Fractional CO2 · Etched Texture · Pacific Plaza
CO2 laser for pores is fractional resurfacing aimed at the rough, etched skin around visible pores rather than at the pores themselves. At Atelier it is done on the DEKA Tetra Pro and chosen when pores sit within coarse texture or shallow boxcar scarring; smoother skin with slackened pores usually suits RF microneedling instead. Dr Sin Yong explains at consultation that it does not close pores or reduce oil.
Fractional CO2 light at 10,600 nm is absorbed by water. Each pulse vaporises a microscopic column of skin and leaves untouched skin between the columns to speed healing. Beneath, the dermis remodels with new collagen. Pores then sit in smoother skin with firmer support, so they look smaller.
Pulse settings let the columns be shaped: deeper and narrower at the edges of scars, shallower and wider across general texture. What the laser does not change is the number of pores, the size of the oil glands or how much oil they make. Dr Sin Yong holds a Key Opinion Leader appointment with DEKA.
Specifications
The same platform runs Atelier's Tetra Pro Scar³ protocol.
Who It Suits
CO2 earns its recovery when the surface itself is the problem. When the surface is fairly smooth and the rim has slackened, RF microneedling for pores is usually the gentler match.
| Fractional CO2 | RF microneedling | |
|---|---|---|
| What the surface goes through | Open micro-wounds that weep, crust and flake | Pinpoint marks; the surface is largely spared |
| Pores it fits | Pores in rough, etched texture or among shallow boxcar scars | Slackened cheek pores in oily or acne-prone skin, or in darker skin types |
| Pigment risk in Fitzpatrick III to V | Higher | Lower with insulated needles |
| Visible healing | Usually longer | Usually shorter |
The Decision
Pores driven mainly by oil, or plugged with blackheads, need oil control and clearing, not resurfacing; the wider plan is on pore reduction treatment.
In Fitzpatrick III to V skin the laser passes through a melanin-rich surface, so darkening after inflammation is common. A history of darkening after laser, melasma, recent isotretinoin or a tendency to keloids may change the plan or tip it towards RF microneedling. A fresh tan or active acne means waiting. If CO2 goes ahead, preparation may include prescribed skincare, conservative density, a test area and antiviral cover for cold sores. CO2 laser in Asian skin explains this further.
On The Day
Recovery
The treated skin is red, swollen and weeping at first, then dries into crusts that flake away. Pinkness then fades, at a pace set by density, depth and your skin. Make-up, swimming, saunas and hard exercise wait until the surface has closed, and sunscreen starts once it has. Day-by-day timing is on CO2 laser downtime; home care on CO2 laser aftercare.
Safety
Expected: redness, swelling, seeping, crusting, pinkness. Less common: redness that lasts longer, infection, a cold sore outbreak, a flare of acne or milia, and darkening after inflammation, which is the main concern in Asian skin. Rarely, a visible line where treated and untreated skin meet, or scarring.
Contact the clinic the same day for increasing pain, spreading yellow crusts, pus, fever or blistering.
Continue
Atelier Aesthetics · Owned by AYA
9 Scotts Road, Pacific Plaza #12-01A, Singapore 228210 · +65 8023 7170
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