Immediately following the procedure you will experience redness and a sensation resembling a significant sunburn. Swelling will also occur in the treated areas. The physician will advise you on specific after-treatment care recommendations, which may include pain relievers and application of salves to keep the skin moist. Your skin will be sensitive to ultra-violet light after the procedure, so you must avoid direct sun exposure until fully healed (at least 6 weeks). It is recommended that you always use some level of solar protection to avoid sun damage and premature aging of your skin. Complete healing will depend largely on the depth of treatment. Healing times for deeper treatments are typically 7-10 days before patients resume normal activities. You should discuss realistic expectations for recovery with the physician. The top layer of your skin will re-grow and can be covered with makeup in about one week to ten days, at which time you will see noticeable improvements in your skin’s texture, tone and wrinkle appearance. These deeper laser treatments also stimulate the growth of new collagen over the next 4 to 6 months. During this time, the skin may show increasing improvements in tightness and resilience.