Erbium laser resurfacing
Three to seven days of real peeling. Erbium sits between CoolPeel and full CO2, which makes choosing it a decision about how much downtime you can give it, not about which laser is best.
Medically reviewed by Lindsay Short, NP-BC, Board-Certified Nurse Practitioner · last reviewed September 2026
What it costs
- Erbium, face, neck or chest
- Erbium resurfacing, full
- Three-session package
- Five-session package
One session produces a visible result. We would rather treat once, see how your skin responds, and plan from there than sell a package before we know.
Erbium is quoted by area treated, and one session produces a visible result. We would rather treat once and plan from there than sell a package before we know how your skin responds.
- Quoted in writing before anything starts. You hear the full figure at your consultation, not after treatment and not on the day.
- The consultation is free, with no obligation to book and no charge if you decide against it.
- We do not bill insurance. No prior authorization, no coverage denial part-way through, and no treatment decision made by a plan rather than by your clinician.
- Cherry and CareCredit financing are available, and membership pricing is lower than standard rates.
Depth against downtime, the actual decision
There is no best resurfacing laser. There is a scale, and where you sit on it is decided by how many days you can give the recovery.
| Depth | Downtime | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CoolPeel | Superficial | 2–3 days | Tone, early texture, minimal disruption |
| Erbium | Moderate | 3–7 days | Fine lines, crepiness, mild-moderate scarring |
| Full CO2 | Deep | 3–7 days+ | Deep lines, significant scarring |
The instinct is to pick the deepest thing affordable. The better question is what you can recover from properly, a moderate treatment healed correctly beats a deep one where the aftercare slipped, and skipped sun protection during peeling can undo either.
Erbium is the middle option for a reason. It removes tissue precisely with less heat spreading sideways than CO2, which is why the redness settles faster and why it is the more conservative choice on skin that pigments easily.
What it treats, and what it will not
Texture is the target. Fine lines, crepey or rough skin, enlarged pores, mild to moderate acne scarring, and sun damage where the surface itself has changed.
Not pure color. If your only complaint is brown spots or redness, IPL is cheaper, gentler and better suited. Resurfacing will improve tone as a side effect; paying for downtime to get it is poor value.
Not laxity. Loose skin along the jawline or neck is not a resurfacing problem. No laser tightens skin that has genuinely descended, and skin tightening is the honest answer.
Not deep, boxcar scarring on its own. Significant scarring often needs full CO2 or RF microneedling, sometimes in combination across visits.
The week after
Days one and two
Red, hot and tight, like a strong sunburn. Swelling is normal, particularly around the eyes if the full face was treated. Cool compresses and a plain occlusive ointment, nothing active, nothing fragranced.
Days three to five
Peeling begins. This is the part to leave alone: lifting flakes before they are ready removes skin that has not finished healing, and that is how a good treatment leaves a mark.
Days five to seven
Peeling completes and new skin is pink and sensitive. Most people are presentable with makeup around now. Actives stay out of the routine for a while yet.
Weeks two to twelve
The collagen response continues well after the surface has healed, so the result keeps improving for months. Judging it at day ten is judging the healing, not the outcome.
Sun protection is not optional here. Freshly resurfaced skin has no defense, and one unprotected afternoon can produce pigmentation that takes months to clear, undoing exactly what you paid for. Book at least three weeks before any event.
Who we treat carefully, and who we decline
Resurfacing carries a real risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation on deeper skin tones, and that risk rises with depth. Erbium’s precision makes it the more conservative of the resurfacing options, and we may prepare the skin for several weeks beforehand. What we will not do is run identical settings on every complexion.
We would also postpone or decline with an active cold sore or skin infection, recent isotretinoin use, a tan or recent significant sun exposure, and during pregnancy. A history of keloid scarring is a careful conversation rather than an automatic no.
And if your event is in two weeks, the answer is not a lighter setting. It is a different date. We would rather move the appointment than give you a compromised result and a bad week.
Book your free consultationAnswers before you book
How much does Erbium resurfacing cost?
Quoted by the area treated, with a separate figure for full resurfacing, and multi-session packages quoted once the plan is set. CoolPeel sits below it and full CO2 above it, because the cost tracks the depth.
What is the downtime?
Three to seven days of visible peeling. Days one and two look like a strong sunburn, then the skin flakes over the following days. That is genuine downtime rather than a "lunchtime" treatment, and you should plan around it, book at least three weeks before any event.
How does Erbium compare to CO2?
Erbium is absorbed by water very precisely, which means it removes tissue with less heat spread into the surrounding skin. That gives a shorter recovery than full CO2 and less risk of prolonged redness, at the cost of less dramatic results on deep lines and significant scarring. CO2 goes deeper and asks more of you in return.
How does it compare to CoolPeel?
CoolPeel is a superficial CO2 treatment, two to three days of looking sunburned and light flaking, and a real but modest result. Erbium goes deeper, takes three to seven days, and does correspondingly more. If you are choosing between them, you are choosing how much downtime you can accept.
What does it actually treat?
Texture. Fine lines, rough or crepey skin, enlarged pores, mild to moderate acne scarring, and sun damage that has changed how the skin surface feels rather than only how it looks. If your complaint is purely color, brown spots, redness, IPL is cheaper and less disruptive.
How many sessions?
One session produces a visible result. Two or three spaced six to eight weeks apart is common for acne scarring or more significant sun damage, which is why three- and five-session packages exist. We would rather do one, see how your skin responds, and plan from there than sell a course in advance.
Is it safe on deeper skin tones?
It requires care. Resurfacing carries a risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation on richer complexions, and that risk rises with depth. Erbium's precision makes it a more conservative choice than CO2 here, and we may pre-treat the skin for several weeks first. We assess Fitzpatrick type and tell you honestly what is appropriate rather than treating everyone with the same settings.
Can I combine it with other treatments?
Yes, across separate visits rather than the same day. IPL for color and Erbium for texture is a common pairing, and sequence matters, treating pigment before texture usually produces a better result than the reverse. We map the order at the consultation.
Choose the depth you can actually recover from
A free consultation covers what your skin needs and what your calendar allows. The best resurfacing result is the one you can give the right recovery, not the deepest setting available.