About 5 weeks ago I was in a car accident and my sunglasses were smashed into the bridge of my nose. The impact caused a superficial wound/abrasion in the exact area shown in the photos. Dermabond was used initially.

I attached photos chronologically so you can see the progression:  
**\~1 week:** Dermabond had just come off and the area was still healing.  
**\~2 weeks:** Skin had closed and the redness seemed to be fading normally.  
**\~2.5 weeks:** I accidentally caused significant friction to the newly healed area and then also used way too much 15% azelaic acid. It became dramatically redder afterward.  
**\~1 month:** The acute irritation had settled somewhat, but I was left with persistent redness and some uneven texture.  
**\~5 weeks/current:** It may be slightly lighter, but the red/pink mark is still very noticeable to me. I can also physically feel a small ridge in the area. In certain side lighting it can look slightly indented, although that changes considerably depending on angle/light.

The skin has been completely closed for weeks. There is no drainage, open wound, or infection.

Current care has included:  
Daily SPF 46–50  
Biocorneum silicone scar gel  
Aquaphor as needed  
15% azelaic acid in a very small amount at night, although I stopped/ reduced it whenever the area became irritated

**The redness is by far my biggest concern.** My cosmetic goal is to get the bridge of my nose as close as reasonably possible to how it looked before the accident.

I’m scheduling an appointment with my dermatologist, but I’d really appreciate opinions from dermatologists or anyone experienced with traumatic facial scars.

**Questions:**

At only \~5 weeks, does this still look consistent with an immature healing scar/post-inflammatory erythema that could fade substantially over the next few months?

Does the small palpable ridge look/sound concerning for an early hypertrophic scar, or can that be normal collagen remodeling at this stage?

Is **595-nm pulsed-dye laser / Vbeam** reasonable this early if the skin is fully healed and the main issue is persistent vascular redness?

Would you generally treat the redness first and then wait a few months before deciding whether the texture actually needs resurfacing?

If a subtle texture defect remains after the scar matures, what would usually be the most conservative treatment—fractional non-ablative laser, microneedling, Er:YAG/CO2, or something else?

Is there anything I should be doing differently right now to maximize the cosmetic outcome and avoid making the scar worse?

I’m willing to pursue professional laser/procedural treatment if appropriate, but I also don’t want to overtreat a very young scar.

**Thanks for any insight.**

5 weeks after car accident nose injury — persistent redness + slight ridge. Normal healing or time for Vbeam?