Lasers & energy devicesCO2 laser skin resurfacing in Montreal
CO2 laser resurfacing takes the damaged surface of the skin off in a controlled pattern and heats the collagen underneath, so the skin that grows back is smoother than the skin that came away. It is the deepest resurfacing we do, which is why it reaches acne scars and established lines. The depth, and the recovery that comes with it, is set for your skin at your consultation.
- Monkland
- Consultations in French and English
- Treatment time
- 30 to 90min
- Downtime
- Depth-dependent
- Results appear
- 2 to 4 weeks
- Results last
- 3 to 6months of building
- Price
- $150
Secret PRO™ CO2 laser and RF microneedling
How it worksWhat does the Secret Pro CO2 laser do?
It replaces damaged skin with smoother new skin.
Acne scars, lines and sun damage make the surface of your skin uneven. The CO2 laser removes tiny columns of that skin and leaves healthy skin in between. Your skin heals in about a week and builds new collagen underneath. The new surface shows in 2 to 4 weeks, and it keeps improving for 3 to 6 months.
- 01
Scars, lines and sun damage roughen your skin
- 02
The laser removes tiny columns of skin
- 03
New skin in 2 to 4 weeks
Your results, step by step
1 to 3 visits, 4 to 6 weeks apart. Full results in 3 to 6 months.
Your visit · 30 to 90 min
Numbing, then the laser passes
Numbing cream goes on first and is given time to work. Then the clinician moves the laser over the area in a grid. You feel heat with a prickle, and a soothing balm goes on at the end.
1 to 3 days
Red, hot and swollen
Your skin looks sunburned and feels hot and tight. Swelling peaks on day 2. Plan time off for these days.
3 to 7 days
Flaking as new skin comes in
The treated skin flakes off like fine sandpaper. Let it fall away on its own so your skin heals smoothly.
2 to 4 weeks
Your first real look
Redness has settled and the new surface is in. Texture and tone usually look better. If you need another session, it is booked now.
3 to 6 months
Scars and lines keep improving
Collagen keeps building long after the surface heals. Deeper scars keep improving over these months.
These photos (or videos) are published for informational purposes to illustrate the nature of the procedure. They do not constitute any guarantee of results. Results vary from person to person.
Where is CO2 resurfacing used?
Where this treatment is used. Your plan is confirmed at the consultation.
01Face
02Around the eyes and mouth
03Neck and décolleté
04Hands
05Abdomen, arms and legs
Google reviews that mention this treatment
Take the surface off, or heat underneath it
Both improve texture and scarring. One removes the damaged surface and asks for a week; the other leaves the surface alone and asks for more sessions.
| Secret PRO™ CO2 laser and RF microneedlingThis treatment | Scarlet RF® microneedlingView treatment → | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does to the surface | Removes it, in a grid of columns | Passes through it and leaves it intact |
| Recovery | Days of redness and flaking, depth-dependent | Redness for a day or two |
| Sessions | One to three, four to six weeks apart | Three or more |
| Depth of scarring it reaches | The deepest option we have | Moderate (better for pores and fine scarring) |
| Treatment time | 30 to 90 minutes, depending on the area and the depth | 30–90 minutes |
| Downtime | Depends on the depth chosen. Confirmed at your consultation. | Minimal (redness, swelling, or pinpoint bleeding for a few days) |
| Price | From $150 for a light peel, up to $2,000 for a full resurfacing series | $450 – $2,000, depending on package |
Each treatment’s facts come from its own page. Prices and timings are confirmed at your consultation.
Numbed, passed over in a grid, then dressed
Performed by trained clinicians, after an assessment of your skin tone and your history with pigmentation.
- First visitFirst visit
Assessment, and the depth decision
Your skin tone, your history with pigment and sun, what you want changed and how much recovery you can give it. Those four set the depth, the number of sessions and the spacing.
- 30 to 45 minutes30 to 45 minutes
Numbing
Topical numbing cream is applied and left to work. This is the longest wait of the appointment and it is not rushed.
- 30 to 70 minutes30 to 70 minutes
The passes, then cooling
The handpiece is moved across the area in a grid. It feels like heat with a prickling to it, strongest on deeper settings, and the setting can be eased if it becomes uncomfortable. The area is then cooled and an occlusive balm applied; you go home with written instructions and the products for the week.
- 4 to 6 weeks4 to 6 weeks
Reviewed before the next session
You are seen at four to six weeks. How your skin healed decides the setting for the next pass, which is why the plan is not fixed in advance.
Stay out of the sun for two weeks beforehand
Tanned skin raises the risk of a pigment change after an ablative pass
Tell us if you get cold sores
Resurfacing can trigger an outbreak, and it is prevented rather than treated
Stop retinoids and exfoliating acids a week before
They thin the surface, and the setting is chosen for untreated skin
Book the time off before you book the session
The recovery is real and it is easier to plan than to improvise
Keep the area moist and covered
Healing skin that dries out scars; the balm is not optional
Do not pick the flaking
Pulling a column off early is the most reliable way to make a scar
No makeup until the surface has closed
Usually five to seven days, and your clinician will tell you when
Sunscreen every day for three months
New skin pigments easily, and a tan on it is the one result nobody wants
No exercise, saunas or swimming for a week
Sweat and chlorine both reach an open surface
Side effects, and who it is not for
This is the one treatment on our list where the recovery is part of the plan rather than a side note. An ablative laser makes a controlled wound, and the honest conversation about skin tone happens before anything is booked.
- Skin tone and pigment history are assessed before any setting is chosen
- You are told your recovery in days, before you book
- Settings can be lowered during the session if it becomes uncomfortable
Common and temporary
- Redness, swelling and a sunburned feeling for several days
- Fine flaking and a sandpapery texture while the new surface comes through
- Lingering pinkness in the treated area for a few weeks
Less common
- Darkening or lightening of the treated area, more likely on deeper skin tones and after sun exposure
- A cold sore outbreak, which is why it is prevented in anyone who gets them
- Infection in the healing surface, or a scar where flaking was picked off early
Wait, or choose another option, if
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding
- You have an active infection, open lesion or inflamed acne in the area
- You have taken oral isotretinoin in the last six months
- You are tanned, or cannot stay out of the sun for the weeks afterwards
- You have a history of keloid scarring
- You cannot take the recovery time the setting your skin needs would require
Call the clinic or seek care right away if
Redness spreads outward from the treated area, it becomes hot and increasingly painful after the first few days, pus or yellow crusting appears, or you develop a fever.
Best when the surface of the skin is the problem
Look at your skin in side lighting, where texture shows. Which one matches what you see?
You see
Scarring, rough texture or lines etched into the skin that stay when your face is still
Areas
Face · Around the eyes and mouth
You see
Skin that has loosened and descended: resurfacing does not lift
You see
A line that appears only when you frown, squint or smile
Consider instead
You see
Active, inflamed acne rather than the scarring it left behind
Consider instead
Not sure which one you are looking at? A consultation settles it in a few minutes.
Frequently asked questions about CO2 laser resurfacing
If yours is not here, ask us at your consultation, or send it to the clinic before you book.
It tracks the depth. A light surface peel settles in two or three days; a deep fractional pass asks for about a week of redness and flaking, with swelling peaking on the second day.
Because the setting is chosen for your skin, the honest number comes from the clinician who chooses it. Ask for it at the consultation and plan the week around the answer.
A topical numbing cream is applied and left to work before the session. Most people describe the passes as heat with a prickling feeling, strongest on the deeper settings. Say so during the session if it becomes uncomfortable: the settings are adjusted as you go.
Ablative lasers carry a higher risk of pigment change on deeper tones, so this is assessed carefully before anything is booked. Your clinician reviews your skin tone and your history of pigmentation, then either adjusts the settings and the preparation or recommends a technology that suits your skin better. Being told the second of those is a good outcome.
Most plans run one to three sessions, four to six weeks apart. Deeper settings achieve more per session and ask for more recovery, so the number of sessions and the depth are decided together rather than separately.
No, and this is worth stating plainly. A laser resurfaces: it works on the surface and the collagen just beneath it. Where skin has loosened enough that lifting it is the real goal, a lifting treatment or surgery suits you better, and the consultation will tell you so.
Two to four weeks for the new surface, and three to six months for the rest: collagen under the treated columns keeps reorganising long after the skin has closed. Deeper scarring improves across that whole window.
Results vary from person to person.
Treatments start at $150 for a light surface peel and reach around $2,000 for a full resurfacing series, depending on the area, the depth and the number of sessions. Your exact plan and price are confirmed at the consultation before anything is booked. Taxes are added at payment.
CO2 resurfacing runs at our Monkland clinic in Montreal. Book that location for this treatment. Our other clinics carry different technology, and the consultation will point you to the right one if another option suits your skin better.
Read more about this treatment
Longer pieces from the clinic on how this treatment works, who it suits, and what a full course looks like.
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Available at Monkland
- 01
Monkland
6000 Avenue Monkland, Montreal
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Meet one of our physicians to plan the areas and the dose.
Results vary from person to person and are not guaranteed.