Laser Resurfacing Under the Eyes: Crepey Skin and Fine Lines

Laser resurfacing removes the outer layer of skin and heats the layer beneath it to stimulate new collagen, which is why it is aimed at texture and fine lines rather than at sagging skin or hollows.

Cleveland Clinic lists fine lines around the eyes, forehead or mouth among the concerns that make someone a good candidate.

Cleveland Clinic describes it as an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia, often with oral or IV sedation, and gives 30 to 45 minutes for a partial face.

There are studies of this exact area.

In a 25-patient prospective study, 2 to 3 sessions (2.44 on average) of ablative fractional CO2 to the lower eyelids gave about 62–66% mean improvement in texture, laxity and wrinkles at 6 months.

And in a series of 424 patients treated by one oculoplastic surgeon, most of them Fitzpatrick skin types II–III, no persistent scarring or ectropion — a pulled-down lower lid — occurred.

Complications still happened.

In that 424-patient series, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation occurred in 9.4% of patients despite topical prophylaxis, herpes outbreaks in about 0.9%, atypical mycobacterial infection in 0.5% and a small scar in 0.9%; all of these resolved.

Cleveland Clinic lists milia, hyperpigmentation and rarely hypopigmentation, cold sore reactivation, bacterial infection, swelling and, very rarely, scarring among resurfacing complications, and notes that antivirals are often started before treatment.

A 2026 systematic review of facial laser complications (13 studies, 2,010 cases from 2019–2025) found post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation was the most common complication, particularly in Fitzpatrick skin types IV–VI, and that ablative lasers (CO2, Er:YAG) carried the highest risks of scarring and infection.

Skin type changes the risk picture: ASDS and Cleveland Clinic both say people with active acne or very dark skin usually are not good candidates for ablative resurfacing, and Cleveland Clinic adds that erbium may be a better choice for darker skin.

The eyelids are also technique-sensitive — the 424-patient series came from a single oculoplastic surgeon — so it is fair to ask any provider who treats you how often they treat this area and how they will protect your eyes.

This page narrows the treatment to one area; our laser resurfacing guide covers types, results and choosing a provider overall.

First, a word on terminology: CO2 lasers are 510(k)-cleared medical devices, not FDA-approved drugs.

One example, the Candela/Syneron CO2RE system (K181523, 2018), is cleared for dermatological procedures requiring ablation, coagulation and resurfacing of soft tissue including skin.

ASDS names CO2 and erbium as the two most common resurfacing lasers: CO2 for wrinkles, scars, warts and other conditions, and erbium for superficial and moderately deep lines on the face, hands, neck and chest, with fewer side effects than CO2. Traditional CO2 and erbium injure the whole treatment area uniformly, while fractional versions drill many narrow columns into the skin and leave the surrounding skin intact.

Our CO2 laser guide covers the device, its modes and its risks in depth.

Around the eyes specifically, the published studies we draw on here are small.

In a randomized split-face trial of 28 people, a single fractional CO2 or fractional Er:YAG session around the eyes reduced wrinkle depth by about 20%, with no meaningful difference between the two lasers — and the authors concluded that multiple sessions may be needed, which offsets the less-downtime advantage fractional lasers are proposed to have.

Fraxel is a fractional laser brand from Solta Medical.

Its current model, Fraxel FTX, was 510(k)-cleared in August 2024 (K242142) and has two wavelengths, 1550 nm and 1927 nm.

Solta's labeling for the 1550 nm wavelength lists skin resurfacing including wrinkles around the eyes, along with dyschromia, age and sun spots, actinic keratosis, melasma, acne scars and surgical scars.

Sciton describes MOXI as a non-ablative fractional 1927 nm laser that targets water, used for 'prejuvenation', early sun damage, uneven tone and texture; the underlying 1927 nm clearance (JOULE, K182173, 2019) covers coagulation of soft tissue, actinic keratosis and benign pigmented lesions, and no MOXI-specific 510(k) summary was located.

Sciton's Halo is a 'hybrid fractional laser' that delivers a non-ablative 1470 nm and an ablative 2940 nm wavelength to the same microscopic treatment zone.

We could not find a published study of MOXI or Halo specifically on under-eye skin, so a provider treating you with either should be able to say what evidence they are relying on.

In the 25-patient lower-eyelid study, patients had moderate redness and swelling that resolved by the 1-week posttreatment visit, and minor crusting and oozing that resolved within 48 to 72 hours.

General resurfacing figures differ by source and laser, so treat them as ranges rather than a promise.

Cleveland Clinic gives up to two weeks of recovery for traditional CO2 resurfacing and one full week each for erbium and fractional resurfacing, with treated areas generally healing in 5 to 21 days.

ASDS says healing takes 3 to 10 days depending on the depth of resurfacing and the type of laser, with daily soaks, ointment and re-dressing.

Cleveland Clinic's day-by-day course: treated skin is red, sensitive and sunburn-like at first and may be raw, ooze yellow fluid and blister; around days 5 to 7 it becomes dry and peels; the new skin is pink and lightens over 2 to 3 months.

Cleveland Clinic says redness generally fades in 2 to 3 months but can last 6 months to a year, and lasts longer in people with blonde or red hair.

These are Cleveland Clinic's general aftercare points for resurfacing; your provider's instructions for the eyelids come first.

Makeup can be worn once the areas have healed, and Cleveland Clinic notes that green-based, oil-free makeup helps hide redness.

We could not confirm a national price for the under-eye area specifically.

The closest national figure comes from ASPS, which puts the average cost of skin resurfacing procedures like laser skin resurfacing at $1,829 'according to the latest statistics' — a plastic-surgeon fee that excludes facility, anesthesia and prescription costs, not a med spa price.

The number of sessions drives the total.

The 25-patient under-eye study used 2 to 3 fractional CO2 sessions, and the split-face trial's authors concluded multiple sessions may be needed.

Manufacturers' own session counts differ by device: Solta says up to 5 Fraxel treatments, Sciton says 1 to 2 Halo treatments and 2 to 4 MOXI treatments, and the number of sessions is a main price driver.

Results are not one-and-done, either: Cleveland Clinic says skin may keep improving for up to a year after resurfacing and results may last several years, though normal aging brings new wrinkles.

It also says insurance does not cover cosmetic resurfacing.

The American Academy of Dermatology groups skin tightening into three tiers, with laser resurfacing and minimally invasive radiofrequency — heat delivered under the skin through a thin tube or needles — giving the most tightening without surgery.

The AAD also says none of the non-surgical options matches a facelift, eyelid surgery or neck lift, which makes blepharoplasty the comparison point for genuinely loose under-eye skin.

Radiofrequency is one non-laser option with a periorbital clearance: Thermage FLX (Solta, K170758, 2017) is FDA-cleared for non-invasive treatment of wrinkles and rhytids, including periorbital wrinkles on the upper and lower eyelids.

Its cleared text does not say 'skin tightening' or 'lifting'.

Ultrasound is the opposite case. Ultherapy's instructions for use warn that it must not be used on the eyes or where energy can reach the eye, such as on or over the eyelids or within the orbital rim.

Hollowing is a different problem from skin texture, and it has a different treatment: our under-eye filler guide covers what filler can and cannot do under the eyes, including its own risks.