A January 2026 split-face trial found vitamin C, vitamin E plus ferulic acid eased early healing after fractional CO2 laser for acne scars. For people with skin of color, that does not mean the serum prevents dark spots or guarantees smoother scars.
Fractional CO2 treatment removes tiny columns of skin to spur repair of indented atrophic scars. Headlines can make a 14-day healing win sound like lasting pigment protection. Use the result as one healing detail, then focus your consult on pigment risk and sun cover.
Medical information disclaimer: This article is for general educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a physician or other qualified health professional about symptoms, medications, tests, or treatment decisions.
Table of Contents
- What the January 2026 trial tested
- What healed faster in those two weeks
- Why darker skin needs a narrower reading
- What to ask before booking laser
What the January 2026 trial tested
The study enrolled 64 Chinese adults ages 18-50 with moderate-to-severe atrophic facial scars graded by ECCA. One cheek received CE Ferulic and the other received saline after the same ablative fractional CO2 resurfacing. HCPLive, reporting the Shi, Xu and Zhang trial, describes this split-face design in its summary of the antioxidant trial.
CE Ferulic means topical vitamin C with vitamin E plus ferulic acid. Staff applied it for 14 days right after laser injury. Saline on the other side served as the control.
What healed faster in those two weeks
The HCPLive summary of the trial reports faster scab detachment on the serum-treated side. It also reports lower erythema and melanin readings plus better hydration and barrier measures during the 14-day wound window.
Those are early repair signals, not finished scar shape. They track redness, surface pigment readings, moisture, and barrier strength while crusts shed. They do not by themselves show how pits will look months later.
Why darker skin needs a narrower reading
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation follows skin injury or inflammation. DermNet NZ explains that it can occur in anyone but is more common, more intense, and longer-lasting in darker-skinned people, with sun exposure able to darken patches further, in its guide to postinflammatory hyperpigmentation.
The trial record, registered as ChiCTR2300078214, covers a single-country Chinese cohort with short 14-day follow-up and investigator-only blinding. The full trial record also used saline rather than standard care as the comparator, so readers should not stretch it into proof of long-term remodeling or PIH prevention in Fitzpatrick IV-VI skin, as detailed in the full January 2026 trial record.
What to ask before booking laser
Ask about your own pigment risk rather than assuming serum alone stops dark spots. The practical move is to review personal PIH or melasma history, Fitzpatrick type, conservative settings, priming options, and pigment follow-up.
Strict photoprotection is the clear aftercare step. The American Academy of Dermatology advises broad-spectrum, water-resistant SPF 30 or higher on all uncovered skin, reapplied every two hours or after swimming or sweating, in its sunscreen guidance. Bring your pigment history, current products, and daily sun pattern to that visit.
- past dark marks after pimples, burns, or procedures
- Fitzpatrick type and melasma history
- planned energy, density, test-spot, and priming approach
- who checks pigment in the first weeks and how
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