Aftercare: CO₂ & Erbium Laser

About the treatment

• When removing moles, age spots, warts, or milia with a laser, treating too deeply can leave a scar. The safest approach is to treat conservatively and repeat if needed — this keeps scars and marks to a minimum. Large or deep moles may need more sessions.
• If a mole comes back, it's best to let the surrounding skin recover for 2–3 months before treating the same spot again. Recurring moles keep growing over time, so please come in for a follow-up around the 2–3 month mark.

Caring for the area

1. Keep the healing dressing (DuoDERM) we applied in place for at least 2–3 days — the longer the better, ideally 10 days or more. After that, apply repair cream or the ointment we recommended at least twice a day for 7 days.
2. The dressing turning white and puffy with fluid underneath is part of normal healing. Replace it only if fluid leaks out around the edges; otherwise there's no need to change it.
3. If the site gets irritated, minor bleeding can occasionally occur. Press firmly over the dressing with a clean tissue for about 20 minutes and it will stop. A little bleeding actually means the tissue damage was minimal — a good sign for quick healing.
4. If a scab forms, let it come off on its own. That's how the wound heals best.
5. With the dressing on, you can wash your face and wear light makeup the same day, but waiting until the next day is better. Don't rub your face, so the scab stays in place. Avoid exercise, baths, and saunas for about 10 days; light showers are fine. Skip scrubs and exfoliants for about a month.
6. Avoid alcohol, smoking, and other irritants for at least 2–3 days.
7. Once the scab has come off, protect the area from the sun. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen (UVA protection included) — even on cloudy days and indoors.
8. The treated spot usually returns to your normal skin tone within about 3 months. If your skin heals slowly, a faint mark can remain for 6 months or longer. Marks tend to last longer on the neck, torso, arms, and legs than on the face.