Ablative · Non-Ablative · Pacific Plaza
Resurfacing is the part of acne scar treatment Singapore patients tend to picture first, yet at Atelier it usually comes last. This page compares ablative and non-ablative resurfacing, shows which scars each can reach, and explains how Dr Sin Yong weighs the extra depth of CO2 against its longer recovery.
Resurfacing is a planned injury to the surface and upper dermis. The skin repairs it by laying down new collagen, which softens the edge of a scar and evens the texture around it. Every resurfacing method used for acne scars at Atelier is fractional: energy goes into narrow columns, and the untouched skin between them speeds healing.
The real choice is whether those columns are removed or only heated. That one difference decides how deep the change can go, how the skin looks for the following week, and how much pigment risk comes with it.
Specifications
The figures below are those Atelier's own treatment pages give. Your settings, and so your recovery, are set for your scars and skin type.
Who It Suits
Resurfacing works on what sits within reach of the surface. It cannot cut a fibrous band, follow a narrow tract to its base or replace lost volume, so those problems are dealt with first and resurfacing finishes the plan. Which Atelier laser suits which scar is set out in acne scar laser treatment.
| What is found | Role of resurfacing | What else is needed |
|---|---|---|
| Shallow boxcar scars, fine texture | Non-ablative fractional laser is often enough | Usually nothing, or a pigment pass if brown marks sit alongside |
| Deep boxcar scars | Fractional CO2 softens the wall and remodels the floor | TCA CROSS for narrow edges |
| Ice-pick scars | CO2 point shots, only after the floor has been treated | TCA CROSS first |
| Rolling scars | Resurfacing of the remaining surface, after release | Subcision first; volume where tissue is lost |
| Flat red or brown marks | Not resurfaced | Vascular or pigment laser, and sun protection |
| Raised scars or keloids | Not resurfaced | Keloid treatment |
The Decision
Dr SY grades each scar under side light with the skin stretched, then asks a practical question: what depth does this scar need, and what recovery can you plan for? Shallow scarring in skin that darkens easily often does well with non-ablative passes over more sessions. Deeper boxcar scars, and scars that stopped improving after earlier CO2 or RF microneedling, usually need the reach of the Tetra Pro Scar³ protocol, where point shots go into individual pits before lighter fractional passes cover the skin around them.
In Fitzpatrick III to V skin the passes are set less densely and stages are spaced by healing rather than by the calendar, as CO2 laser in Asian skin explains.
When to wait. Resurfacing is postponed while acne is active, on a fresh tan, during pregnancy, with a cold sore or infection in the area, and around isotretinoin, where timing is weighed individually; see isotretinoin and laser timing. A tendency to keloids changes the plan.
When it is not the answer. A tethered scar needs subcision, and an ice-pick tract needs TCA CROSS. Punch excision for an isolated, very deep scar is assessed at Atelier; surgery is arranged by referral where needed.
Dr Sin Yong holds a Key Opinion Leader appointment with DEKA.
On The Day
The full appointment, from preparation to how it feels, is on what to expect: CO2 laser.
Recovery
After CO2 the skin seeps, bronzes, crusts and sheds before pink new skin shows; the day-by-day pattern is on CO2 laser downtime and home care on CO2 laser aftercare. Non-ablative passes leave redness that settles over days, with fine micro-crusts left to shed.
How resurfacing fits around subcision and TCA CROSS in one plan is on acne scar treatment downtime. Collagen keeps changing for months, so the next stage is timed to healed skin at a follow-up visit.
Safety
Common: redness, swelling, crusting and peeling; temporary darkening, more likely in Asian skin; pinkness that lingers for weeks after CO2.
Less common or rare: infection; a cold sore flare, which is why antiviral cover is arranged if you have had them; prolonged redness; lighter patches; and, rarely, a new scar. Responses vary from person to person, and no particular outcome can be promised.
Contact the clinic the same day for thick yellow crusts, clustered blisters or sores, pain or swelling that increases after the second day, redness spreading beyond the treated area, or fever.
Continue
Atelier Aesthetics · Owned by AYA
9 Scotts Road, Pacific Plaza #12-01A, Singapore 228210 · +65 8023 7170
Book a Consultation