How long can I expect redness to last after fractional CO2 treatment for acne scars?

Question

I have tan/medium skin and have scheduled an appointment for fractional co2 to lessen the appearance of my acne scars but after research I’ve found horror stories of redness being present more than a month after the procedure or the little dot patches from the machine still being visible. Is my skin tone a factor in how it will look like weeks after the treatment? I really don’t need a patchy red face

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Fractional CO2 laser is an excellent tool for skin rejuvenation in our center in Santa Monica. We use the fractional multi-depth ablative approach to help resurface the skin, recontour acne scars, improve incisional plastic surgery scars, and reduce surface irregularities from skin tone to dark pigmentation. Our approach utilizes a multi-depth approach that targets melanocytes in the epidermis and collagen fibroblasts in the dermis. This approach can be combined with a TCA Peel in a process known as a sapphire peel. Fractional laser is excellent for acne scars and contour scars in the skin. Patients are advised to undergo skin protocols with Melarase creams before and after treatment to help reduce pigmentation. Melarase AM, Melarase PM, and Melapads can seriously improve surface sun damage and UV related pigmentation. After the laser, we expect redness for a few weeks as the skin improves. PRP and Hydrafacial enzyme facials can further improve skin quality after fractional co2.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian 
Realself100 Surgeon

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

It takes several weeks for laser results to settle. I recommend following up with your Doctor for after care. I recommend skin care with vitamin c, b5 hydrator, silicone based scar gels with growth factors and enzymatic washes with papaya enzyme. PDT therapy can help calm inflammation. Typically I recommend adding microneedling/prp to get the best outcomes with texture and tone.  Please see an expert. Best, Dr. Emer

How long can I expect redness to last after fractional CO2 treatment for acne scars?

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How long can I expect redness to last after fractional CO2 treatment for acne scars?

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Everything you need to know about CO2 Laser

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