Dr. Rocco C. Piazza, MD, FACS
Board-certified plastic surgeon · The Piazza Center, Austin, Texas
Medically reviewed · Updated September 2026
Post-Procedure Skincare at a Glance
2 weeks before
Bioadaptive to prime + Dynamic Age Defense daily
In office, day 0
Optional exosome booster, while channels are open
Days 0–2 (up to 7)
Pavise ECM Restore as your occlusive
Day 2
Dr. Medion carboxy CO₂ mask
Day 2 or 3
Mineral sunscreen starts, and stays
Day 3 onward
Makeup, depending on intensity
Days 4–7
Bioadaptive Stress Repair resumes, after ECM
Days 7–14
Retinol and other actives return
Why this page exists: most aftercare instructions online are PDF handouts that say "gentle cleanser, ointment, sunscreen." This is the actual sequence Dr. Piazza's team uses after laser, microneedling and peels.
You've just had a CO₂ laser, Moxi, RF microneedling or a chemical peel, and now you're standing in front of the bathroom mirror wondering what you're allowed to put on your face. The answer matters more than most people realize: the treatment starts the result, but your skin builds it over the following weeks.
This is the post-procedure protocol from Dr. Rocco Piazza's team at The Piazza Center in Austin: what goes on your skin, and when. It's deliberately short. The first week isn't the time to experiment.
Two weeks before: prime your skin
Recovery starts before your appointment. About two weeks before treatment, Dr. Piazza's team starts patients on two things: Pavise Bioadaptive Stress Repair at night to prime the skin, and Pavise Dynamic Age Defense SPF 30 every morning to protect it from the sun. You want to arrive untanned. Tanned skin and lasers don't mix.
The post-procedure protocol
The protocol, day by day
before
Prime with Bioadaptive Stress Repair
Start Bioadaptive Stress Repair nightly about two weeks before your treatment to prime the skin, and wear Pavise Dynamic Age Defense SPF 30 every morning to protect it from the sun. You want to arrive with untanned skin.
Pavise Bioadaptive Stress Repair$228 · Shop →in office
Exosome booster (optional add-on)
Applied by our team immediately after treatment, while the micro-channels in your skin are still open. It's an in-office add-on, not something you take home, and it isn't a substitute for the take-home protocol below. What an exosome booster is, and what it isn't →
up to 7
Pavise ECM Restore as your occlusive
ECM Restore is the one product on your skin in the first days. Use it daily as your occlusive layer for at least two days, and up to seven after deeper treatments. No actives, no layering, no experimenting.
Pavise ECM Restore$278 · Shop →Dr. Medion carboxy CO₂ mask
A carboxy therapy mask to cool and calm treated skin. After lighter lasers like Moxi, HALO or BBL, day two is usually the time. After fully ablative CO₂ or ContourTRL, check with your provider first.
Dr. Medion Spaoxy Carboxy CO₂ Mask (3 treatments)$66 · Shop →Mineral sunscreen, every day from here on
Dynamic Age Defense comes back as soon as your provider says you can wear sunscreen again, usually day two or three, and then it's every day. Healing skin is especially prone to pigment, so this is the step that protects the result you paid for.
Pavise Dynamic Age Defense SPF 30$148 · Shop →Makeup
Makeup can usually come back from day three onward. Lighter treatments sooner, deeper treatments later. If your skin is still open or flaking heavily, wait.
Bioadaptive Stress Repair resumes
Once the ECM Restore-only phase is done, Bioadaptive Stress Repair comes back into your nightly routine, usually between day four and day seven depending on your treatment.
Pavise Bioadaptive Stress Repair$228 · Shop →Actives return
Retinol and other actives can come back 7 to 14 days after treatment, depending on the procedure. From here, you're back to your full routine, with sunscreen every day.
Where your treatment usually falls
Lighter
Moxi, HALO, BBL, light peels
Usually the earlier end of each range.
Moderate
RF microneedling, microneedling, medium peels
Somewhere in the middle. Your provider decides.
Deeper
Fully ablative CO₂, ContourTRL, deep peels
Usually the later end of each range, with more time on the occlusive.
Your exact days are set at your post-procedure visit, based on how deep your treatment went and how your skin is healing.
What to put on your skin after CO₂ laser
After fully ablative CO₂ or ContourTRL, the skin surface has been deliberately removed, so the first days are about protecting and supporting it while it rebuilds. For our patients, that means ECM Restore as the occlusive, for longer than after a lighter laser, often toward the full seven days. The carboxy mask and sunscreen follow once your provider has seen how you're healing.
For a deeper look at products after ContourTRL, ProFractional and HALO, read Best Products for ContourTRL, ProFractional and HALO Recovery.
After Moxi, HALO or BBL
Lighter, non-ablative treatments like Moxi usually sit at the earlier end of every range: two days on ECM Restore, the carboxy mask on day two, sunscreen from day two or three, and makeup once your skin has settled, often from day three.
After RF microneedling or microneedling
Microneedling creates thousands of micro-channels, which is why the in-office exosome booster is applied right after, while they're open. At home, follow the same sequence: ECM Restore first, sunscreen from day two or three, and hold off on retinol and acids until your provider clears you, typically 7 to 14 days.
After a chemical peel
Peels range from a light refresh to a deep resurfacing treatment, and the protocol scales with them. Don't pick at peeling skin, keep ECM Restore on as your occlusive while it's shedding, and wait on makeup and actives until your provider gives the go-ahead.
Get the full Laser Recovery Protocol
Every product in this sequence in one place, chosen by Dr. Piazza's team.
What to avoid
✕ Retinol and acids too soon
Wait 7–14 days, depending on your procedure. Earlier can cause irritation and pigment.
✕ Layering extra products
In the first days, ECM Restore does the job. More products means more chance of irritation.
✕ Makeup before day 3
Give treated skin time to close before covering it.
✕ Sun without protection
Once sunscreen starts, it's every day. Healing skin pigments easily.
Treated somewhere else? Follow your own provider's instructions. They know how deep your treatment went. This page describes the protocol for patients of The Piazza Center.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do to prepare my skin before laser?
About two weeks before treatment, our patients start Pavise Bioadaptive Stress Repair at night to prime the skin, and Pavise Dynamic Age Defense SPF 30 every morning to protect it from the sun. You want to arrive untanned.
When can I restart my night serum after laser?
In our protocol, Bioadaptive Stress Repair resumes between day four and day seven, once the ECM Restore-only phase is done. Retinol and other actives wait until day 7 to 14.
What should I put on my face after CO₂ laser?
At The Piazza Center, patients use Pavise ECM Restore as their occlusive from day 0, for at least two days and often up to seven after fully ablative CO₂. Sunscreen starts on day two or three, and actives like retinol wait 7–14 days. Your provider sets the exact timing.
When can I wear makeup after laser treatment?
Usually from day three onward, depending on how intense the treatment was. Lighter lasers like Moxi tend to allow makeup sooner than fully ablative CO₂.
When can I start sunscreen after a laser or microneedling?
On day two or three, depending on your provider, and then every day after that. Mineral sunscreen is gentlest on healing skin.
When can I use retinol after microneedling or laser?
Typically 7 to 14 days after treatment, depending on the procedure. Wait for your provider to clear you.
Can I use Aquaphor instead of ECM Restore?
Many clinics recommend a plain ointment. Our protocol uses ECM Restore as the occlusive because it's designed specifically for post-procedure skin. If you were treated elsewhere, follow your provider's instructions.
What is an exosome booster?
An optional in-office add-on our team applies right after treatment, while the micro-channels in the skin are open. It's applied in the clinic, not sold for home use, and it doesn't replace the take-home protocol.
Individual results vary. This article is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. Product prices shown were current at the time of writing and may change; see the shop for current pricing. The Piazza Center sells the products linked in this article.
Planning a laser or microneedling treatment?
Book a consultation with our team in Austin, or get your recovery products ready before your appointment.
Dr. Rocco Piazza II
Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon
Dr. Piazza is a board-certified plastic surgeon practicing in Austin, TX. He specializes in aesthetic and reconstructive surgery with a focus on natural results.
