What Can Be Done About Recent Scars Caused by Blistering from Yag Laser Treatment? (photo)

Question

I had my first Yag laser treatment for broken capillaries 3 weeks ago, and the dermatological laser surgeon focused greatly on the ones beside my nostrils. Unfortunately, the area turned black/red, blistered, scabbed and now has left these craters in my nose. What can be done to rectify this and should I wait longer than 3 weeks post-op before trying to fix this?

Robert Strimling, MD · Answer

Wait at least 3 months and re-evaluate. Scars of this nature and location will often fade significantly over 3-6 months without additional treatment. Avoid direct sunlight to the area until any redness is gone, up to 3 months. Intense pulsed light therapy (IPL) or pulsed dye laser treatment can assist in fading discoloration, but not depression.

Roya Kohani, MD, FACP · Answer

Thank you for your question.  Before doing anything to "fix" a scar, give it some time to heal.  This area tends to heal very well on it's own.  Make sure that you avoid direct sunlight to allow the redness to fade.  In our practice we encourage surgical patients to use Biocornium, which is a silicone ointment on their scars twice a day.  After about 4-6 months you can reevaluate with your dermatologist and determine if anything needs to be done.

What Can Be Done About Recent Scars Caused by Blistering from Yag Laser Treatment? (photo)

Answers (2)