Laser & Energy-Based Devices
CO2 Laser Resurfacing in Miami: the Tetra CO2 by DEKA
Powered by the SmartXide Tetra CO2 by DEKA, distributed in the U.S. by Cartessa Aesthetics
Fractional CO2 is the treatment plastic surgeons reach for when skin needs real change — not a glow, a correction. The Tetra puts an entire resurfacing range in one laser: a light, lunch-break CoolPeel; a medium fractional pass that softens lines, scars and sun damage in a week; and deep resurfacing that rebuilds crepey, scarred or stretch-marked skin over months of new collagen. Your provider dials the depth to your goals, your skin tone and the downtime you can live with. Performed by licensed medical providers under medical director oversight. Individual results vary.
$50 deposit, applied to your treatment
★ Google 4.9 · Licensed medical providers · Medical director oversight · Consultation before every treatment
CO2 Laser (Tetra)
Why people choose it
Chosen for your skin
One laser, every depth
The Tetra's pulse control lets us go from a 48-hour peel to a full resurfacing on the same platform, so you are never over- or under-treated.
Collagen you can measure
Ablative CO2 remains the most powerful non-surgical tool for wrinkles, scars and texture; results keep building for 3–6 months and, with sun protection, last for years.
Scars, stretch marks and body skin
A dedicated scar handpiece and scattered-pattern scanning let us treat surgical scars, acne scars, stretch marks, hands, neck and chest, not just the face.
Surgeon-level planning, med-spa comfort
Nerve blocks, topical numbing and Pro-Nox options; antiviral and healing protocols written before you start.
What it treats
The concerns we start with
Full-face anti-aging
Resets tone, texture, fine lines and sun damage in one treatment.
Wrinkles around the eyes
Crow's feet and lower-lid crepiness, the areas Botox can't smooth.
Lines around the mouth
"Smoker's lines" and vertical lip lines.
Acne scars
Rolling and boxcar scars respond best; ice-pick scars improve in series.
Surgical scars
Tummy tuck, C-section, breast and facelift scars; flattens, softens and blends.
Stretch marks
Abdomen, hips, thighs, arms; smooths texture and narrows width over a series.
Skin tightening
Crepey skin on the lower face, neck and under the eyes contracts as new collagen forms.
Texture & pores
Rough, uneven or enlarged-pore skin on the face, hands and body.
Sun damage & brown spots
Mottled tone, solar lentigines and precancerous rough patches (actinic keratoses).
Neck & chest
Crepiness and poikiloderma with conservative, scattered settings.
Hands
Thin, spotted, crepey hands.
Body resurfacing
Knees, arms, décolleté and scars anywhere, with settings matched to thinner skin.
The technology
The right energy, precisely placed
The Tetra is a 10,600 nm fractional ablative CO2 laser. Its scanner delivers the beam as thousands of microscopic columns ("DOTs"), vaporizing damaged tissue in each column while leaving the skin between untouched — that intact skin is what makes healing fast. What sets the Tetra apart is pulse control: the provider can shape the pulse for a very short, high-peak, low-heat effect (the CoolPeel), a classic fractional pass, or a longer, deeper pulse that drives heat into the dermis for maximum collagen remodeling. A scattered scan pattern avoids the visible grid lines older CO2 lasers left behind, and SmartStack lets us stack pulses only where a scar or wrinkle needs more.
The DEKA SmartXide Tetra platform is FDA-cleared for ablative skin resurfacing; the specific uses below describe how providers apply that clearance.
- Wavelength
- 10,600 nm CO2 (ablative)
- Modes
- CoolPeel (H-Pulse) · fractional (S-Pulse) · deep (D-Pulse) · scar handpiece
- Scan pattern
- Scattered / pseudo-random, up to 20 × 20 mm per scan
- Depth
- Provider-selected, from superficial epidermal to deep dermal
- Consumables
- None — no per-tip cost passed to you
- Face
- Eyes
- Mouth
- Neck
- Chest
- Hands
- Arms
- Abdomen
- Scars anywhere
Who it's for
A good fit starts with an assessment
Good for
- Lighter to medium skin tones (Fitzpatrick I–III) with wrinkles, sun damage, scars or crepiness.
- Patients who want a single corrective treatment rather than a long series.
- Acne-scar, surgical-scar and stretch-mark patients ready for a staged plan.
- Anyone who has "done everything" topically and wants a visible step change.
Not for
- Deeper skin tones (Fitzpatrick IV–VI) at medium or deep settings — we use CoolPeel, Morpheus8, Pico or SpectraionX instead.
- Active tan, active acne or infection, cold sore in the area, pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- Keloid or poor-healing history, immunosuppression, prior radiation to the area.
- Anyone who cannot take 1–2 weeks of social downtime for the deeper settings.
Your treatment plan
A plan, not a one-size-fits-all session
- 01
Light (CoolPeel)
3–4 sessions, 4 weeks apart, 5–15 minutes, minimal numbing.
- 02
Medium fractional
1–3 sessions, 6–12 weeks apart, 30–60 minutes plus 45–60 minutes of numbing.
- 03
Deep
Usually one session; topical numbing plus nerve blocks and Pro-Nox for comfort.
- 04
Combination
PRP applied immediately after resurfacing to support calmer, faster healing; Morpheus8 or injectables sequenced around it.
What to expect
Before, during and after
before
- No sun or self-tanner for 4 weeks; pause retinoids and acids 1 week; antiviral prescription starts the day before; Botox at least 2 weeks earlier; arrive with clean skin.
during
- Numbing, then passes of warm, prickling heat. Light settings feel like a hot sunburn; deeper settings use blocks or Pro-Nox. 30–60 minutes.
after
- Hot, tight, swollen and pink — like a strong sunburn. Pinpoint weeping on day 1–2, then a bronzed, sandpaper texture that flakes away. New pink skin by day 7–10.
Downtime & healing
Your recovery, day by day
Day 0–1
Red, hot, swollen; healing ointment and cold compresses; sleep elevated.
Day 2–3
Swelling peaks; weeping stops; skin turns bronze and rough.
Day 3–7
Flaking and itching; do not pick; gentle cleanse and reapply ointment.
Day 7–10
Fresh pink skin; mineral makeup allowed.
Week 2–6
Pink fades (longer after deep settings); strict SPF.
Month 1–6
Collagen rebuilds; wrinkles, scars and texture keep improving to the 3–6-month mark.
Aftercare
Care that carries the result
- Healing ointment only for the first 3–5 days; gentle cleanser; no scrubbing.
- No exercise, sauna, pools or heat for 10–14 days after medium/deep settings.
- Mineral SPF 30–50 reapplied through the day; avoid direct sun for 4–6 weeks.
- Retinoids, acids and vitamin C return at 2–4 weeks with your provider's go-ahead.
- Finish your antiviral course; call us for spreading redness, pain, fever or blisters.
Results
Change, on your timeline
- Visible smoothing as soon as the pink fades (about 2 weeks), with the real result building over 3–6 months of collagen remodeling.
- One medium-to-deep session commonly equals several lighter laser sessions; scar and stretch-mark programs are staged 2–3 sessions apart.
- Long-term studies of CO2 resurfacing show wrinkle improvement maintained for years with sun protection; most patients book a light maintenance pass once a year.
- Individual results vary.
Risks & safety
An honest conversation first
- Expected: redness, swelling, weeping, flaking, itching; pinkness for weeks after deep settings.
- Possible: post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (the main risk, higher in darker or tanned skin), acne or milia flare, cold-sore reactivation (why we prescribe an antiviral), prolonged redness.
- Uncommon: infection, lines of demarcation, scarring or lower-lid pull with aggressive periorbital treatment — minimized by conservative settings and strict aftercare.
Why No Filter
Over-qualified for this. On purpose.
Licensed medical providers only
Every laser and energy treatment here is performed by a licensed medical provider, trained and certified on the specific platform, never by an unsupervised technician.
Medical director oversight
Dr. Vania Fernandez oversees protocols, settings and candidacy for every device on this page.
Settings built for Miami skin
Sun exposure and a wide range of skin tones are the rule here, not the exception; we choose the wavelength and energy for your skin, and we will say no when a device is not right for you.
Consultation first, always
A face-to-face assessment, a written plan and clear pricing before any energy touches your skin.
Compare
Different devices. Different jobs.
| Device | Best for | Sessions | Downtime | Skin / comfort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CO2 (Tetra) | Deep correction: wrinkles, scars, stretch marks, laxity | 1–3 sessions | 5–14 days | Best on Fitzpatrick I–III |
| CoolPeel | Surface refresh: tone, fine lines, pores | 3–4 sessions | 1–3 days | I–IV |
| Morpheus8 | Firming from below: jowls, laxity, deeper scars | 3–5 sessions, 4–6 weeks apart · yearly maintenance | 1–3 days | All skin tones |
| SpectraionX | Non-ablative resurfacing: pigment, texture, scars | 3–5 sessions | 1–7 days | I–IV, conservative V–VI |
Pricing
Clear pricing before treatment
Pricing confirmed at consultation
- Deka CO2 Face & Neck
- Pricing confirmed at consultation
$50 deposit, applied to your treatment
FAQs
Your questions, answered
At our Brickell studio, on the Tetra CO2 by DEKA. A licensed medical provider assesses your skin, your goals and the downtime you can take before recommending a light, medium or deep treatment.
Same laser, different pulse. CoolPeel uses a very short, high-peak pulse that removes the surface with almost no residual heat — two or three days of redness, done in a series. Medium and deep CO2 drive heat into the dermis for far more collagen and a single corrective result, with one to two weeks of healing. Your provider will tell you which rung you are on.
Deep resurfacing is usually once. Medium fractional is one to three sessions, six to twelve weeks apart. Scars and stretch marks are staged programs of two to three sessions.
Medium and deep CO2 is best for lighter to medium skin (Fitzpatrick I–III). For deeper skin tones we use CoolPeel at conservative settings, Morpheus8, Pico or SpectraionX — same goals, lower pigment risk.
Light settings feel like a hot sunburn and need little numbing. Medium and deep settings are done with topical numbing, nerve blocks and Pro-Nox so the treatment is tolerable; the "sunburn" feeling lasts a few hours afterward.
Yes — it is one of the best tools for both. Expect a staged program of two to three sessions with the scar handpiece and conservative, scattered settings on body skin; marks become smoother, flatter and less visible, not invisible.
After a CoolPeel, the next day. After medium fractional, about a week. After deep resurfacing, plan ten to fourteen days before you want to be seen without makeup.
Resurfacing can reactivate cold sores anywhere on the face, so everyone takes a short antiviral course. Stop retinoids and acids a week before, avoid sun for four weeks, and tell us about isotretinoin, blood thinners and any healing problems.
Yes. PRP applied right after the laser is popular for calmer healing; Botox goes two weeks before or after; filler on a separate date. Morpheus8 and CO2 can be sequenced for depth plus surface.