What are the white bumps after laser treatment?

White bumps on freshly treated skin tempt people to treat them at home. The first question to settle is whether they are a known part of healing at all.

What healing can bring

my.clevelandclinic.org notes that small, white bumps may appear in the laser-treated areas during healing. The word "may" matters here. It means the bumps are a possible part of recovery, not a certain one.

Why you should not self-diagnose

Seeing bumps that match the description does not confirm that yours are the same thing. Skin that has just been treated is a poor place to experiment. Do not squeeze, scrub or scratch at the bumps, and do not buy a product to deal with them on your own.

Show the clinic

Photograph the area in good light and send it to the office that treated you, or ask to be seen. Your provider can tell you whether what you have is the healing change described above, and what to do about it.

What outside sources add

For the procedure as a whole, read The Aesthetic Society's laser skin resurfacing page and WebMD's guide to benefits, side effects and average cost. For skin concerns that bring people to lasers in the first place, see the page on how dermatologists treat sun-damaged skin and the overview of wrinkle treatments from retinol to fillers.

Get the bumps seen

Bumps nobody has looked at are bumps nobody can vouch for. Have the clinic check them.