Skincare Before and After Laser Treatment: A Home-Care Guide

What matters most during downtime?

What matters most during downtime is to avoid irritating your skin and give the skin barrier time to recover with moisturizer and sun protection. Right after treatment your skin is dry and sensitive from the heat, and using a new product, rubbing it, or exposing it to heat at this point makes redness last longer and raises the risk of pigmentation.

This page is not about the treatments themselves. It sets out, day by day, what to do and what to avoid in your accommodation and daily routine before and after treatment, and when each thing becomes OK again. For how the treatments work, see our guides on pico toning, laser toning, Fraxel and melasma.

How is pre-treatment care different from your usual routine?

Pre-treatment care means resting the skin and cutting down on irritants, while your usual routine means actively changing the skin with active ingredients. Normally you refine your skin with retinol, exfoliating products and peels, but if skin that is about to be lasered has been thinned by these, the same laser setting can leave it redder and stingier.

What should I stop 1–2 weeks before treatment?

Before laser, toning, Fraxel or IPL, you usually stop anything that exfoliates or irritates the skin from 1–2 weeks before, and stay out of the sun. The exact period depends on the clinic and the treatment; the table below shows the ranges generally given.

Wear sunscreen every day before treatment as well. If you are quite tanned before treatment, your skin tone can temporarily get darker, and the treatment area may be adjusted or the date postponed. If you plan to have treatment during your trip, it helps to protect your skin with a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen for 1–2 weeks before you come to Korea.

What about medications I take or apply?

Don't stop any medication on your own. At the consultation, tell the doctor the exact names. Some medications may change the timing or method of treatment, but that decision is made together by the doctor who prescribed it and the treating doctor, and stopping on your own can actually be risky.

• Bring a list of everything: prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, supplements and topical medicines (the packaging or a photo is fine).
• Be sure to tell us if you take medication that makes skin sensitive to light, such as acne medication or some antibiotics.
• If you recently had other treatments such as laser, peels or fillers, tell us the date and the area.
• Also tell us if you are or might be pregnant or breastfeeding, and if you have a history of cold sores (blisters on the lips).
• If Korean is difficult, write the medication names as English ingredient names. Your manager will interpret.

When can I restart my basic skincare after treatment?

Gentle washing and moisturizing are possible from the day of treatment, and if the clinic gave you a soothing or regenerating product, use that first. When you can go back to your usual products depends on the treatment; the table below shows general ranges.

What do the 2 weeks after toning look like, day by day?

Toning generally has short downtime, so you can go about your day from the same day, but the skin stays sensitive for a few days. Here is the general course after toning.

• Same day
  Redness and a feeling of heat for 1–2 hours. Cool the skin with a cold towel or a soothing product, and in the evening wash gently with lukewarm water and moisturize.
• Days 1–2
  Skin may feel slightly dry and tight. Moisturize more often than usual and apply sunscreen before going out.
• Days 3–5
  Once the skin has settled, ask the clinic whether you can restart a gentle antioxidant ingredient. If flaking appears, don't rub it.
• Week 1
  If the clinic allows it, restart retinol and exfoliating products at a low frequency. You may need to stop again before your next toning session.
• Week 2
  Return to your usual routine, but keep using sun protection. If pigment looks temporarily darker, take a photo and ask the clinic.

How is it different after Fraxel?

Fraxel creates tiny heat injuries on the skin surface to trigger regeneration, so recovery takes longer than toning and the care is stricter. For non-ablative, redness and swelling for 2–3 days is typical; for ablative (CO2), tiny scabs for 5–7 days and pinkness for 2–4 weeks (details in our Fraxel guide).

• Same day to day 2
  Skin can be red, hot and swollen. Use only the regenerating product and moisturizer from the clinic, and rinse rather than rub when washing. With ablative treatment, there may be slight oozing.
• Days 3–7
  Rough flaking or tiny scabs appear. Don't pick them; keep showers short and lukewarm, and pat your skin dry with the towel.
• Weeks 1–2
  Scabs clear and pinkness remains. Wait for the clinic's OK before makeup; sun protection is a must.
• Weeks 2–4
  While pinkness remains, skin is at its most sensitive to UV. Pause retinol, AHA/BHA, scrubs and peels until the clinic allows them.

Non-ablative is around the middle stages in the table above, and ablative is closer to the longer end. Your doctor decides exactly when to restart after seeing your skin.

How should I handle sun protection and makeup after treatment?

Sunscreen every day from the day of treatment is the basic rule, along with a hat, sunglasses and a parasol when you go out. Sun on skin made sensitive by treatment raises the risk of pigmentation, so it is the first thing to consider when planning sightseeing.

• Reapply sunscreen every 2–3 hours, and again if sweat or water washes it off.
• On areas with redness or scabs, many people find mineral (physical) sunscreen gentler, but ask the clinic which product suits you.
• Start makeup when the redness has faded and there are no wounds. Pat foundation on, and don't scrub for long when removing it.
• Wear sunscreen indoors too if sunlight comes in through a window.
• For sightseeing, avoid the strong sun between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and switch to indoor plans.

What should I watch for on the plane and in the hotel?

Cabin air is low in humidity, so skin after treatment dries out more easily. Moisturize and use mist often and drink plenty of water. This matters most if your flight home is soon after treatment.

• On the plane, don't touch the treated area, and apply moisturizer thicker than usual.
• If you have a window seat, pull the shade down so sunlight doesn't hit your skin directly.
• Hotel heating and air conditioning are dry, so you can ask for a humidifier or hang a wet towel in the room.
• If you worry about hotel towels and pillowcases touching your skin, use a clean towel, and don't rub your face on the pillow while you have scabs.
• Avoid using new products (such as hotel amenities) for the first time at your accommodation.

We can help you book an airport pickup.

When can I go to a sauna, swim, drink alcohol or exercise?

Generally, rest from saunas, jjimjilbang and hot baths until the redness and heat have settled, and after ablative treatment avoid them until the scabs have cleared. Heat widens blood vessels and can increase redness and swelling.

What symptoms mean I should contact the clinic?

If you have blisters, oozing or pus, redness, heat or pain that gets worse over time, or a fever, contact the clinic or your manager without delay. Unlike ordinary redness and dryness, these can be signs of infection or a burn-type reaction and need a doctor's check.

• Blisters form or skin peels off
• Redness hasn't faded after a day, or gets worse
• The skin hurts when pressed and feels increasingly hot (heat getting worse)
• Yellow oozing or pus, or a smell
• Pain keeps getting worse, or you have a fever
• A cluster of blisters like those around the lips appears in the treated area (possible herpes)
• Itching, hives or swelling suddenly spreads
• Weeks later, the color gets darker or white patches appear

If you notice any symptom, take a photo, and if you are already back home, send it to us with the photo. Your manager will check with the clinic and let you know. If you have trouble breathing or facial swelling spreads rapidly, get emergency care immediately.

What should I ask at the consultation?

• Which products do I need to pause before treatment (retinol, AHA/BHA, etc.), and from which date?
• Does the clinic give me products after treatment? When can I go back to my usual products?
• Please tell me which device is used for this treatment.
• With my schedule, will the redness and scabs clear before I fly home?
• How do I contact you if something is wrong after I go home?

KBEAU connects you with partner dermatology clinics in Gangnam and Apgujeong, and your dedicated manager interprets at the consultation. Tell us your travel dates and we will work out your before-and-after care schedule together with you.