Downtime after ablative resurfacing is something to plan around, so ask a surgeon about it before you book.
Downtime is the part you plan around
For men comparing procedures, recovery matters, and downtime is the part of recovery you plan your life around. The answer for your face depends on the treatment your surgeon plans, and only your surgeon can give it.
Your surgeon sets your recovery downtime in weeks
Before the treatment
- Which resurfacing method do you plan for me, and how deep does it go?
- How many days should I plan to stay home?
- What do I need to stop using before treatment?
During healing
- What will my skin look like day to day, and what is normal?
- How do I care for the skin, and what do I buy ahead of time?
- When can I shave, and how do I shave around healing skin?
- When can I go back to work, to the gym, and into the sun?
Same-day warning signs and after-hours contact
- What signs should make me call you the same day?
- Who do I reach after hours?
Dermabrasion and laser pages worth skimming
Read about more than one method, since your surgeon may compare them. A hospital system explains dermabrasion, its side effects, and the procedure. A plastic surgery society has a page on laser skin resurfacing.
Use these pages to build your question list. Check every claim against what your surgeon tells you about your own case.
Weighing the trade-off
Ask whether a treatment with less downtime would meet your goal, and what you would give up for it. That is a choice to make with your surgeon. The same society also publishes a post on why laser skin resurfacing is a powerful facial rejuvenation tool, which shows how a professional society frames the benefits.
Book after you know the downtime
Ask about downtime before you book, not after. Get the plan in writing if you can. Then read that society's page on skin rejuvenation risks and safety and bring any questions it raises to your consult.