POSTOPERATIVE CARE: these are extremely important and must be followed religiously !

NO SMOKING. This is not optional. Nicotine impairs oxygen delivery to the wound and interferes with normal collagen formation. 

Your bandage will be removed at the office on the 2nd or 3rd postoperative day.
Your face will most likely be bright red, swollen, draining with some scattered crusts. This is normal. We will apply ointment to your face which you must maintain until healed.

After bandage removal:
EVERY MORNING: Gently soak off any and all crusts with a lukewarm washcloth. Then pat dry and immediately cover all treated areas with Aquaphor or petroleum ointment (Vaseline). The soaking and ointment application will need to be repeated 4-6 times a day. Your wound must not be allowed to dry out (with hard scabs and crusts); doing so will increase your risk of scarring. If tap water stings, a dilute vinegar and water mixture may be used. After a 4-5 days, a gentle cleanser such as Cetaphil may be tried.

AT NIGHT: Apply a thick coat of ointment prior to going to bed. Nonstick gauze pads (Telfa pads) may be placed on the treatment areas subject to friction to minimize irritation by your pillow or sheets. You may want to place a towel over your pillow to catch any excess drainage.

You may decrease the amount and frequency of ointment each day as your skin heals, eventually just spot treating any residual raw or crusty areas.

AFTER HEALING (usually 7-14 days): As soon as the skin has resurfaced (you no longer have “raw” spots), begin applying sunscreen EVERY DAY. Some people will experience stinging and sensitivity to regular sunscreen lotions for a few weeks following the laser procedure. If this is a problem, use a chemical-free sunscreen such as Neutrogena Chemical Free SPF 17, or PreSun Chemical Free. 30% of patients will develop some temporary increase in pigment after the laser procedure; this can be minimized with daily sunscreen use.

Continue the antibiotic and antiviral prescriptions for their entire courses. Call the office immediately if you have signs of infection such as fever, blisters, pustules, or thick yellow or green drainage (not clear yellow- that is normal). 

Itching can be treated with dyphenhydramine (Benadryl) every 4-6 hours as needed. If this is not adequate, call the office.

Acne may flare up the week folowing resurfacing. Spot application of an over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide product such as Clearasil for sensitive skin will typically do the trick.

3-4 weeks after the procedure: 
1. Begin Retin-A or Renova cream every night or every other night.
2. Use a bleaching agent ( ) twice daily to minimize the risk of blotchy dark pigmentation in the treated areas.
3. Return to regular sunscreen every day as tolerated. Sunscreen will need to be used for at least six months following the procedure! We recommend that you plan to use sunscreen forever!


Remember, you have invested in the time, expense and discomfort of this procedure. Make it all worthwhile by following the instructions carefully.