Normal Healing After Laser Resurfacing?

I had taken Accutane for a period of three weeks and discontinued the use because of severity of it. I have been off of it for three weeks. I have a scar above my lip that has been resurfaced by lasers a total of three times last year. My doctor did it again this week and I realized that Accutane enables the healing process and I am worried that it may have burned me. I am a little red but I was wondering if its safe to say that I will heal normally?

Read my review "Accutane and Lasers"

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2 Doctor Answers | Asked by clmarquez22 in santa barbara ca

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Accutane should be discontinued a year before laser resurfacing

Skin healing after laser resurfacing requires the growth of new skin cells onto the skin surface. These new skin cells grow out from the skin appendages--the sebaceous glands are most important but cels also grow from the sweat glands and hair follicles. Accutane supresses the sebaceous glands and interferes with the production and migration of new skin cells. Thus if you ahev been on Accutane and have laser resurfacing, the ability of your skin to heal is compromised. Compromised skin... more

For a small area, there is little chance that your treatment will worsen your scar

Thanks for your question. Even though you only took accutane for 3 weeks, you are right to be worried about potential delayed healing with any wounds from laser resurfacing. Any procedure that damages the surface of the skin leaves you at risk for abnormal or prolonged wound healing. In your specific case, it would have been better to have waited at least a month after discontinuing accutane prior to doing your procedure. For a full 6 month accutane treatment, we don't recommend any... more