Table 3.

Common Postprocedure Complications

Complication	Prophylaxis
Superficial infection	Sterile procedure, postoperative oral antibiotics, or topical clindamycin ointment
Acne flair, perioral herpes, periocular herpes, if area is treated (eyes, mouth) and the patient has a history of HSV-1 outbreaks in treatment region	Preprocedure and postprocedure prophylactic acyclovir
Persistent grid marks	Lower energy in subsequent treatments
Redness and edema	Postprocedure elevation, topical cleansers. Topical or oral antihistamines
Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation	Lower energy and pulse duration. Topical bleaching agents like hydroquinone, azelaic acid, TXA in combination with tretinoin, or kojic
Postprocedure bumps (from needle entry points)	Topical steroid (triamcinolone) with combination tretinoin