2 weeks post CO2 laser treatment and still have track marks. Am I still healing or should I be worried? (photos)

Question

As others with persisting tracklines I‘m worried as they seem to sometimes remain for a long time. Are they always due to bad/overlapping passes made by the provider? Here day 10&12 after treatment and NO change in lines since 7 days. Was instructed NOT to moisturize after procedure but make 10 min “soaks” with antiseptic+antibiotic cream twice daily until crust gone. Am I still healing and should be patient or should I worry about permanent damage and seek further treatment ASAP?

Martin Ray, MD · Answer

Hello jfp2,
First of all please do not worry! None of what you see is permanent.
The track marks you have do appear to be the result of overlap during the course of the treatment. It looks like you had the square pattern repeated in a linear manner and that there was consistent overlap. This undesired occurrence is common in CO2 treatments. It can be minimized by the laser physician being more precise with the pulses. It can also be minimized and even hidden by doing a second pass in a different direction with a different treatment pulse shape or a series of light fanning passes over the full area. 
Getting the skin ready with a skin care program prior to treatment can aid the healing process. Post treatment skin care programs can also make a remarkable difference in healing time and results. We treat the skin immediately after the CO2 with PRP and/or growth serums. We stay away from traditional occlusive products like Vaseline or antibiotic creams as they are heavy and often can cause breakouts. ZO has a nice post-CO2 skin care program, and the ZO anti-aging level II kit prior to the CO2 treatment and then a few weeks after is excellent. 
After CO2 expect your skin to be red for 4-6 weeks. If your track marks are persisting after 6-8 weeks a light CO2, non-ablative 1540 or ablative radio frequency laser treatment can clean things up perfectly. 
It is always best to return to see your doctor with any concerns and let them help you through the healing phase.

Kristin J. Tarbet, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question. I would not be too concerned about what I see. These will fade in time and the skin will normalize. An additional 10 days and they should resolve. Did you by chance pre-treat your skin? Best of luck to you.

2 weeks post CO2 laser treatment and still have track marks. Am I still healing or should I be worried? (photos)

Answers (2)

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about CO2 Laser

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

2 weeks post CO2 laser treatment and still have track marks. Am I still healing or should I be worried? (photos)

Answers (2)

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about CO2 Laser

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.