Which infection could potentially resurface after laser treatment if dormant?

Herpes simplex is the correct response because it is known for its ability to remain dormant in the body after an initial infection. This virus can lie inactive in nerve cells and re-emerge during times of stress, illness, or a weakened immune system. Following laser treatment, which can temporarily compromise the skin, the reactivation of the herpes simplex virus is a concern for individuals with a history of the infection.

The other options do present possibilities but in different contexts. Chickenpox, caused by the varicella-zoster virus, can indeed recur later in life as shingles, which is a separate manifestation of the same virus. However, in the context of dormant infections specifically resurfacing post-laser treatment, herpes simplex more directly fits the profile due to its viral nature and established patterns of dormancy and reactivation. Shingles, while also relevant, is not the direct dormant state that would emerge from a previous herpes simplex virus infection. Candida infections, being fungal, do not operate in the same dormant manner in the context of viral reactivation.