How much downtime is realistic for lasers?

Dr. Irwin
September 21, 2015
I have redness constantly in my cheeks. I did laser once had good results, but should have continued on with 5 treatments. Problem was, I want to work out and don't want to take 2-3 weeks off, I think she said. Was wondering about starting treatment for this.

I’ll answer this more completely soon in a post. Offices often vary widely on instructions for this and, of course, it varys by the laser. You don’t mention whether this was an IPL treatment or Pulsed Dye for redness? Truthfully, I have well-controlled rosacea also, did my initial series of 4-5 IPL and then have 1-2 IPL treatments yearly, depending on weather, hormones, etc. I’ve never taken more than 2-3 days off and have always gotten good results. This is what we tell our patients. Since everyone’s situation is unique, have a respectful conversation with your doctor and ask her/his reasoning for the 2-3 weeks off.

Hope this helps,  Dr. I

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

Ask me your skincare question!

Hi, I’m Dr. Irwin. I believe that consumers deserve a medically trained and unbiased skin care advocate.

  • All our content is written and researched by myself.
  • My medical office in Seattle has treated thousands of patients for 15+ years.
  • This site is not affiliated or financially tied to any product, treatment or device.
Ask Me Something
SkinTour Skincare
One of the best investments in your skin is your daily skincare. Why? Because you can prevent many problems with blotchy skin color, lack of glow, texture, some types of acne, and fine lines with good skincare products. You can also correct some of these problems with effective skincare products. Great skincare is often more expensive because quality ingredients are expensive. Some companies spend on research/development which benefits all of us and adds to the cost. Are they worth it? In general - yes! I have handpicked some of what I consider to be the best skin care products, and offer them for sale on SkinTour's shop. This is based on my team and I's testing and research at our clinic. Many of the products are in my own regimen. What could be better than using skin care products a dermatologist uses?!
Browse Shop