Objective To analyze the effect of nursing intervention based on empowerment theory combined with health education in patients with cystic acne treated by CO2 fractional laser. Methods A total of 78 patients with cystic acne admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University from January to December 2023 were selected as the research subjects. According to different nursing measures, they were divided into the control group and the observation group, with 39 patients in each group. All patients were treated with CO2 fractional laser. The control group received traditional nursing, and the observation group received nursing intervention based on empowerment theory combined with health education. The self-efficacy score, quality of life scores, compliance and patient satisfaction were compared between the two groups. Results After intervention, the self-efficacy score, the scores of each dimension of quality of life and the scores of each dimension of compliance in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P <0.05). The patient satisfaction in the observation group was 97.44%, which was higher than 76.92% in the control group (P <0.05). Conclusion Nursing intervention based on empowerment theory combined with health education has a good effect in patients with cystic acne treated by CO2 fractional laser. It can improve their self-efficacy, quality of life and compliance, while also enhancing the patient satisfaction.