No peeling after Fractional Laser, is this normal? (photos)

Question

I had a Icon Fractional laser treatment on Friday am. I am trying to correct my overall skin texture and acne scarring. The NP said she was going relatively aggressive with me since I have had numerous fraxel and other laser treatments in the past. After the procedure, I was slightly red and swollen and actually had a really bad breakout/ milia which I usually get, no peeling though (84 hours post) just some grid like demarcation, which I am praying will fade soon even if I don't peel.

Kyle Coleman, MD · Answer

Fractional non-ablative treatments usually lead to little or no peeling (sounds like what you had done).  Usually, swelling and erythema are present for 2-3 days.  There can be a slight peeling after about a week in some patients who are treatment naive.   Fractional non-ablative treatments can help with texture, acne scars, and tone.  The results are delayed and related to skin cell turn over.  Ablative treatments or peels tend to treat the surface down and lead to more peeling and more textural results with more downtime.

Jeffrey B. Wise, MD, FACS · Answer

The degree of peeling really depends on skin type and on the intensity of the laser peel.  In my practice, most patients tend to peel and turn a reddish coloring of their skin temporarily. I tend to be more aggressive in my laser treatments because I believe the result to be more substantial!Best of luck!

No peeling after Fractional Laser, is this normal? (photos)

Answers (2)