How long does it take to see results after an ablative erbium laser resurfacing treatment?

Question

Hi. I received an ablative erbium laser resurfacing treatment on my whole face 5 weeks ago. I am 42 and the main goal was to reduce wrinkles and see some skin tightening. My wrinkles seem more pronounced and my face seems to sag more after the treatment. Is this normal? When can I expect to see results with less wrinkles and more tightening? Thanks.

Christine Rodgers, MD · Answer

You can continue to see collagen renewal and skin elasticity improvement for up to 3 months after Fractional Resurfacing from an Erbium laser.  I always recommend a series of 3 treatments in a row for the best results with 6 weeks in between treatments.

John J. Martin, Jr., MD · Answer

With the ablative resurfacing treatments, either erbium or CO2,  the new collagen growth will start after a few weeks.  Immediately after a treatment, people will look good because of the swelling.  As the swelling subsides you will often see the original wrinkles.  The new collagen will grow for several months, so you should look better at 6 months than you do at 1 month.

How long does it take to see results after an ablative erbium laser resurfacing treatment?

Answers (2)