Refresh. Renew. Reset your skin.
Laser skin resurfacing uses controlled, precisely calibrated light energy to treat fine lines, sun damage, uneven tone, and textural scarring by working within the deeper layers of the skin. Rather than covering up damage, it prompts the skin to rebuild itself with fresh, more evenly structured tissue.
Sun exposure, natural aging, and years of expression gradually damage collagen and elastin fibers within the dermis — the structural layer beneath the visible surface of the skin. This shows up as fine lines, atrophic scarring, uneven pigmentation, and a rougher, less resilient texture.
Topical treatments and skincare products can improve the very outermost layer, but they generally can't reach or meaningfully rebuild the deeper dermal structure where this damage actually lives. Laser resurfacing is designed to work at that deeper level.
Ablative lasers, such as fractionated CO2, remove thin columns of tissue in a precise, fractionated pattern, triggering a robust wound-healing and collagen-rebuilding response. They deliver the most dramatic improvement but require real downtime.
Non-ablative lasers heat the underlying tissue without removing the surface layer, stimulating collagen production with far less downtime, though results build more gradually and are generally more modest. Dr. Kim's practice is built around the ablative fractionated CO2 laser, which offers the most significant, longest-lasting improvement of any resurfacing technology available.
The outcome of laser skin resurfacing is directly correlated to the energy setting used and, in turn, the downtime that setting requires. A conservative, low-energy pass is more comfortable and easier to recover from, but it also removes less damaged tissue and delivers a correspondingly more modest result. A higher-energy, more aggressive pass reaches deeper into the dermis and produces a more complete, longer-lasting improvement — but it demands real downtime and, without adequate pain control, is genuinely difficult for a patient to tolerate while awake.
This is precisely why many practices default to lighter settings — the treatment itself, at higher energy, is quite painful, even though the recovery afterward is not. Dr. Kim's practice addresses this directly by offering twilight sedation for patients undergoing ablative CO2 resurfacing, administered by our provider throughout the treatment. This allows Dr. Kim to treat at a meaningfully higher energy level than most practices are able to offer comfortably, aiming for the most complete result the tissue can support rather than compromising for the sake of in-office tolerability.
Downtime depends heavily on the energy setting used; the timeline below reflects a typical higher-energy ablative fractionated CO2 treatment. While the treatment itself is intense enough to require sedation, recovery afterward is genuinely painless — most patients describe discomfort, tightness, and itching rather than pain.
Skin is red, swollen, and weeping initially, progressing through a bronzing and peeling phase. Most patients plan for about 7–10 days away from work and social activity.
Redness fades to a pink tone that can typically be covered with mineral makeup. Skin continues to feel tighter and smoother as new collagen forms beneath the surface.
Strict sun avoidance and daily broad-spectrum SPF are essential during this entire window — newly resurfaced skin is highly vulnerable to pigmentation changes from UV exposure. Full collagen remodeling continues for several months after treatment.
Because Dr. Kim treats at a higher energy setting under twilight sedation, a single ablative fractionated CO2 session often produces significant, lasting improvement that would otherwise take a series of lighter treatments to approach — for moderate-to-significant sun damage, fine lines, and textural scarring.
The treatment itself, at the higher energy levels needed for a truly meaningful result, is genuinely painful to undergo while fully awake — which is exactly why Dr. Kim offers twilight sedation for ablative CO2 resurfacing. Sedation keeps you comfortable throughout the procedure and allows Dr. Kim to treat more thoroughly than would otherwise be tolerable. Recovery afterward, by contrast, is not painful — most patients describe tightness, itching, and mild sunburn-like sensitivity, managed with cool compresses and prescribed skincare.
Yes — fractionated ablative lasers are one of the more effective options for textural acne scarring, working by stimulating new collagen to fill in and smooth out atrophic (indented) scars over the following months.
Yes. Laser resurfacing improves the skin's own texture, tone, and clarity rather than changing your features — the result is skin that looks like a healthier, more youthful version of your own, not an artificial or "done" appearance.
Shown with patient consent. Individual results vary by anatomy, technique, and healing.
View More Laser Skin Resurfacing Results in the Full Gallery →
"Dr. Kim and his staff are amazing. Very knowledgeable and professional. I always feel comfortable and well taken care of."
"Wonderful experience from start to finish. Highly recommend Dr. Kim and his team."
"Professional, caring, and the results speak for themselves."