The role of fractional CO ₂ laser therapy in post-surgical skin cancer scarring

Scars from skin cancer surgery impact patients' quality of life. In recent years, fractional CO₂ (fCO₂) laser has been used for scar improvement. A single-center retrospective study (<i>n</i> = 22) was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the fCO₂ laser in improving the aesthetic outcome of post-surgical skin cancer scars, using the validated Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS). We obtained a mean VSS reduction of 44.5% and an absolute decrease of 2.77 points (<i>p</i> < .001). Statistically significant improvements were observed in all VSS parameters except for pigmentation. No significant correlation was found between time since surgery and reduction in VSS. Fractional CO₂ laser is a safe and effective approach for improving surgical scars following skin cancer treatment. Its efficacy is not limited to early scars.