feel rushed, take that as a reason to wait. A gentler starting point is always fine.
Sun care and exercise while you heal
Bring up sun care early and ask how to protect your skin while it heals. If you usually exercise, ask your provider when you can start again.
For a gentle walk-through ahead of your consultation, try a hospital page on laser procedures and a page from a professional society of dermatologic surgeons on laser resurfacing. Then ask your provider which parts apply to your skin.
Red light therapy is a different treatment from laser resurfacing, and you may see it offered too. A health system's FAQ on red light therapy for skin care covers its possible benefits for skin. For either treatment, the NHS guide to choosing who will do your cosmetic procedure is a useful read on picking the person who treats you.
Your recovery will be your own
Only a licensed provider who has looked at your skin can tell you what your own recovery will look like.