TROTT
    CoolPeel® CO2 Laser (Fractional) with Dr. Suzanne Trott, Beverly Hills

    CoolPeel® CO2 Laser (Fractional)

    CoolPeel is fractional CO2 laser resurfacing. It uses the same 10,600 nm wavelength as fully ablative CO2, but delivers it in microscopic columns with ultra-short pulses, so heat is deposited and gone before it can diffuse into surrounding tissue.

    Dr. Trott's point of view

    “CoolPeel gives true CO2 quality with a weekend of recovery, because the pulse is too fast for surrounding tissue to feel it. Real resurfacing for people who can't disappear.”

    Suzanne A. Trott, M.D., F.A.C.S.

    About Dr. Trott →

    01

    Fractional, not fully ablative, what that means

    A fully ablative CO2 laser removes 100% of the epidermis in the treatment zone. CoolPeel treats a fraction of it, typically 15 – 25% coverage per pass, leaving untreated bridges of skin between microscopic treatment columns. Those bridges are why healing is measured in days instead of a week.

    The other half of the technology is pulse duration. CoolPeel's very short, high-peak-power pulses ablate tissue before residual heat can spread, which limits bulk thermal injury and the prolonged redness that older CO2 platforms were known for.

    Typical settings in our hands:

    • Depth per column: roughly 50 – 80 microns, deepened toward 100 – 150 microns for textured cheeks and scar beds
    • Coverage: 15 – 25% per pass, adjusted by zone
    • Series: 3 treatments spaced 4 – 6 weeks apart for most goals

    When the damage is deeper than a fractional series can reach, the correct treatment is fully ablative CO2 resurfacing. Background reading: American Society of Plastic Surgeons, laser resurfacing and fractional laser literature on PubMed.

    02

    Who is the best candidate

    Excellent candidates

    • Early to moderate photoaging: dullness, rough texture, enlarged pores, fine lines
    • Mild to moderate acne scarring being treated over a series
    • Patients who want measurable improvement with 2 – 3 days of social downtime
    • Maintenance patients, one or two sessions a year to hold skin quality
    • Fitzpatrick I – IV with appropriate priming; deeper skin types are treated conservatively with pigment prophylaxis

    Better served elsewhere

    • Deep etched perioral lines and dense ice-pick scarring, those want fully ablative CO2
    • Loose skin and jawline descent, resurfacing does not lift; consider a facelift
    • Active acne or rosacea flare, current isotretinoin use, or open infection in the field
    • Pregnancy, and untreated melasma until it is stabilized medically

    03

    Preparation and the day of treatment

    Before

    1. Two to four weeks of tretinoin and a pigment-stabilizing agent when indicated, plus daily SPF 50
    2. Antiviral prophylaxis for anyone with a cold sore history
    3. Stop waxing, depilatories, and self-tanner one week out

    Day of

    • Topical numbing for 30 – 45 minutes; most patients need nothing more
    • Eye shields in place; the handpiece glides over the skin with alternating heat and cool air
    • Treatment takes 5 – 15 minutes depending on area, genuinely a lunchtime appointment
    • You leave with a light barrier ointment, mineral SPF, and instructions

    04

    Recovery, day by day

    • Day 0. Warm, sunburned appearance and mild swelling. Barrier ointment and cool compresses.
    • Days 1 – 2. Redness with a fine sandpaper texture. Light bronzing of the micro-columns is normal and means it worked.
    • Days 3 – 4. Micro-flaking finishes; mineral makeup is usually fine by day 3. Most patients are camera-ready by day 4.
    • Weeks 2 – 6. Brightness and texture improve visibly. Collagen remodeling continues between sessions, which is why the series compounds.

    No active exfoliants, retinoids, or acids for one week. No direct sun, hot yoga, or saunas for a week. SPF 50 daily, indefinitely, a fresh resurfacing result is genuinely undone by sun.

    05

    Results, series planning, and pairing

    Expect visible brightening after a single session and structural change, pores, texture, fine lines, scar depth, after the third. Most patients maintain with one or two treatments per year.

    Pairs well with:

    Still deciding between fractional and fully ablative? That decision belongs in a consultation, with your skin typed and photographed, request a private consultation or browse the patient gallery first.

    References

    Further reading & sources

    Q&A

    Frequently asked

    In Beverly Hills

    CoolPeel CO2 Laser in Beverly Hills

    Local logistics, where consultations and surgery happen, how long to stay, and what recovery looks like in Beverly Hills.

    Read the Beverly Hills guide to coolpeel co2 laser →

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