Recovery

Immediately after treatment:

Immediately after treatment, the skin will look swollen with red dots in the locations that were treated with the laser.

Your doctor may instruct you to cover the treated areas with a moisturizing cream or ointment. Wound dressings are usually not necessary, but your doctor may recommend that you apply cold compresses for pain relief.

Days and weeks after treatment:

Your skin will continue to be red and swollen for 5-7 days after treatment with an ablative fractional laser.¹

In same cases crusting and scaling can last for 2 to 3 weeks after the treatment.⁵

Longer term:

There is usually no long-term recovery process after treatment with an ablative fractional laser.
In some cases hyperpigmentation (skin darkening) can occur 6 to 8 weeks after treatment with an ablative fractional laser.⁵

It is important to use sunscreen whenever the skin is exposed to the sun until the skin is completely healed, meaning that no pink, newly formed skin is visible anymore.

References

Preissig J, Hamilton K, and Markus R. Current laser resurfacing technologies: A review that delves beneath the surface. Semin Plast Surg. 26(3), 109–116 (2012).
Sobanko JF, and Alster TS. Management of acne scarring, part I: a comparative review of laser surgical approaches. Am J Clin Dermatol. 13(5), 319-30 (2012).
Archer KA, Carniol P. Diode Laser and Fractional Laser Innovations. Facial Plast Surg. 35(3), 248-55 (2019).
Kołodziejczak A, Rotsztejn H. Efficacy of fractional laser, radiofrequency and IPL rejuvenation of periorbital region. Lasers Med Sci. 37(2), 895-03 (2022).
Bhat YJ, Rehman F, Hassan I, Krishan K, Daing A, Yaseen A, Jeelani S, Akhtar S, Bashir S, Zareek S, Devi R, Nabi N. Fractional Laser Resurfacing for Acne Scars: Our Experience at Tertiary Care Hospital of North India. J Cutan Aesthet Surg. 16(1), 42-8 (2023).

Ablative Fractional Lasers