{
  "what": "The DEKA SmartXide Tetra Pro is a fractional CO2 laser working at 10,600 nm whose Pulse Shape Design technology lets the physician choose the shape of each pulse as well as its energy. At Dr Sin Yong's practice on Orchard Road, Singapore, it runs the S3 Resurfacing Lift, the resurfacing step of the SCAR3 acne scar protocol, after subcision and TCA CROSS have released tethered scars and ice-pick tracts. It creates a controlled wound that must heal, and it is not a treatment for pigment or melasma.",
  "key_facts": [
    "Mechanism: 10,600 nm light is absorbed strongly by water and vaporises tissue in a controlled way; used fractionally it removes microscopic columns of skin and leaves bridges of untouched skin from which the skin heals; a focused beam removes a single small growth layer by layer",
    "Pulse Shape Design: controls how abruptly each pulse rises, how long it dwells and how it tails off, so resurfacing can be matched to each scar's geometry rather than one fixed pulse",
    "Suits: boxcar and shallow rolling acne scars once acne is under control, and coarse texture within scarred skin, in people who can accept a visible healing period; superficial scars and texture often suit the non-ablative FSX Laser instead",
    "Other uses: syringoma under the eyes, skin tags where precision matters, benign raised moles and seborrhoeic keratoses once confirmed benign, and numerous or recurrent milia; an atypical lesion is excised and sent for histology instead",
    "Not used for: brown spots, melasma or redness, which are assessed for pico laser, R2T2 or medical treatment",
    "Wait or avoid: pregnancy, active acne, skin infection or cold sore, fresh tanning, recent isotretinoin or photosensitising medicines pending review, a keloid or hypertrophic scarring tendency, poorly controlled diabetes, immunosuppression, smoking, previous radiotherapy to the area and active vitiligo",
    "Risks: redness, swelling, pinpoint bleeding, oozing, crusting and peeling are part of healing; temporary darkening is the main concern in Fitzpatrick III to V skin; infection, cold sore outbreaks, scarring and lightening of the skin are possible",
    "Performed by: Dr Sin Yong, after scar mapping and a medical history; the practice is a DEKA Centre of Excellence and he is invited to share his clinical expertise on DEKA CO2 platforms"
  ],
  "references": [
    "Shamsaldeen O, Peterson JD, Goldman MP. The adverse events of deep fractional CO2: a retrospective study of 490 treatments in 374 patients. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 2011. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21761414/",
    "Ochi H, Tan L, Tan WP, Goh CL. Treatment of Facial Acne Scarring With Fractional Carbon Dioxide Laser in Asians, a Retrospective Analysis of Efficacy and Complications. Dermatologic Surgery 2017. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28746258/",
    "Wat H, Wu DC, Chan HH. Fractional resurfacing in the Asian patient: Current state of the art. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 2017. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27605303/"
  ],
  "owner_url": "https://drsinyong.com/tetra-pro-acne-scar-treatment-singapore/",
  "doctor": "Dr Sin Yong, aesthetic physician, Orchard Road, Singapore",
  "updated": "2026-10-31"
}