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

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.

Doctor Answers 2

Fraxel results and post care

September 21st, 2016
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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. 

Web reference: http://www.miamiskinandvein.com/fraxel-dual/

Shaun Patel, MD
September 21st, 2016

Fraxel results and post care

{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

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. 

Learn more: http://www.miamiskinandvein.com/fraxel-dual/

Shaun Patel, MD

Sandpaper feeling to skin after Fraxel takes up to 2-3 weeks to subside...

August 28th, 2016
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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.

Web reference: http://drpapantoniou.com/

Kaleroy Papantoniou, MD, FAAD
August 28th, 2016

Sandpaper feeling to skin after Fraxel takes up to 2-3 weeks to subside...

{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}
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.

Learn more: http://drpapantoniou.com/

Kaleroy Papantoniou, MD, FAAD
*Treatment results may vary

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These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.