If you are ready to refresh your skin and address concerns like fine lines, acne scars, sun damage, or uneven texture, we want you to know there is more than one path forward. BioSpa serves patients in Newport Beach and throughout Orange County with something most MedSpas cannot offer: a single, physician-supervised treatment platform that covers the full spectrum of CO2 resurfacing. Whether you are looking for a gradual series with minimal downtime or a more comprehensive single-treatment reset, both options use the same advanced device, adjusted to support your individual goals.
What Is CO2 Laser Resurfacing?
CO2 laser resurfacing works by delivering carefully controlled laser energy into the skin, where it is absorbed by water in skin tissue. This creates a precise, managed response that encourages your skin to shed older, damaged cells and replace them with fresher layers supported by new collagen and elastin. The result, over time, is smoother texture, more even tone, and a refreshed, more youthful appearance.1
For many years, CO2 resurfacing was known for delivering impressive results, but the recovery involved was significant. Today’s technology has changed that. The newest generation of CO2 lasers gives our expert providers the ability to precisely tailor the treatment to each patient’s skin and comfort level, which is exactly what our device makes possible at BioSpa.
The Device: DEKA SmartXide Tetra CO2
All CO2 laser resurfacing at BioSpa is performed using the DEKA SmartXide Tetra CO2, one of the most advanced CO2 laser platforms available today. DEKA is a leading name in laser technology, and the SmartXide Tetra is built around a unique H-pulse technology that delivers high-peak energy in extremely short pulses. This precision gives our providers exceptional control over how deeply the laser works and how much heat is transferred to the surrounding skin.2
Because the SmartXide Tetra is fully adjustable, the very same device can support two very different treatment experiences depending on what you are hoping to achieve. The CoolPeel protocol offers gradual renewal with minimal downtime, while full-intensity CO2 resurfacing is available for patients ready to take a more comprehensive approach. Understanding both helps you feel confident and informed going into your consultation.
CoolPeel: Gradual Renewal with Minimal Downtime
CoolPeel is a specific treatment mode within the SmartXide Tetra platform. By using reduced energy settings, our providers can target only the superficial layer of the skin, stimulating renewal without the extended recovery time associated with deeper resurfacing. Most patients are back to their normal routines within 1 to 3 days.
What makes this possible is a well-established principle: even surface-level treatment triggers meaningful collagen, elastin, and protein production in the skin. The results are real and build progressively across a series of sessions, making CoolPeel an excellent choice for patients who want visible improvement while keeping their schedule intact.
What CoolPeel Can Help Refresh
- Fine lines and early wrinkles
- Uneven skin texture
- Enlarged or visible pores
- Mild sun damage and brown spots
- Overall dullness and tone irregularities
CoolPeel Treatment Protocol
CoolPeel is typically done as a series of three treatments, spaced approximately four weeks apart. A full-face session takes roughly 5 to 15 minutes, not including your pre-treatment numbing and post-care time. Your Laser Specialist will walk you through exactly what to expect at your complimentary consultation.
Full CO2 Resurfacing: One Treatment, Transformative Results
For patients whose concerns go deeper, the SmartXide Tetra can be adjusted to full resurfacing intensity. At this level, the laser encourages a more comprehensive skin renewal response, including significant new collagen formation, improved elastin, and the correction of deeper lines, textural scarring, and long-standing sun damage.
Full CO2 resurfacing is a single treatment with a recovery period of approximately 7 to 14 days. For patients ready to invest in that healing time, the results can be transformative and long-lasting. This approach is often the right fit for patients dealing with moderate to significant wrinkling, acne scarring, or skin laxity that a lighter treatment series may not fully address.
What Full CO2 Resurfacing Can Help Improve
- Moderate to deep wrinkles and lines
- Acne scars and textural scarring
- Significant sun damage and hyperpigmentation
- Skin laxity and loss of firmness
- Uneven skin tone and rough texture
Which Option Is Right for You?
The right choice depends on your skin concerns, your lifestyle, and what kind of results you are hoping to support. Because BioSpa offers both CoolPeel and full CO2 resurfacing on the same device, your provider can build a plan around your skin rather than fitting your skin into a preset program.
Patients who want meaningful improvement without a lengthy recovery tend to find that the CoolPeel series fits their goals well. Patients who are ready to commit to a longer healing period in exchange for deeper, longer-lasting change often find full CO2 resurfacing to be the better path. Your complimentary consultation at BioSpa is the best place to explore what is right for you, with no pressure and no obligation.
Are You a Good Candidate?
Skin type plays an important role in whether CO2 laser resurfacing is the right fit and which approach is safest. During your consultation, your provider will assess your Fitzpatrick skin type and discuss your goals in detail. Patients with lighter skin types tend to be the strongest candidates, though darker skin types are not automatically excluded. Your Laser Specialist will advise based on your individual profile.
Most ideal candidates are in good overall health, have realistic expectations, and are non-smokers or willing to pause smoking for at least two weeks before and four weeks after treatment to support healing. Patients currently using certain retinoid products, or who have recently had injectable treatments, will typically pause those in the weeks before their CO2 session.
CO2 resurfacing is not recommended for patients who are pregnant, have an active skin infection in the treatment area, or have a history of keloidal scarring.
What to Expect: Before, During, and After
Before Your Treatment
Preparing your skin is an important part of getting the best possible result. Your provider will review your skincare routine and may suggest specific pre-treatment steps. In most cases, retinoid products should be paused about one week beforehand, and any injectable appointments should be scheduled at least two weeks before your CO2 session. Avoiding sun exposure in the weeks leading up to treatment helps set your skin up for success.
The Day of Treatment
On your treatment day, your Laser Specialist will apply a topical numbing cream to the treatment area before anything begins. Once you are comfortable and numb, protective eyewear will be placed, and the SmartXide Tetra handpiece will deliver precisely controlled pulses to the targeted areas. A full-face CoolPeel takes roughly 5 to 15 minutes. Full CO2 resurfacing sessions vary by area treated. Throughout the process, your comfort and care come first.
Recovery
After a CoolPeel treatment, you may notice redness and warmth, similar to a mild sunburn. Most patients feel back to normal within 1 to 3 days and can return to makeup and regular activities quickly. After full CO2 resurfacing, your skin will need more time, typically 7 to 14 days, as it heals and reveals the fresh layers underneath. Your provider will give you a detailed post-care plan to support your skin through recovery.
Results
With CoolPeel, you can expect to see your skin begin to shed and refresh within the first week, with continued improvement building across your three-session series and beyond. Collagen remodeling continues in the weeks and months following treatment, extending and enhancing your results. Full CO2 resurfacing results become more apparent as healing completes, typically developing over 3 to 6 months and lasting for several years with proper skincare and sun protection.
The Ultimate Duo: CO2 + RF Microneedling
For patients who want to address surface renewal and deeper skin tightening together, BioSpa offers the Ultimate Duo, a combination of CoolPeel and RF Microneedling. CoolPeel handles texture, tone, and surface refreshing, while RF Microneedling works at a deeper level to stimulate collagen and support firmness. Together, these two treatments can produce results that neither achieves on its own, without the extended recovery of full CO2 resurfacing. Ask your provider at your consultation whether the Ultimate Duo might be the right approach for your goals.
Why BioSpa
BioSpa is owned and operated by Dr. Jed Horowitz, MD, FACS, and Dr. Larry Nichter, MD, MS, FACS, both board-certified plastic surgeons with more than 35 years of experience in aesthetic medicine. BioSpa is affiliated with the Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery, one of the most recognized plastic surgery practices in Southern California, and all treatments are performed under direct physician oversight.
Your CO2 laser resurfacing at BioSpa will be performed by our expert Nurse providers and Laser Specialists, who are highly trained and guided by the standards of our physician-led practice. That level of oversight and expertise is what sets BioSpa apart, and it is something we take seriously for every patient who walks through our doors.
BioSpa has been voted Orange County’s Best Medical Spa and holds a 4.9-star rating across more than 500 patient reviews. We are here to support patients in Newport Beach and throughout Orange County and the surrounding communities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both treatments use the same device, the DEKA SmartXide Tetra CO2 laser, with different settings tailored to different goals. CoolPeel uses lower-energy, high-speed pulses to refresh the surface layer of skin with minimal downtime, done as a series of three. Full CO2 resurfacing uses higher energy to work at a deeper level in a single session, with a longer recovery of 7 to 14 days and more significant, longer-lasting results.
Most patients complete a series of three CoolPeel sessions spaced approximately four weeks apart. This spacing gives your skin time to heal between visits and allows the collagen remodeling process to build cumulative, progressive improvement.
CO2 laser resurfacing tends to work best for lighter Fitzpatrick skin types (I-III). Patients with darker skin tones are not automatically excluded, but careful evaluation is important to support the best possible result and reduce any risk of pigment changes. Your Laser Specialist will assess your skin type during your complimentary consultation and guide you toward the approach that is right for you.
The most common side effects include redness, swelling, and warmth in the treated area, similar to a mild sunburn. These typically resolve within a few days for CoolPeel and longer for full CO2 resurfacing. Rare risks include infection, scarring, or changes in pigmentation. If you are prone to cold sore outbreaks, please let your provider know, as laser treatment can trigger an episode. Antiviral medication can be prescribed preventively when needed.
Yes. Consultations at BioSpa are complimentary. We encourage you to come in, share your goals, and let our team help you understand your options without any pressure or commitment.
CO2 laser resurfacing is a cosmetic treatment and is not typically covered by health insurance. BioSpa offers affordable financing options to help make treatment more accessible. Ask our team about financing at your consultation.
CoolPeel results continue to develop and refine over the course of the series and the months that follow, with results lasting well beyond the final treatment. Full CO2 resurfacing results can last several years with a consistent skincare routine and ongoing sun protection.
The face is the most common treatment area for CO2 resurfacing. The neck, decollete, hands, and certain areas of the back and shoulders can also be addressed. Your provider will evaluate any area you are interested in and help you understand the best approach for your goals.
Schedule Your Complimentary Consultation at BioSpa
Your skin is unique, and your path to refreshed, more confident skin should be too. Whether you are exploring CoolPeel, full CO2 resurfacing, or the Ultimate Duo, our expert team is here to listen, answer your questions, and help you design a treatment plan that fits your goals and your life.
BioSpa serves patients in Newport Beach and throughout Orange County. Schedule your complimentary consultation today and take the first step toward skin that feels and looks its best.
Schedule a Consultation1 Hantash BM, Bedi VP, Kapadia B, Rahman Z, Jiang K, Tanner H, Chan KF, Zachary CB. In vivo histological evaluation of a novel ablative fractional resurfacing device. Lasers Surg Med. 2007 Feb;39(2):96-107. doi: 10.1002/lsm.20468. PMID: 17311274. Available: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17311274/. Accessed May 8, 2026.
2 Cartessa Aesthetics. “CoolPeel: A New Advance in CO2 Laser Treatment.” cartessaaesthetics.com, 2023. Available: https://www.cartessaaesthetics.com/blog/coolpeel-a-new-advance-in-co2-laser-treatment. Accessed May 8, 2026.
