Your Fraxel aftercare, day by day.
Tell us the day of your treatment, and this page shows what to do that day, with a short video for each stage of your recovery.
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Treatment date:
Treatment day
Day 0: what to do.
Read the video's captions
- You may feel like you have a mild to moderate sunburn for up to 3 days. Here is what to do today.
- Go straight home, and put nothing on your skin today. Sunscreen starts tomorrow, or today if you have a long drive home.
- Ice packs: 15 minutes, every 1 to 2 hours, until bedtime. This keeps redness and swelling down.
- Keep your head elevated, especially at night. This helps reduce swelling.
- Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve): with meals, 3 times a day, for 3 days. Skip it if you have a bleeding disorder, kidney disease or stomach ulcers, or take blood thinners.
- Prescribed an antiviral or an antibiotic? Take it exactly as directed. An antiviral is for a history of cold sores, an antibiotic for a history of acne.
- No exercise for 24 hours, or until the swelling is gone.
- Wash once a day with a gentle cleanser. No hot water, no scrubbing. Such as La Roche-Posay foaming oil cleanser, or Neutrogena Hydro Boost or Ultra Gentle cleanser.
- Keep showers quick, under 10 minutes, with warm water, not hot. For the first week.
- Apply Vaseline at least twice a day. From day 1 to day 5. On day 6 you switch to a gentle moisturizer.
- Sleep on a clean towel placed over your pillow.
- Wear sunscreen every day, and avoid the sun. Tinted sunscreen and makeup are fine after the first 24 hours.
- No shaving the treated area for the first 5 to 7 days.
- Skip aloe, vitamin E, Neosporin, toners and exfoliating products. Hold your retinol, retinoid or skin lightening cream for at least 2 weeks.
- Swollen? A non-drowsy antihistamine can help. Such as Allegra, Zyrtec or Claritin, as needed.
- On day 6, switch from Vaseline to a gentle moisturizer. Such as La Roche-Posay Cicaplast cream or gel, or Neutrogena Hydro Boost water gel or cream. Use it through day 14.
- Any raw area? Keep using Vaseline there until it is completely healed.
- Keep washing once a day with a gentle cleanser. Showers stay quick and warm, not hot, through day 7.
- You can shave the treated area again after the first 5 to 7 days.
- Still on hold: toners, exfoliating products, retinol, retinoids and skin lightening creams. No aloe, vitamin E or Neosporin either.
- Sunscreen every day, and avoid the sun. Your skin is still fragile and more sensitive than normal.
- After 2 weeks, you can start or restart your retinol, retinoid or skin lightening cream.
- Toners and exfoliating products can come back after 2 to 3 weeks.
- Your skin will be more sensitive than normal for several weeks.
- Keep up sun protection for 4 to 6 weeks: sunscreen every day, and avoid sun exposure. It improves your results and lowers the risk of side effects, including prolonged darkening of the skin.
- Questions after your treatment? Message Dr. Nawas directly through the patient portal, or call (346) 696-3376.
Do
- Go straight home after your appointment.
- Use ice packs for 15 minutes every 1 to 2 hours until bedtime, to keep redness and swelling down.
- Keep your head elevated to reduce swelling, especially at night.
- Take ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve) with meals, 3 times a day, for 3 days. Skip it if you have a bleeding disorder, kidney disease or stomach ulcers, or take blood thinners.
Avoid
- Put nothing on your skin today. It is extra sensitive and easily irritated by any product and by the sun.
- No exercise for 24 hours, or until the swelling is gone.
- No shaving the treated area for the first 5 to 7 days.
- No aloe, vitamin E or Neosporin, and nothing else that may irritate your skin.
- No retinol, retinoid or skin lightening cream for at least 2 weeks.
If it applies to you
- Sunscreen starts tomorrow. If you have a long drive home, apply it today.
- If Dr. Nawas prescribed an antiviral (for a history of cold sores) or an antibiotic (for a history of acne), take it exactly as directed.
Good to know
- You may feel like you have a mild to moderate sunburn for up to 3 days.
Coming up on day 1: Start your gentle cleanser, Vaseline at least twice a day and daily sunscreen.
The whole plan
Six weeks, in four stages.
Everything on the printed instructions Dr. Nawas gave you, stage by stage. Print the instructions (PDF).
1Treatment dayDay 0
Do
- Go straight home after your appointment.
- Use ice packs for 15 minutes every 1 to 2 hours until bedtime, to keep redness and swelling down.
- Keep your head elevated to reduce swelling, especially at night.
- Take ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve) with meals, 3 times a day, for 3 days. Skip it if you have a bleeding disorder, kidney disease or stomach ulcers, or take blood thinners.
Avoid
- Put nothing on your skin today. It is extra sensitive and easily irritated by any product and by the sun.
- No exercise for 24 hours, or until the swelling is gone.
- No shaving the treated area for the first 5 to 7 days.
- No aloe, vitamin E or Neosporin, and nothing else that may irritate your skin.
- No retinol, retinoid or skin lightening cream for at least 2 weeks.
If it applies to you
- Sunscreen starts tomorrow. If you have a long drive home, apply it today.
- If Dr. Nawas prescribed an antiviral (for a history of cold sores) or an antibiotic (for a history of acne), take it exactly as directed.
Good to know
- You may feel like you have a mild to moderate sunburn for up to 3 days.
2Days 1 to 5
Do
- Keep your head elevated to reduce swelling, especially at night.
- Take ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve) with meals, 3 times a day, for 3 days. Skip it if you have a bleeding disorder, kidney disease or stomach ulcers, or take blood thinners.
- Wash once a day with a gentle cleanser, such as La Roche-Posay foaming oil cleanser, Neutrogena Hydro Boost hydrating gel cleanser or Neutrogena Ultra Gentle foaming cleanser.
- Keep showers quick, under 10 minutes, with warm water, not hot.
- Apply Vaseline at least twice a day.
- Sleep on a clean towel placed over your pillow.
- Wear sunscreen every day, and avoid sun exposure.
Avoid
- No exercise for 24 hours, or until the swelling is gone.
- No shaving the treated area for the first 5 to 7 days.
- No hot water on your skin, and no vigorous rubbing.
- No aloe, vitamin E or Neosporin, and nothing else that may irritate your skin.
- No toners or exfoliating products for 2 to 3 weeks.
- No retinol, retinoid or skin lightening cream for at least 2 weeks.
If it applies to you
- If Dr. Nawas prescribed an antiviral (for a history of cold sores) or an antibiotic (for a history of acne), take it exactly as directed.
- Swollen? A non-drowsy antihistamine, such as Allegra, Zyrtec or Claritin, can help, as needed.
Good to know
- You may feel like you have a mild to moderate sunburn for up to 3 days.
- Tinted sunscreen and makeup are fine after the first 24 hours.
- Optional: Bio Cream Overnight Smoothing Cream by Neocutis can help the redness go away faster.
- Your skin will be fragile and more sensitive than normal for several weeks.
3Days 6 to 14
Do
- Wash once a day with a gentle cleanser, such as La Roche-Posay foaming oil cleanser, Neutrogena Hydro Boost hydrating gel cleanser or Neutrogena Ultra Gentle foaming cleanser.
- Keep showers quick, under 10 minutes, with warm water, not hot.
- Use a gentle moisturizer, such as La Roche-Posay Cicaplast cream or gel, or Neutrogena Hydro Boost water gel or cream.
- Sleep on a clean towel placed over your pillow.
- Wear sunscreen every day, and avoid sun exposure.
Avoid
- No shaving the treated area for the first 5 to 7 days.
- No hot water on your skin, and no vigorous rubbing.
- No aloe, vitamin E or Neosporin, and nothing else that may irritate your skin.
- No toners or exfoliating products for 2 to 3 weeks.
- No retinol, retinoid or skin lightening cream for at least 2 weeks.
If it applies to you
- If Dr. Nawas prescribed an antiviral (for a history of cold sores) or an antibiotic (for a history of acne), take it exactly as directed.
- Any raw area? Keep using Vaseline there until it is completely healed.
Good to know
- Optional: Bio Cream Overnight Smoothing Cream by Neocutis can help the redness go away faster.
- Your skin will be fragile and more sensitive than normal for several weeks.
4Weeks 3 to 6Days 15 to 42
Do
- Wear sunscreen every day, and avoid sun exposure.
Avoid
- No toners or exfoliating products for 2 to 3 weeks.
Good to know
- After 2 weeks, you can start or restart your retinol, retinoid or skin lightening cream.
- After 3 weeks, toners and exfoliating products can come back.
- Your skin will be fragile and more sensitive than normal for several weeks.
Sun protection is essential. Avoid sun exposure and use sunscreen for 4 to 6 weeks before and after your laser treatment to improve the effect of your treatment and decrease your risk of side effects, including prolonged darkening of your skin.
Questions after your treatment? Message Dr. Nawas directly through the patient portal, or call the office at (346) 696-3376. Everyone heals a little differently, so always follow the instructions Dr. Nawas gave you.
Patient portal practice code VI49