How long for the sandpaper, rough skin and redness to go away after erbium glass fractional laser?

Question

I had erbium glass fractionated laser done 6 days ago. At the moment my face feels like sandpaper and is very obviously red/brown where the laser contacted my skin. How long till my face feels smooth and redness goes away? I work outside. I avoided the sun for the first 4 days but I had to return to work. I have a spf 50 broad sunscreen that I'm wearing (I waited the 5 days advised by my derm) makeup and a baseball cap. Will this be enough protection? I am worried considering I have olive skin.

Kally Papantoniou, MD, FAAD · Answer

and it is great that you are wearing SPF 50, and hats. Since you work outdoors make sure to reapply every 2 hours. Keeping your skin well moisturized can help to speed up the exfoliation process as well. Best, Dr. P.

Shaun Patel, MD · Answer

It's important that you continue to stay out of the sun for the next few weeks. I would aggressively apply sunscreen (30+ SPF, broadspectrum) before leaving your home and reapply the sunscreen every 2 hours.

The redness and sandpaper likely feeling of the skin are normal after the treatment. The recovery time depends on the treatment settings used but by about 7-10 days, most patients report having basically recovered although they often note a pink color to the skin and sensitivity to certain topical skincare products for a few weeks after this point.

How long for the sandpaper, rough skin and redness to go away after erbium glass fractional laser?

Answers (2)