What Are the Possible Complications of Laser Resurfacing?
• You should expect swelling after laser skin resurfacing. Ask your doctor about what you can do to lessen this effect. • Milia, which are small white bumps, may appear in the laser-treated areas during healing. These may be removed by gentle cleansing with a washcloth. • Hyper pigmentation (increased pigmentation), and more rarely hypo pigmentation (decreased skin pigmentation), may result in the laser-treated areas. In general, the hyper pigmented areas may be treated with bleaching cream to speed fading of the pigment. • Reappearance of a cold sore may occur, especially after laser skin resurfacing around the mouth. You can prevent this by asking your doctor for an antiviral medication, which you can begin taking before your surgery and continue taking seven to 10 days after laser resurfacing. • Scarring after laser skin resurfacing, although very rare, may occur in laser-treated areas.
