Who is Dr. Suzanne Trott?

Suzanne A. Trott, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a Stanford-trained, double board-certified female plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California with more than 22 years in private practice. She is certified by both the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

What makes Dr. Trott's Beverly Hills practice different?

Dr. Trott operates on one patient per surgical day, so the full attention of the surgeon and team belongs to a single patient. It is a surgeon-owned private practice focused on natural results: the goal isn't to look different, the goal is to look just right.

Is Dr. Suzanne Trott board certified?

Yes. Dr. Trott is double board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery, and she is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS).

Where is Dr. Trott's office located?

462 N. Linden Drive, Suite 240, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. The practice can be reached at +1 (310) 275-3990 and serves Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, and out-of-town patients.

What procedures does Dr. Trott perform?

Face procedures including facelift, neck lift, brow lift, eyelid surgery and fat transfer; breast surgery including augmentation, lift, reduction, revision and implant removal; body contouring including tummy tuck, liposuction and mommy makeover; plus injectables, lasers, skin treatments and wellness services such as alloClae.

How do I book a consultation with Dr. Trott?

Request a consultation at https://drtrott.com/contact or call the Beverly Hills office at +1 (310) 275-3990. The practice is accepting new patients and offers CareCredit and financing.

How much actual downtime does full-face CO2 resurfacing require, can I realistically hide it with makeup after a week?

Usually not fully by one week, full-field CO2 resurfacing typically requires 7-10 days of visible pink-to-red healing before makeup can reasonably camouflage it, since the treatment removes the entire epidermis at a depth of roughly 0.1-0.3 mm. Dr. Trott usually recommends blocking out 10-14 days socially for a full-strength treatment. Fractional CO2, which treats a percentage of the surface rather than the whole area, cuts visible downtime to about 5-7 days but delivers a more gradual result over multiple sessions.

Will laser resurfacing make my melasma worse instead of better since I'm already prone to dark patches?

It can, if the wrong laser or settings are used, which is why melasma-prone skin needs a more cautious approach. Dr. Trott typically uses lower fluence settings and non-ablative or fractional non-ablative wavelengths for melasma-prone patients rather than aggressive full-field ablative CO2, which carries higher risk of triggering post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. She usually pairs any laser treatment with a pre- and post-treatment regimen of tyrosinase inhibitors for at least 4-6 weeks. Strict sun avoidance and SPF 30+ for the following 8-12 weeks are non-negotiable for this skin type.

Is there a laser strong enough to actually smooth out ice-pick acne scars, or is that only fixable with surgery?

Deep ice-pick scars generally need more than laser alone, but laser resurfacing is still part of the solution. Dr. Trott typically combines a fractional CO2 pass, penetrating roughly 1-1.5 mm into the dermis, with subcision to release the tethered scar tissue underneath first. Laser resurfacing alone tends to soften shallower boxcar or rolling scars more effectively than true ice-pick scars. A combination approach over 2-3 sessions, spaced 6-8 weeks apart, usually gives the most meaningful improvement.

How many total CO2 passes does Dr. Trott typically use, and does more passes just mean more downtime with no extra benefit?

More passes isn't automatically better past a certain point, and it does increase downtime and risk. Dr. Trott typically uses 1-2 passes over most of the face, reserving a third, more focused pass only for deeper scarred or wrinkled areas rather than blanketing the whole face repeatedly. Beyond 2-3 passes, the incremental improvement in texture drops off while risk of prolonged redness or pigment changes rises. The energy settings and pass count are tailored to your skin thickness and specific concern rather than a one-size-fits-all protocol.

Can I combine laser resurfacing with Botox or filler, or do I need to space those treatments apart?

Usually they need some spacing, particularly with ablative CO2. Dr. Trott generally recommends waiting about 2 weeks after ablative laser resurfacing before injecting filler or Botox, since the skin barrier needs to fully recover and swelling needs to resolve to accurately assess volume and muscle movement. If you're doing a lighter, non-ablative laser treatment, same-day or close-together scheduling is often fine. Getting the sequencing right also just makes it easier to evaluate how much of your improvement came from which treatment.

My skin is olive/medium-toned, am I at higher risk for pigment problems with laser resurfacing than someone lighter-skinned?

Yes, somewhat, medium to deeper skin tones carry a higher risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation with aggressive ablative treatments, since more melanin-producing cells are affected by the thermal injury. Dr. Trott often adjusts by using fractional rather than fully ablative CO2, treating a lower percentage of the skin's surface per session (sometimes around 20-30% density) to reduce this risk while still improving texture over a few sessions. Pre-treatment with a bleaching or retinoid regimen for several weeks beforehand also helps reduce this risk. This isn't a reason to avoid resurfacing altogether, just a reason to tailor the settings carefully.

Laser Skin Resurfacing / CO2 Laser (Fully Ablative) in…

Dr. Trott's point of view

“Fully ablative CO2 is the most powerful tool I own, it resets sun damage and deep lines in one pass. Honor the recovery and the result is unmatched by anything else.”

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

About Dr. Trott →

What fully ablative CO2 actually does

A 10,600 nm carbon dioxide laser is absorbed almost entirely by water in the skin. In fully ablative mode, that energy vaporizes the epidermis across 100% of the treated surface and delivers a measured column of heat into the papillary and upper reticular dermis.

Two things happen at once:

Ablation. Sun-damaged, pigmented, textured surface skin is removed rather than faded, which is why pigment, keratoses, and etched lines respond so differently than they do to topicals.
Coagulation. Residual heat below the ablated layer contracts existing collagen immediately and triggers months of new collagen and elastin remodeling.

Dr. Trott typically works to an ablation depth of roughly 80 – 120 microns of epidermal removal with an additional 50 – 100 microns of coagulation, and deepens selectively to 200+ microns in perioral and periorbital etching or in ice-pick acne scar beds. Depth is chosen per zone, not per face, the eyelid skin and the cheek never receive the same setting.

If you want the same laser at a fraction of the depth and downtime, that treatment is CoolPeel CO2 laser. Reference reading: American Society of Plastic Surgeons, laser resurfacing and the American Academy of Dermatology on ablative resurfacing.

Who is the best candidate

Fully ablative CO2 is the right call when the problem is the skin itself, not laxity, not volume.

Excellent candidates

Significant photoaging: mottled pigment, solar lentigines, actinic damage, crepey texture
Fine etched lines around the mouth and eyes that filler and neuromodulators cannot erase
Atrophic acne scarring, rolling and boxcar scars especially
Fitzpatrick skin types I – III, where post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation risk is lowest
Patients who would rather do one serious treatment than a decade of light ones

Not the right treatment now

Fitzpatrick types IV – VI, or anyone with a history of melasma or keloid formation, we choose fractional, non-ablative, or microneedling with PRP instead
Active acne, active rosacea flare, or any open infection in the field
Isotretinoin (Accutane) use within the past 6 – 12 months
Smokers who will not stop for two weeks before and two weeks after
Anyone who cannot commit to strict sun avoidance for three months

Laxity is a different problem. If the skin is loose rather than damaged, resurfacing improves quality but not position, the honest answer there is a facelift or blepharoplasty, sometimes combined with resurfacing in the same setting.

How we prepare you

Preparation is not optional with a fully ablative treatment, it is most of the reason results look clean.

Consultation and skin typing. Fitzpatrick type, melasma history, herpes simplex history, scarring tendency, and medication review.
4 – 6 weeks of priming. Typically tretinoin, a pigment-stabilizing agent such as hydroquinone or a non-hydroquinone alternative, and daily broad-spectrum SPF 50.
Antiviral prophylaxis. Started the day before and continued through re-epithelialization for every facial treatment, regardless of cold sore history.
Antibiotic coverage when the treatment is full-face and deep.
Logistics planned. Full-face ablative means a real week at home. We schedule it deliberately, not opportunistically.

What to expect the day of treatment

Numbing. Topical anesthetic for 45 – 60 minutes, plus regional nerve blocks for full-face work. Oral anxiolysis or IV sedation is available for deeper treatments.
Eye protection. Metal shields, always.
Treatment time. Roughly 20 – 30 minutes for a full face at ablative settings; 10 – 15 minutes for perioral or periorbital only.
Sensation. Heat and a snapping sensation with cool air throughout. Deep passes are felt as pressure rather than sharpness once blocks are in.
Immediately after. The skin is pink-to-bronze, weeping, and feels sunburned. Occlusive ointment goes on before you leave, along with written instructions and our direct line.

Recovery, day by day

Recovery from fully ablative CO2 is predictable when instructions are followed exactly.

Days 1 – 2. Swelling peaks, especially around the eyes. Weeping and oozing are expected. Ointment stays on constantly; dilute vinegar soaks every few hours.
Days 3 – 5. Weeping stops, sloughing begins. The skin looks dark and crusty as the treated layer lifts. Do not pick, picking is the single most common cause of a permanent scar.
Days 6 – 8. Re-epithelialization completes for most patients. New skin is bright pink and very smooth.
Weeks 2 – 4. Pink fades toward normal; mineral makeup is usually fine by day 10 – 14. Strict SPF, no direct sun.
Months 2 – 6. Collagen remodeling continues. Texture, pore size, and scar depth keep improving well past the point the skin looks healed.

Risks we discuss honestly: prolonged erythema, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, infection, HSV reactivation, milia, and, rarely, scarring or ectropion with over-aggressive periorbital treatment. Depth discipline and post-care compliance are how those are avoided. Further reading: FDA guidance on laser aesthetic devices and peer-reviewed outcomes literature on ablative CO2 resurfacing.

Results, longevity, and pairing

Most patients need one fully ablative treatment. Results become obvious at 4 – 6 weeks and continue to refine for six months. The photodamage removed does not come back; new damage accumulates only as fast as you allow it to, which makes daily sunscreen part of the result rather than an afterthought.

Common pairings in one setting:

Resurfacing with a facelift or neck lift, position and quality corrected together
Blepharoplasty with careful periorbital resurfacing
PRF applied post-laser to speed re-epithelialization
Botox two weeks prior, so dynamic lines are not re-etching new collagen

If a week of downtime is not realistic, the honest alternative is a series of CoolPeel CO2 treatments or Potenza RF microneedling. See real outcomes in the patient gallery, then request a consultation to be typed and planned properly.

References

Frequently asked

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