The laser certainly has its place. And, today there are several types of lasers available depending upon what we wish to accomplish. The carbon dioxide laser is available in several different models, all of which have some minor advantage over the others, or so we are told. There are lasers that can remove tiny blood vessels and pigmented lesions. There are lasers which can remove tattoos.
Some lasers are better than others for reducing scar tissue.
The patient is kept on oral antibiotics and even oral anti-viral medication if there's a history of herpes or cold sores. A mild pain medication, such a Tylenol with codeine is usually adequate. The mainstay of post-operative care, however, involves the application of antibiotic ointment to help speed the wound healing. Frequent compressing with cool water is often recommended as well, particularly in the first 48 hours. Itching can be fairly bothersome in some patients and treatment is available in such cases.