CO2 laser resurfacing in Naperville
The deepest correction on our menu. Fractional CO2 vaporises damaged tissue and triggers the strongest collagen response of any resurfacing laser — which is why we reach for it when scarring is shadowed and stable, or when lines are etched at rest and neurotoxin has stopped being enough.
Performed in our Naperville office
- Session
- 60–90 minutes, including numbing
- Downtime
- 5–7 days swelling, bronzing, sheeting
- Sessions
- 1–3 8–12 weeks apart
- Skin types
- I–III type IV with care
- Season
- Autumn–winter ablative resurfacing is seasonal
- From
- $1,500 face & neck · $1,350 for members
The technology, plainly stated.
We don’t sell — we educate. Here is exactly what the device is and how it works, so you can make an informed choice.
- Device
- Cutera Secret Pro — fractional CO2 and RF microneedling on the same platform
- Wavelength
- 10,600 nm carbon dioxide — the gold-standard ablative resurfacing wavelength
- Mechanism
- Fractional micro-columns vaporise damaged tissue while heat in the surrounding dermis triggers aggressive collagen remodelling
- Pigment risk
- The highest of any device on our menu. We treat Fitzpatrick I–III, and type IV only with care
- Comfort
- Topical numbing plus cold-air chilling throughout; deeper settings may add local anaesthetic
- Aftercare
- A $200 recovery kit is included with every CO2 treatment, and Healite II LED sessions follow in the first week
What CO2 resurfacing treats
CO2 is our depth tool. It is the answer when a concern is structural — scarring, or lines etched into the skin at rest — rather than a question of tone or glow.
- Etched lines around the mouth
- Crepey lower eyelid skin
- Atrophic acne scarring
- Rolling and boxcar scars
- Surgical and injury scars
- Deep static wrinkles
Sequencing matters as much as the device. Neurotoxin goes first and we resurface two weeks later; for tethered rolling scars, subcision comes before any laser. Your consultation sets the order.
Who this is for — and who it isn’t
Most clinics only publish the first list. Both matter.
Book it if
- Your scarring is shadowed and stable — scars older than twelve months are ready to treat
- Lines are etched at rest and neurotoxin has stopped being enough
- You are Fitzpatrick I–III, or type IV and willing to proceed carefully
- You can protect five to seven days at home, in autumn or winter
Choose differently if
- You are Fitzpatrick IV or above — CO2 carries the highest pigment risk on our menu, and RF microneedling reaches depth safely in every skin tone
- You have active inflammatory acne — we treat the acne first and the scars second; getting this backwards is the most common sequencing error there is
- You have melasma — heat drives it, and no energy device belongs anywhere near a Cosmelan phase
- Your rosacea is uncontrolled — we settle the inflammation before any ablative resurfacing
- You have an event inside three weeks, or you are pregnant, nursing, actively tanned, or within six months of isotretinoin
If your skin type or your calendar rules CO2 out, that is not the end of the conversation — HALO reaches similar goals with a moderate pigment risk and a long weekend of downtime, and RF microneedling is safe in every Fitzpatrick type. If another treatment serves you better, that is the one we will recommend.
Your visit, start to finish
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Before
Consultation and candidacy
We examine your skin, establish your Fitzpatrick type and agree the correction you are after. Every CO2 plan is reviewed by our supervising physician before it is booked.
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During
Numbing, then passes
Topical anaesthetic sits for thirty to forty-five minutes. The handpiece delivers fractional CO2 in measured passes with cold air throughout, with settings adjusted per zone — lighter around the eyes than across the cheeks.
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After
Sealed, LED, home
Healing balm goes on before you leave, with your recovery kit and a written day-by-day plan. Healite II LED sessions in the first week speed healing, and we review you at two weeks and again at three months.
Recovery, day by day
Five to seven days, and the arc is predictable. Your provider will tell you at the consultation exactly where your treatment sits on it.
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Day 0
Hot and tight
A deep sunburn feeling for a few hours. Skin looks red and starts to bronze. Sleep propped up.
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Day 1–2
Peak swelling
Puffiest around the eyes first thing in the morning. Pinpoint crusting is normal — the balm routine matters most here.
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Day 2–4
Bronzing
The treated surface darkens to a bronze cast before it releases. This is the stage people are least warned about and most alarmed by.
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Day 4–7
Sheeting
The bronzed layer sheets away and fresh pink skin appears underneath. Don’t pick — let it release on its own.
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Week 2–4
Pink fades
Residual pinkness settles and makeup covers it easily. Healite sessions and strict sun protection speed this stage.
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Month 3–6
Collagen peaks
Line depth and scar texture keep improving for months after the surface has healed. This is where CO2 outruns every lighter laser.
Planning it well: we book ablative resurfacing in autumn and winter, never within three weeks of an event, and we ask you to plan on working from home through the sheeting window. Daily sun protection for six weeks afterwards is what protects the result.
CO2, HALO or RF microneedling?
These are the three treatments that change skin rather than maintain it. Most consultations come down to a choice between two of them, and the honest answer is usually decided by your skin type and how many days you can take.
Fractional CO2 · Secret Pro
$1,500
face & neck · $4,200 for three
- Best at depth — scars and etched lines
- Fitzpatrick I–III, IV with care
- 5–7 days · swelling, bronzing, sheeting
- 1–3 sessions, 8–12 weeks apart
- Pigment risk: highest
- Autumn and winter only
HALO · Sciton Joule X
$1,500
face & neck · $2,800 for two
- Best at tone and texture together — glow
- Fitzpatrick I–IV
- 3–5 days · MENDs speckling, fine sheeting
- 1–3 sessions, 4–6 weeks apart
- Pigment risk: moderate
- Autumn and winter
RF Microneedling · Secret Pro
$1,000
face & neck · $2,700 for three
- Best at laxity — and safe in every skin tone
- Fitzpatrick I–VI, all types
- 1–2 days · redness, grid pattern
- 3–4 sessions, 4–6 weeks apart
- Pigment risk: minimal
- Year round
Per session all three work out at about $1,400 — the price difference between them is course length, not value. If two of the three are reasonable for you, we will offer both and let downtime decide.
Frequently asked questions
How does CO2 laser resurfacing work?
A fractional CO2 laser delivers thousands of microscopic columns of 10,600 nm energy that vaporise damaged tissue while leaving the surrounding skin intact to speed healing. The heat also triggers an aggressive collagen response in the dermis, which is why results keep improving for months after the surface has healed.
How is CO2 different from HALO?
CO2 is best at depth — scars and lines etched at rest. HALO is best at tone and texture together, and it is the one that delivers visible glow. CO2 asks for five to seven days of recovery against HALO’s three to five, and it carries a higher pigment risk, so HALO is open to Fitzpatrick I–IV where CO2 is I–III. Both are $1,500 for face and neck. If both are reasonable for you we will offer both and let downtime decide.
How much downtime does CO2 resurfacing require?
Five to seven days: swelling first, then bronzing, then sheeting. Treatment around the eye area specifically runs five to ten days. We book ablative resurfacing in autumn and winter, and never within three weeks of an event.
Is CO2 laser resurfacing safe for darker skin tones?
CO2 carries the highest pigment risk of any device on our menu. We treat Fitzpatrick I–III, and type IV only with care and after a frank conversation about that risk. At Fitzpatrick IV and above we move to RF microneedling, which reaches the same depth and is safe in every skin tone. This is exactly the kind of call our supervising physician reviews.
How long do CO2 laser results last?
Structural improvements — scar depth, etched lines — are effectively permanent, though your skin keeps ageing around them. Tone and texture results hold for years with daily sun protection. Most patients don’t repeat CO2; they maintain with lighter treatments.
How much does CO2 laser resurfacing cost in Naperville?
Fractional CO2 for the face and neck is $1,500, or $4,200 for a course of three; members pay $1,350. The eye area alone is $500, and a Microlaser Peel with CO2 is $500. Combined with RF microneedling for face and neck it is $1,750. Every price includes your recovery kit and Healite II LED sessions, and Cherry payment plans are available.
Why patients choose us
- Oversight
- Every CO2 resurfacing plan is reviewed by our supervising physician.
- Candidacy
- We treat Fitzpatrick I–III, and type IV only with care. If your skin type puts you at real risk of pigment change, we will say so and offer RF microneedling instead.
- Approach
- If HALO or RF microneedling suits you better, we'll say so — including when that means recommending a less expensive treatment.
- Aftercare
- Your $200 recovery kit is included in the price of the treatment, not sold to you afterward.
- Pricing
- Posted on the page, with the member price beside it. No consultation required to find out what something costs.
- Locations
- CO2 is performed in Naperville. Consultations are available at either location.
Pairs well with
Laser Skin Resurfacing (HALO)
Tone and texture together, with a long weekend of downtime instead of a week — the right call for many who consider CO2.
Laser Skin Resurfacing (HALO) → Same platformRF Microneedling
The Secret Pro’s other half — depth for laxity, safe in every skin tone, and the first line for atrophic scarring when combined with CO2.
RF Microneedling → MaintenanceLaseMD Ultra Resurfacing
A lighter, low-downtime resurfacing to hold your CO2 result for years between corrections.
LaseMD Ultra Resurfacing →Ask first — from your couch.
Mark the areas on the model, add a couple of photos, and a provider will tell you honestly whether CO2 fits your skin — or whether a lighter laser gets you there — and what it would cost. CO2 is the most serious treatment we offer, and candidacy genuinely decides it. Free, no obligation.
Start with a conversation, not a booking.
Every service begins with a complimentary thirty-minute consultation, and we’ll tell you honestly whether CO2 is the right tool — or whether a lighter laser gets you there with less downtime.
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Naperville
1867 Bay Scott Circle, Suite 111, Naperville, IL 60540
CO2 laser resurfacing is a medical procedure and requires a medical evaluation. Individual results vary with skin type, concern severity and aftercare, and not every patient is a candidate. Prices effective August 2026 and subject to change.