Short answer: downtime depends on the laser. Non-ablative lasers usually cause redness and swelling for several hours to a few days (ASPS). Fractional CO2 meant about six days of downtime in a study of Chinese patients, and traditional CO2 resurfacing needs up to two weeks of recovery, with pinkness that can last months (ASPS). Pico and low-fluence toning lasers have no society downtime figure, and Korean studies used sessions every two weeks without serious side effects. For a trip, plan CO2 at the start of your stay, keep the following days indoors, and avoid the sun for four weeks after fractional treatment (ASDS).
Laser types in plain words
- Ablative (CO2, erbium): removes the outer skin. The biggest results and the longest downtime. Fractional versions treat columns of skin and heal faster.
- Non-ablative (for example 1550 nm fractional): heats under the surface without removing it. Little or no downtime, results take several months, often several sessions (ASDS).
- Picosecond and Q-switched toning: very short pulses for pigment, such as melasma and dark spots. Common in Korea as a series of low-energy sessions.
After CO2 resurfacing, day by day
| When | What usually happens (ASDS, ASPS, AAD) |
|---|---|
| Days 0 to 2 | Swelling for 24 to 48 hours, itching or stinging for 12 to 72 hours. |
| Days 5 to 7 | Old skin peels away. AAD advises staying home for 5 to 7 days after resurfacing. |
| Days 10 to 21 | Healing completes. Erbium recovery is about one week, CO2 up to two weeks. |
| Months 2 to 12 | Pinkness lightens over two to three months and can take up to a year. Oil-free makeup only for two to three months. |
Asian skin: darkening after laser
Temporary darkening (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation) is the main concern for Asian skin, especially after CO2 lasers:
- In 13 Thai patients after fractional CO2, 92 percent had some darkening, which faded in about five weeks (Manuskiatti et al., 2010).
- In 40 patients, a strong steroid cream for two days after fractional CO2 cut darkening from 75 to 40 percent (Cheyasak et al., 2015). Ask your clinic how it prevents darkening.
- In 107 patients in Singapore, 15 percent had a side effect after fractional CO2, mostly darkening (6.4 percent) and blistering (4 percent) (Ochi et al., 2017).
- Non-ablative 1550 nm had complications in 3.3 percent of 181 treatments in skin types III to V (Vaiyavatjamai and Wattanakrai, 2011).
- With picosecond lasers, 38 percent of 29 Asian patients had redness and 3.4 percent temporary lightening, with no permanent changes (Koh et al., 2020). A review of low-fluence toning notes occasional lasting mottled lightening, and darkening when used aggressively (Lee et al., 2022).
Before you book
- Do not arrive tanned or sunburned: dermatologists cannot treat tanned skin with these lasers (AAD). Too much sun in the two months before resurfacing can cause permanent uneven pigment (The Aesthetic Society).
- Stop retinoids or glycolic acid two to four weeks before (AAD).
- If you get cold sores, ask for antiviral medicine before and after treatment.
How long to stay in Korea
The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) groups procedures for people who travel abroad. Treatments done under local anaesthetic in under 90 minutes are in its lowest group, with no extra time in the destination country needed for travel reasons. The NHS advice about waiting before flying is written for surgery, not for treatments like this one.
So what decides the length of your stay is the treatment itself: the laser’s downtime and the sun. Toning and pico sessions fit any trip, but Korean studies give them every two weeks, so a series means repeat visits. CO2 should be done early in the stay, with the following days kept indoors, and your sightseeing done before treatment.
Sample plans
| Laser | Plan |
|---|---|
| Pico or toning | Any day of a short trip. Sunscreen and a hat afterwards. |
| Non-ablative fractional | Mid-trip. Expect redness for a day or two. |
| Fractional CO2 | Days 1 to 2 sightseeing, day 3 treatment, days 4 to 9 indoors, fly after the skin has healed and the clinic has checked it. |
Replace every date with the ones your clinic gives you. The Clinic KR trip planner lays them out day by day and flags a flight that is booked too early.
Questions to ask your clinic before you book flights
- Which laser and which wavelength will you use, and is it ablative?
- How do you prevent darkening on my skin type?
- How many sessions do I need, and how far apart?
- Should I take antiviral medicine for cold sores?
- Can I have written aftercare in English, including which products to use?
FAQ
What is the downtime for CO2 laser?
About six days for fractional CO2 in one study of Asian patients, and up to two weeks for traditional CO2 resurfacing (ASPS), with healing taking 10 to 21 days (ASDS).
What is the downtime for pico laser?
No society source gives a figure. Studies in Asian patients reported redness in some people and no serious side effects.
When can I wear makeup after laser?
After ablative resurfacing, oil-free makeup only for two to three months (ASDS). For other lasers, ask your clinic.
When can I go in the sun after laser?
Avoid sun exposure for four weeks after fractional laser (ASDS), and always use high-factor sunscreen.
Sources
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Laser Skin Resurfacing Recovery. Checked October 9, 2026.
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Fresh face for spring: can laser treatments rejuvenate and refresh your look?. Checked October 9, 2026.
- American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. Skin laser resurfacing for wrinkles. Checked October 9, 2026.
- American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. Fractional laser resurfacing for aging skin. Checked October 9, 2026.
- American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. Non-ablative skin rejuvenation. Checked October 9, 2026.
- American Academy of Dermatology. Laser treatment for scars. Checked October 9, 2026.
- American Academy of Dermatology. Firm sagging skin. Checked October 9, 2026.
- British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. BAAPS Cosmetic Tourism Guidelines, September 2023, v1.
- The Aesthetic Society. Preparing for laser skin resurfacing. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Luo YJ, Xu XG, Wu Y, et al. Split-face comparison of ultrapulse-mode and superpulse-mode fractionated carbon dioxide lasers on photoaged skin. J Drugs Dermatol. 2012;11(11):1310-4. PubMed 23135080.
- Manuskiatti W, Triwongwaranat D, Varothai S, et al. Efficacy and safety of a carbon-dioxide ablative fractional resurfacing device for treatment of atrophic acne scars in Asians. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2010;63(2):274-83. PubMed 20633798.
- Cheyasak N, Manuskiatti W, Maneeprasopchoke P, et al. Topical corticosteroids minimise the risk of postinflammatory hyper-pigmentation after ablative fractional CO2 laser resurfacing in Asians. Acta Derm Venereol. 2015;95(2):201-5. PubMed 24854088.
- Ochi H, Tan L, Tan WP, et al. Treatment of Facial Acne Scarring With Fractional Carbon Dioxide Laser in Asians, a Retrospective Analysis of Efficacy and Complications. Dermatol Surg. 2017;43(9):1137-1143. PubMed 28746258.
- Vaiyavatjamai P, Wattanakrai P. Side effects and complications of fractional 1550-nm erbium fiber laser treatment among Asians. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2011;10(4):313-6. PubMed 22151942.
- Koh YP, Tan AWM, Chua SH. Treatment of Laser-Responsive Dermal Pigmentary Conditions in Type III-IV Asian Skin With a 755-nm Picosecond Pulse Duration Laser: A Retrospective Review of Its Efficacy and Safety. Dermatol Surg. 2020;46(11):e82-e87. PubMed 32068548.
- Lee YS, Lee YJ, Lee JM, et al. The Low-Fluence Q-Switched Nd:YAG Laser Treatment for Melasma: A Systematic Review. Medicina (Kaunas). 2022;58(7). PubMed 35888655.
This guide gives general information, not medical advice. Read how we research and check these guides.