Laser Skin Resurfacing
Laser resurfacing removes or heats a controlled depth of skin so that what heals back is smoother than what was there.
Laser skin resurfacing in Nanjing
Laser resurfacing removes or heats a controlled depth of skin so that what heals back is smoother than what was there. Every decision in this category comes down to one trade-off: how deep you go, and how much downtime that buys.
Deeper treatment does more for scarring and texture, and costs more recovery. Shallower treatment lets you back to work sooner and does less per session. There is no setting that is both.
On Fitzpatrick III–V skin — most of this clinic’s patients — that trade-off is sharper, because the same heat that remodels collagen can also trigger post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Depth is chosen against your skin type, not against the result you want fastest.
Key points
- What it does Controlled injury at a chosen depth; the healing is the treatment
- Devices here Fractional CO₂ 10,600 nm · Er: YAG 2,940 nm · Nd: YAG 1,064 nm
- The variable Depth and density — set per patient, not per device
- Downtime From a day to about two weeks, by depth
- Course One deep session, or a series of lighter ones
Fractional or full-field
Fractional treatment leaves untreated skin between the treated columns, which is why healing is faster. Full-field treats the whole surface, which does more in one pass and takes considerably longer to recover from. Fractional is the default here; full-field is reserved for cases that justify the recovery.
What is actually in the room
Three wavelengths, each doing something the others do not. The platform matters less than whether the right wavelength was chosen for the problem.
Fractional CO₂ — Lutronic eCO2 Plus, 10,600 nm
The deepest of the three and the workhorse for atrophic acne scarring and established textural change. Water in the tissue absorbs the energy, a column of skin is vaporised, and the surrounding tissue remodels as it heals. Depth and density are both adjustable, which is what makes it usable on darker skin at settings a fixed-parameter device could not offer.
Fractional CO₂ — CO2RE
A second CO₂ platform with several fractional modes, used where the plan calls for a different combination of ablation depth and coagulation than the eCO2 Plus is set up for. Its Chinese device licence ended in December 2025, so it is no longer licensed for sale or import in China; We continue to treat with the unit already in the clinic and say so here rather than display a licence badge.
Er: YAG — Fotona, 2,940 nm
Absorbed by water more strongly than CO₂, so it removes tissue with less heat spreading sideways. That means a cleaner ablation and less thermal loading — useful when the priority is surface texture and pore appearance with a shorter, less inflamed recovery.
Fractional laser resurfacing →
Nd: YAG — Fotona, 1,064 nm
Non-ablative. It passes through the surface and deposits heat deeper without removing tissue, so there is no open wound and little visible downtime. It does less per session than the ablative options and is used in a series, often combined with an Er: YAG pass in the same visit.
Fotona multi-layer protocols →
Why the combination matters more than the brand
A single wavelength treats one layer. Most real cases involve more than one — scarring at depth with pigment at the surface, or laxity under skin that also needs texture work. The useful question at consultation is which layers are being treated and in what order, not which machine is being used.
Which approach fits which problem
| Your main concern | Where assessment usually starts | Typical downtime |
|---|---|---|
| Deep atrophic acne scarring | Fractional CO₂, depth set to your skin type | About 5–10 days |
| Surface texture and pore appearance | Er: YAG fractional, lighter density | About 3–5 days |
| Texture plus early laxity | Multi-layer protocol — Nd: YAG with an Er: YAG pass | 1–2 days |
| Texture, but no downtime available | Non-ablative series, or RF microneedling | About a day |
| Mainly brown patches or spots | Pigmentation lasers— not resurfacing | Varies |
| Dullness and congestion only | Chemical peel or HydraFacial | None to minimal |
Downtime figures are what patients here typically report at a given depth. They are not a promise, and the same setting behaves differently on different skin.
Who is treated, and who is not
Usually suitable
- Adults with textural change or atrophic scarring that has been stable for months
- People who can protect the skin from sun through the healing period
- People whose acne is controlled — resurfacing active inflammatory acne is not appropriate
- Fitzpatrick III–V skin, at settings chosen for that skin — with the pigmentation risk discussed first
Deferred or declined
- Isotretinoin within the last 6–12 months, depending on depth planned
- Active infection in the area, including cold sores — treated or prophylaxed first
- History of keloid or hypertrophic scarring
- Recent sun exposure or tanning, including self-tanner
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Poorly controlled diabetes or other conditions that impair wound healing
- Anyone who cannot take the downtime the plan requires — a deep treatment squeezed in before an event is a bad plan
A darker skin type is a reason to change the settings and the pre-treatment plan. It is not by itself a reason to decline, and it is not a reason to treat as if it were lighter skin.
Course and recovery
- Consultation Skin typing, history, photography, and a plan stating depth and number of sessions
- Preparation Sun avoidance; for some patients a priming regimen before the first session
- Session Topical anaesthetic; the treatment itself is usually 20–45 minutes by area
- First week Redness, swelling, then flaking. Deeper settings mean more of each, for longer
- Between sessions Typically 4–8 weeks, longer after deeper treatment
- Assessment Collagen remodelling continues for months — results are judged at 3–6 months, not at 3 weeks
Daily broad-spectrum sun protection through the healing period is part of the treatment, not aftercare advice. Skipping it is the most common reason a good technical result turns into a pigmentation problem.
When resurfacing is not the answer
- Pigmentation is the main concern— pigment-selective lasers target melanin directly and do not require the recovery that resurfacing does.
- Scarring, but downtime is impossible— RF microneedling reaches the dermis through the skin rather than across it, with a shorter visible recovery and a different risk profile.
- Laxity rather than texture— radiofrequency tightening or ultrasound lifting act on the layers resurfacing does not reach.
- Surface dullness and congestion— a chemical peel or HydraFacial does this without a laser.
- Active acne— treat the acne first. Resurfacing scars while new ones are forming is not a plan.
What determines cost
Price follows area treated, depth and density, and how many sessions the plan calls for. A single deep session and a series of lighter ones can reach similar totals by different routes, which is why a per-session figure quoted without a plan tells you very little.
A written estimate covering the whole course is provided after assessment, before anything begins. Where a course is planned, the number of sessions is stated up front rather than extended session by session.
Standards applied to resurfacing
Skin typing before settings
Fitzpatrick type is recorded and the parameters are chosen against it. Treating darker skin on settings written for lighter skin is the single most avoidable cause of harm in this category.
Downtime stated before, not discovered after
The recovery a plan requires is given as a number at consultation. If that number does not work for you, the plan changes — the depth is not quietly reduced while the expectations stay where they were.
Test patching where it is warranted
For higher-risk skin or an uncertain history, a test area is treated and reviewed before a full session is booked.
Photography at fixed conditions
Progress is judged against standardised images rather than memory, and at the interval the biology actually works on.
Risks, contraindications and when to call
Resurfacing creates a controlled wound. The risks below are real, and they are discussed before consent rather than listed in small print.
Expected after treatment
- Redness, swelling and heat for several days, longer with deeper settings
- Flaking or peeling as the surface turns over
- Temporary sensitivity, and skin that reacts to products it tolerated before
Risks discussed before consent
- Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation— the main risk on Fitzpatrick III–V skin. Usually temporary, sometimes months to resolve, and the reason settings and sun protection are handled the way they are.
- Prolonged redness— beyond the expected window, more likely after deeper treatment.
- Infection, including reactivation of cold sores. Antiviral prophylaxis is used where the history indicates it.
- Scarring— uncommon, more likely with deep settings, poor aftercare, or a history of abnormal scarring.
- Hypopigmentation— loss of pigment, which can be persistent. Rare, and a reason depth is not pushed for its own sake.
Contraindications
- Active infection or inflammatory acne in the treatment area
- Recent isotretinoin use
- Recent sun exposure, tanning or self-tanner
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- History of keloid or hypertrophic scarring
- Conditions or medications that significantly impair wound healing
Contact the clinic promptly
Call if you develop spreading redness, increasing pain after the first few days, yellow crusting or discharge, fever, or blistering that was not expected. These are treatable, and they are treated faster when reported early. For chest pain, difficulty breathing, or facial swelling affecting your airway, call 911 rather than the clinic.
This page is general information about how laser resurfacing is assessed and performed at this clinic. It is not medical advice and does not replace a consultation. Outcomes vary with skin type, the condition being treated and adherence to aftercare.
Where the medical claims on this page come from
Everything above about Laser Skin Resurfacing rests on published evidence rather than on our own word. The sources below are the ones behind those statements: peer-reviewed papers indexed in PubMed, and guidance written for patients by dermatology academies and national health services. Read them before you decide — and bring any of them to your consultation.
- Peer-reviewedRecognizing and Managing Complications in Laser Resurfacing, Chemical Peels, and Dermabrasion
- Peer-reviewedChemical peels for darker skin types
What these references can and cannot tell you. They describe what is known about the treatment itself — how well it tends to work, how long results last, and what can go wrong. They are not an assessment of this clinic, and no published study can tell you whether it suits your skin type, anatomy, or medical history. That judgement comes from the physician who examines you in person, and it may well be “not this one”.