Active FX™
Introducing the Active FX™ Laser Resurfacing Procedure
The Active FX™ laser resurfacing procedure is the revolutionary new way of delivering the beam of a surgical laser such that it allows the remarkable results of traditional ablative lasers with a fraction of the recuperation and none of the discomfort or inconvenience patients had come to expect from laser resurfacing.
The Active FX™ is the first of its kind, partially ablative laser with fractionated technology, for skin rejuvenation. Active FX™ utilizes CO2 laser energy to treat fine lines, wrinkles, skin laxity, discoloration and other effects of aging and sun damage in a very fast, single treatment approach.
The Active FX™ procedure has its ideal applications in two patient populations. First, used alone as a single procedure, Active FX is ideal for improving surface pigment irregularities and sun damage as well as the ability to improve fine lines and wrinkles ( i.e., younger patients with the very beginning signs of aging). Secondly, the Active FX laser is the perfect starting point for a process of skin rejuvenation (“Skin Refabrication™”) whereby it is followed up with regular maintenance procedures to achieve a true structural enhancement of aging skin (i.e., any patient middle age or above wishing to take a proactive stance on aging).
“With the introduction of the Fraxel™ and other non-ablative laser fractionated technologies that offer great skin rejuvenation results with no downtime, I thought the days of the ablative laser were over,” says Dr. Wells. “Yet, by combining the CO2 laser with a fractionated technique, the Active FX™ procedure has become my optimal choice for active patients desiring significant results from a single treatment with minimal downtime of about 3-5 days.”
“Additionally,” explains Dr. Wells, “Ablative lasers are ideal in causing immediate contraction of wrinkles and loose skin, results that non-ablative lasers can only hope to produce in a span of about six months.”
The Ultimate Outcome is achieved by combining an Active FX™ treatment for the initial collagen boost, followed by two treatments with nonablative infrared light (IR) to complete the process of contracting existing collagen then beginning the process of “banking” new collagen. The IR treatments are delivered at six weeks after the Active FX™ treatment, and then again at 10 weeks. This will complete the initial process and provide a degree of contraction heretofore unseen. Additionally, it should be noted that this is a real physiologic process and the body will actually continue to produce collagen from this original “collagen boost” for greater than six months to a year after the treatment has been completed. Thereafter, one IR treatment per year as maintenance is generally recommended to continue the “banking” process.
Where we find our greatest advantage is in using the diamond laser scalpel (DLS) for all of our facial rejuvenative procedures. In particular, the combination of a DLS blepharoplasty (eyelid rejuvenation) and Active FX skin rejuvenation are the perfect complement as both procedures have a “downtime” of just a long weekend.
PART 2 – Collagen Maintenance