What should I do to protect my skin after laser resurfacing for acne scars?

Doctor's Answer

Your skin would be the most sensitive during the recovery phase after laser resurfacing for acne scars.

It takes away the top layer of your skin and a part of the second layer of your skin by superheating water within it. This controls the vaporization of skin cells, so the skin will respond by creating new, younger-looking skin. With that, the skin will get tighter.

You should do the following to give your skin the best chance of recovery and to minimize side-effects.

1. Sun protection

Sun lightweight or actinic radiation could a lot of simply burn your skin. Ideally, you should avoid the sun and re-apply sunblock >SPF30 every 3-4 hourly. [1]

2. Moisturise

The most important thing is to keep the skin hydrated and maintain the tissues moist. This will allow the epidermis to develop and repair. [2]

3. Fobancort

Your doctor could give you an antibiotic/anti-inflammatory cream for application till your skin fully recovers. The ointments will enhance the skin layer, dampening the inflammation. [3]

Other additional measures include:

  • Stem cell recovery serum - Calecim, AnteAge
  • Sheet masks - Rejuran masks, Hyaluronic acid masks

References:

1. Ask a Surgeon - Skin Resurfacing. Surgery.org. Published 2009. Accessed December 13, 2019

2. The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health. Nutrients. 2017;9(8):866. doi:10.3390/nu9080866

3. Eczema Atopic Dermatitis | AAAAI. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published 2012. Accessed December 13, 2019.

Ask any health question for free

I’m not so sure about a procedure...

Ask Icon Ask a Question

Join Human

Sign up now for a free Human account to get answers from specialists in Singapore.

Sign Up

Get The Pill

Be healthier with our Bite-sized health news straight in your inbox