Will the scar disappear?
No. Treatment aims to make a scar less noticeable.
Improvement varies with the scar, your skin, and the laser used. Some features may respond better than others.
Scar & Revision · Laser Scar Revision
Laser Scar Revision
Laser scar revision uses focused light to soften a scar’s color, texture, or thickness without removing the scar completely.
Is this an office procedure?
Many treatments can be done in an office setting.
The size and location of the scar, treatment depth, and anesthesia needs determine the appropriate setting.
Will I need more than one session?
A series of treatments may be recommended.
Your surgeon should explain the likely number of sessions, spacing, and how progress will be assessed.
01 · Overview
A closer look at laser scar revision
Laser scar revision treats selected features of an existing scar. It may help a scar blend more closely with nearby skin, but it cannot erase the injury or restore completely unscarred skin. [1]
Different lasers serve different purposes. Some target blood vessels that contribute to redness; others create controlled injury in the skin to encourage collagen remodeling and improve uneven texture. [2]
Laser treatment is different from surgical scar revision, which may remove or reposition scar tissue. It is also different from treating an open wound. Your surgeon will assess whether laser treatment alone, a combined approach, or waiting is the better choice. [1]
- Treatment target
- Scar color, texture, or thickness
- Approach
- Focused light; usually no surgical incision
- Comfort measures
- Depend on the laser and treatment area
- Downtime
- Varies with treatment depth and skin response
Can every type of scar be treated with a laser?
No single laser works for every scar. Raised scars, depressed scars, burn scars, and surgical scars may need different approaches. Keloids, which grow beyond the original injury, often need a broader treatment plan because they can recur.
Does skin tone affect the plan?
Yes. Laser treatment can cause darker or lighter patches, and the risk varies with skin tone, laser type, and settings. Ask about your clinician’s experience treating scars in skin like yours and whether a test spot would be useful.
02 · Concerns & Goals
What would you like to change?
A scar may stand out because of its color, texture, height, or location. Your surgeon can help identify which features may respond to laser treatment.
Persistent redness
A red or pink scar may remain noticeable even after the wound closes. A vascular laser may help selected scars, although other causes of redness need assessment.
Uneven texture
Roughness or small depressions can catch the light differently from nearby skin. Resurfacing may soften these differences without making the surface perfectly smooth.
Raised or firm tissue
Some thick scars may soften with treatment. Very raised scars or keloids may also need injections or other scar care.
A scar that draws attention
Location, width, and contrast can all affect visibility. Laser treatment may change color or texture, but a wide or poorly positioned scar may require a different approach.
03 · Options
How the approaches differ
The choice depends on the feature being treated, your skin tone, and how much healing time you can accommodate. These approaches are not interchangeable.
Vascular laser treatment
Targets redness within selected scars.
How it worksA laser such as a pulsed dye laser targets blood vessels that contribute to a red or pink appearance.
May suitSome red surgical scars and raised scars, after individual assessment.
Main tradeoffBruising, swelling, or temporary color changes can occur; it may do little for deep depressions or scar width.
Nonablative fractional laser
Encourages remodeling without removing the entire skin surface.
How it worksSmall columns of heat are delivered into the skin while surrounding tissue is left untreated.
May suitSelected texture changes when a less intensive recovery is a priority.
Main tradeoffChanges may be gradual and require several sessions; pigment changes and burns remain possible.
Ablative fractional laser
Resurfaces small columns of scar tissue.
How it worksA carbon dioxide or erbium laser removes tiny columns of tissue to stimulate healing and remodeling.
May suitSelected uneven, thick, or depressed scars when the expected benefit justifies wound care and downtime.
Main tradeoffMore intensive treatment can mean more crusting, drainage, redness, and infection risk.
Combined or staged laser treatment
Addresses more than one scar feature over time.
How it worksDifferent laser types may be used in separate sessions to address redness and texture.
May suitScars with several concerns that cannot be addressed well by one laser.
Main tradeoffMore visits, costs, and recovery periods may be involved, and improvement is still uncertain.
Laser names alone do not tell you how intensive treatment will be. Settings, depth, treatment area, and clinician experience also matter. [1] [2].
Is intense pulsed light the same as a laser?
No. Intense pulsed light uses a range of light wavelengths rather than a laser’s specific wavelength. It may be discussed for some color concerns, but it is not interchangeable with laser scar revision.
Can laser treatment narrow a wide scar?
It may improve surface texture or color, but it does not reliably bring the edges of a wide scar together. Surgical revision may be discussed when width, position, or tension is the main concern.
04 · Results
What may improve and what may remain
A less noticeable scar
The goal is improvement, not removal.
- Color, texture, and thickness may change by different amounts.
- A scar may remain visible in certain lighting or when the skin moves.
Gradual change
The final effect is not visible immediately.
- Early redness or swelling can temporarily hide improvement.
- Collagen remodeling can continue for months after treatment.
An individual response
Progress helps guide the next step.
- Your surgeon may adjust treatment or recommend another approach.
- Raised scars can recur, and further treatment may be needed.
Results depend on scar characteristics, skin response, treatment method, and healing. No technique can guarantee a particular degree of improvement. [1]
05 · Recovery
Planning your recovery
Recovery at a glance
- Stay after surgery
- Determined by Your Surgeon
- Initial recovery at home
- Varies by Individual
- Return to desk work
- Varies by Procedure and Work Activity
- Light daily activities
- Based on Individual Recovery
- Strenuous exercise
- Based on Surgeon Clearance
Returning to work does not mean fully healed. Follow your surgeon’s instructions; strenuous activity requires clearance.
Recovery ranges from temporary redness to an area that needs wound care. Your plan should match the specific laser, settings, location, and your skin’s response.
Step 1 · Day of treatment
Treatment day
The team cleans the skin, provides appropriate comfort measures, and uses eye protection. You may notice warmth, stinging, redness, or swelling afterward.
Step 2 · First several days
Early recovery
Bruising may follow vascular treatment. Resurfacing may cause peeling, crusting, or drainage. Follow the team’s specific cleansing, dressing, and skin-product instructions.
Step 3 · Days to weeks, depending on treatment
Surface healing
More intensive resurfacing needs longer surface healing than lighter treatment. Ask when makeup, usual skin care, and activities can safely resume; redness may last beyond surface closure.
Step 4 · Following weeks to months
Remodeling and review
The scar may continue changing after the surface heals. Follow-up helps assess response and decide whether or when another session is appropriate.
Planning everyday activities
ActivityGeneral planning contextWhat affects the plan
Work and social plansPlanning context: Lighter treatment may allow an early return; deeper resurfacing may require a week or two, sometimes longer. [2]What affects it: Visible redness, wound care, treatment location, and job demands. Returning to work does not mean healing is complete.
ExercisePlanning context: Ask when sweating, friction, and strenuous activity are safe.What affects it: Treatment depth, swelling, and whether the surface is still healing.
Makeup and skin productsPlanning context: Restart only as directed for the treated area. [2]What affects it: An open or irritated surface may react to products or become infected.
Outdoor timePlanning context: Plan sun protection before and after treatment according to your team’s guidance. [2]What affects it: Sun exposure can increase the chance of unwanted pigment changes.
Your surgical team’s instructions take priority over general timelines. Ask your surgical team whether compresses are appropriate and exactly how to use them.
Before your procedure
- Discuss how the scar formed, its age, symptoms, and previous treatments.
- Share any history of keloids, pigment changes, poor healing, or cold sores.
- Review all medicines, supplements, and skin products; do not stop prescribed medicines on your own.
- Ask about tanning, sun exposure, and skin preparation before your session.
- Discuss nicotine use and health conditions that may affect healing.
- Arrange any needed ride, time away from work, wound-care supplies, and follow-up.
Will treatment hurt?
You may feel snapping, heat, or stinging. Depending on the treatment, the clinician may use topical numbing, local anesthesia, or other measures. Ask what to expect during treatment and how discomfort will be managed afterward.
What if I have had cold sores?
Tell your clinician before treatment, especially for scars near the mouth. Laser resurfacing can reactivate the virus, and preventive antiviral medicine may be recommended.
06 · Safety
Risks and what your clinician assesses
Temporary redness, swelling, tenderness, and sometimes bruising are common. Resurfacing may also cause peeling, crusting, or drainage. The expected intensity and duration should be explained for your specific treatment.
Darker or lighter skin
Pigment changes may be temporary or lasting. Risk depends partly on skin tone, sun exposure, and treatment settings.
Burns or blisters
Laser energy can injure skin beyond the intended treatment depth and delay healing.
Infection
Bacterial infection or reactivation of cold sores can occur, particularly when the skin barrier is disrupted.
New or worsened scarring
Healing can produce additional scarring, uneven texture, or a raised scar.
Prolonged redness or irritation
Redness, sensitivity, or discomfort may last longer than expected and need assessment.
Limited or uneven improvement
The scar may respond less than hoped, improve unevenly, or require other treatment. Raised scars can return.
Discuss these risks and your individual health history with your surgeon. [2]
What your clinician assesses
- Scar type, age, depth, location, and whether the skin is fully closed
- Skin tone, recent tanning, and history of pigment changes or keloids
- Medicines, immune health, infection history, and healing risks
- Goals, comfort needs, ability to manage aftercare, and realistic expectations
07 · Costs
What makes up the Total Procedure & Care Cost
Compare written estimates for the same planned scope: scar area, laser approach, expected sessions, anesthesia, and follow-up. A single-session quote is not the same as an estimate for a full treatment course.
Surgeon
Surgical care
Clinical assessment and laser treatment by the treating clinician.
Ask your surgeonAsk whether the quote is per session, per area, or for a planned series, and whether consultation is separate.
Facility
Anesthesia and facility
Any numbing, anesthesia services, and treatment-location charges.
Ask your surgeonAsk which comfort measures are planned and whether facility or anesthesia fees are separate.
Supplies
Supplies and follow-up
Possible dressings, prescribed medicines, skin-care supplies, and review visits.
Ask your surgeonAsk what is included and how additional visits or treatment of complications would be billed.
TRC
Patient Services
Any separately listed administrative or care-coordination services.
Ask TRCAsk whether such services apply, what they include, and whether they are optional.
Your written estimate should explain the services included, any separate charges, and payment terms.
08 · Questions
Common questions
How soon after an injury can a scar be treated?
There is no single waiting period for every scar or laser. Some scars are assessed early after closure; others benefit from more time to mature. The wound’s condition and treatment goal guide timing.
Can an old scar still improve?
An older scar may respond, but age alone does not predict the result. Its depth, texture, color, and your skin’s healing response also matter.
Is laser scar revision the same as laser tattoo removal?
No. Tattoo removal targets tattoo pigment. Scar treatment targets features such as blood vessels or scar texture, using a different treatment plan.
Will insurance cover treatment?
Treatment for appearance alone is often not covered. Coverage for symptomatic scars or functional problems varies. Ask your insurer about documentation and authorization before scheduling.
0 consultation questions in your plan
View in My TRC workspaceMy Aesthetic Plan
Prepare for your consultation
Bring these to help your consultation:
- Confirm the scar features being treated and the limits of expected improvement.
- Get individualized preparation, aftercare, and urgent-contact instructions.
- Review the planned sessions, follow-up schedule, and written estimate.
View My Aesthetic Plan
Choices stay in this visit until saving to your account completes. Nothing is sent to a clinician.
Sources
- [1]American Society of Plastic Surgeons — Scar RevisionScar revision goals and limitations; scar types; topical, injectable, surface, and surgical treatment options; individualized treatment planning.
- [2]Cleveland Clinic — Laser Skin ResurfacingLaser types and mechanisms; scar-related uses; skin-tone considerations; preparation, recovery, sun protection, cold sore precautions, and complications including infection, pigment changes, burns, and scarring.
Photographs are illustrative scenes, not patients, staff, facilities or outcomes. This information does not replace a personal assessment by your treating clinician.