Costs and Safety of CO2 Laser Treatment

Cost and safety usually get discussed apart from each other. This page puts the published figures and the published side effects in one place and notes what each source leaves out. For a reader who meant a different laser service, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons has a page on laser hair removal.

The cost line

WebMD, citing the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, puts the average cost of laser skin resurfacing in 2020 at about $2,509 for ablative and $1,445 for non-ablative. WebMD says costs vary widely depending on where the procedure is being done.

Those are 2020 averages, so a quote today may differ. The figures also describe laser skin resurfacing in general, not a CO2 laser by name.

WebMD says that because laser skin resurfacing is considered a cosmetic procedure, most medical insurance companies will not cover it. It adds that there may be an exception if you get the procedure to modify scars or remove precancerous growths on your skin.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons describes the procedure on its laser skin resurfacing page, which helps when checking what a quote covers.

The safety line

Cleveland Clinic says milia, which are small white bumps, may appear in the laser-treated areas during healing, up to a month after treatment. It says hyperpigmentation, and more rarely hypopigmentation, may result in the laser-treated areas.

Cleveland Clinic says the hyperpigmented areas may be treated with bleaching cream to speed fading of the pigment. It also says you should use broad-spectrum sunscreens for weeks before and after the treatment to prevent pigmentary changes.

A paper in PMC on nonfacial skin rejuvenation of the neck, chest and hands using laser techniques gives further technical background on laser techniques.

Before you accept a quote

Ask for the full price in writing, and ask whether insurance covers any part given your reason for treatment. Then read the Cleveland Clinic page on laser skin resurfacing so the side effects are on your list before the quote is.