When Will the Redness and Dents After Fractional CO2 Laser Heal?

Acne scarring is one of the most challenging conditions to address. Lucky for you, fractionated CO2 resurfacing tends to have the best results, although it may take multiple treatments to get there.As I'm sure your physician mentioned to you, a good result is about 50% improvement in your acne scars. Read: they will never be 100% better, or you will never have completely normal skin there again. You need to decide going into your treatment that a 50% improvement will make you satisfied.Redness after CO2 is a very common and actually encouraging reaction. As your body creates new collagen it requires a lot of energy to do so, and that energy comes from blood vessels, which are of course red. Depending on the aggressiveness of your treatment, that redness can occasionally extend up to eight weeks or more. Once outside of that eight week window, we consider that to be prolonged redness and will start looking for other causes which can come in the form of topical medications, excess sun exposure, etc.To ensure you are receiving the highest level of care, seek out a dermatologic surgeon, oculoplastic surgeon, facial plastic surgeon or plastic surgeon who is board certified and fellowship trained in one of these "core four" cosmetic specialties.

Thank you for your question. CO2 is used to tighten the skin and reduce pigmentation. it is recommended to pretreat with a topical hydroquinone to prevent hypopigmentation. wait 6 months to see if your concerns resolve. co2 results take up to 6 months.

Depending on the particular settings of the laser treatment, skin type, and your own body's ability to heal, the time will vary. Typically redness and uneven texture resolves in the course of 2-4 weeks, however for some this can take longer. The most important thing is to avoid sun exposure and wear sunscreen daily and avoid any skin irritants. Over the course of several weeks, your body will synthesize new collagen in the areas of the "dents" from acne scars to create a smoother texture. Additionally, the majority of people will require 3-5 sessions of CO2 laser therapy to obtain their desired result. If the texture irregularities persist, adding other therapies such as subcision (inserting a hypodermic needle underneath areas of acne scars to release tethering to underlying subcutaneous tissues) and Bellafill (a long lasting filler) may be beneficial.

Redness is common during the postoperative period. You may have dents due to residual acne scarring.  It's best to follow up with your treating physician for repeat evaluation if you have a question.

After fractional co2, you may need a combination of pulsed dye laser and application of Plato's Scar Serum to help improve the scars and redness. Best, Dr. Karamanoukian