What can I expect during recovery from laser skin resurfacing?
After laser resurfacing, you will be watching your skin closely. The work is deciding what to note and what to call about.
Your aftercare plan is the recovery map
Your clinician's written aftercare plan is the reference for recovery. Ask for it ahead of treatment, along with a list of what needs a call.
Three groups for healing skin
Put what you see during recovery into three groups.
- Next visit: questions about routine, such as when to restart a skincare step.
- Same-day call: skin that is spreading, getting more painful, or doing something your aftercare sheet did not mention. Describe it and, if you can, send a photo.
- Emergency: trouble breathing, or anything else that feels like an emergency. Call 911.
Ask about sun in particular. If you want the general case for sun care, read the American Academy of Dermatology statement on the importance of sun protection. Your clinician is the one to name the product for treated skin.
Easing back into sun and routine
Ask when you can return to other activities, and ask about each one separately. Time outdoors is one of them.
If you are shopping for a product for treated skin, read the academy's walkthrough for making sense of sunscreen labels. For newer advice, its roundup of the latest in sun protection covers that. Your clinician's choice still comes first.
Telling the clinic about every change
Do not change supplements or routines without telling the clinic. Sun habits count too. If you want the long-term view, read the academy's advice on lowering your skin cancer risk, while your clinician remains the one who knows your treated skin. A brief daily note on your skin makes any call specific.