At your initial consultation, your laser specialist should check your aims and expectations of treatment, and go over the risks and possible complications of CO2 laser treatment. A patch test is performed, treating a small and usually discreet area of skin, which is reviewed after a few weeks. This allows the laser specialist to decide upon the settings that produce a good result whilst reducing risks of adverse effects.  If the area has healed without any signs of complications then the rest of the area can be treated at those settings.

The Carbon Dioxide laser treatment is usually performed under local anaesthetic (LA, with you awake), but can occasionally be performed under general anaesthetic (with you asleep). Local anaesthetic in CO2 laser surgery usually involves using topical local anaesthetic gel, which is applied to the area to be treated and left on for at least 45 minutes to get the full effect.  This numbs the area to provide pain relief. The area being treated is usually red immediately following treatment and can weep over the first week.  The laser specialist may use aloe vera gel immediately following treatment, and soft paraffin to keep the area moist for the weeks after treatment