106 of 111 people found the following review helpful:
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I have been wanting to have my faced sloughed for about 10 years. I am a 40 year old woman who loved tanning and tanning beds, wearing no protection of course. I am of Meditteranean descent, so I handled excessive sun very well, hardly ever burning....but, by age 30, I started seeing the abuse on my skin. I started Botox and wearing sunscreen which did wonders. As I was closing out my 30s, I needed something more invasive. I decided to go with Active FX. I wanted my dark spots gone, my acne pocks removed, and wrinkles reduced. A little tightening too! My only concern was the fact that I am 100% Greek, and I have read in many journals that Europeans could develop pigmentation issues....which is why I used the lightening cream for 3 weeks prior.
I had my procedure done yesterday. I have been using a hydoquyonine cream for the last 3 weeks, and I have stayed out of the sun for the past couple of months. I arrived thrilled and ready to get on with things. I was seated in a chair where they applied a numbing cream for about an hour. I had filled a prescription for Adivan and Tylenol 3, and I was told to bring them to office. I took two of each when I got there. The doctor came in an hour later and begin sticking more meds into my face with a needle. Bearable. Then he started with the procedure. I was very uncomfortable when he inserted the contact lenses... I felt like there were two heavy plungers bearing down on my eyes... He used the Deep FX on my entire face. It mostly hurt around the eyes and perimeter of face. He told me I was responding very well, since I was not bleeding. He then switched to another handle, not sure which one... Now this hurt... scale of 1 to 10... a nine. I asked for two more pain pills. Got more injections. Going over the same places with more laser...ouch.. not sure how aggressive he got considering I could not bear the pain. It was like getting 10 wasps stings at once on your face.... stopping for about 2 seconds to get 10 more.... and so on....OUCH! When it was over, he gaveme a shot of an antiinflammatory in my arm. I then asked for some Perlane to plump my lips.... Why not? Right? :)
I slowly started to get up.... and they said I needed a wheelchair...I told them I would run to the bathroom to prove my point that I was ok... But they were right. I stood up and instead asked for a bucket. I puked a bit.... Sat my happy bottom in the chair and was taken to the bathroom. I was then given Acquafor and Cetaphil... that is it. Wash with Cetaphil .... apply Acquafor... 2x day.
Now, let me give a word of caution, and I can only say this from my own experience. DO NOT DRIVE YOURSELF home. I have a high tolerance for pain, and I thought, if my husband can't take me, I will just drive home myself. DONT DO IT> I could not even sit up.... I had to hold a barf bag .... and used it again on the way home.... sorry to gross out... but if you think you can drive, you can not. I know I had pumped myself full of meds....but still...
Last night, I slept fine.. thanks to Xanax... Woke up fine. DOnt feel much pain at all...which worries me.. All these threads about needing ice packs, etc... I dont need any of it. I have not taken any pain meds today. Feel good. My face is scaring my children, and my husband I am sure... but again, I was expecting worse. I look tan with red freckles all over...little spots of blood the size of a needle head.... I can see some places where the skin has flaked off...and it is white underneath. My lips look fantastic...hope they stay like this. Very plump. I will post pics of yesterday and today. I unfortunately do not have befores. I will ask my doctor to send me them. If you have any questions, please contact me. I will be posting each day until the desired result. Wish me well. Thank you!
Updated on Aug 31, 2008:
Today is the 2nd day after procedure. The highlight of the day is when I can wash my face. I do it twice a day with the cetaphil and then I apply the acquafor. It feels so good to wash my face, and I would love to be able to gently rub the washcloth over it.... It is very tempting, but you are not supposed to rub at all. My face is extremely swollen still and very pinkish brown. Quite honestly, I do not see an improvement at all with yesterday. I don't have my postop appt until Tuesday ( in two days)... at this point, I can't imagine being healed enough to be seen in public. I look horrible, and there is alot of discoloration in my face. Some parts are raw and pink, others are brown, and others are white. I can see traces of the laser, especially along the perimeter of my face. I have no idea how I am faring, and I am anxious to see what my doc thinks..
Updated on Sep 2, 2008:
Wow... 3rd day after procedure....lets just call it .... " A Molten Mess"... or how about "Reptilian Rapture".. I have been shedding skin all day long.. Last night I could not sleep, so I got up at around 4 to take a shower.... From then on, I have been peeling like crazy, and Just when you think you have reached the end of your ugliness.... it just keeps going ..... I do not feel human today. I was not expecting all this dead skin to be coming off. About a quarter of my face has peeled right off. The other three quarters is in various stages of treatment...mostly crusty skin waiting to shed. Like I posted earlier, it is very tempting to want to rub a washcloth over my face and just force it off, but I will be patient. Today is more of the same...mostly hiding out and waiting for the improvement to be seen.
4th day: I was supposed to go to doctors office today. No way. I called to reschedule. Very supportive staff. They said that I sounded like I was right on track....but look at me, I will not be seen in public. Again, last night I got out of bed at around 4 to shower. Tonight, I will definitely take something to sleep through the night. I need rest to heal better. My skin is about half way peeled. I was told to shower and let the water run over my face for a few minutes to help with the peeling. I wonder when I will be able to be seen in public. Tomorrow does not even look promising. Still hard to say what the results will be. Skin looks good under peeling, but what will skin do over the next few days/ weeks?
Updated on Sep 3, 2008:
Day 5 after procedure.... This procedure took 5 days for me to go out in public, and I am not so excited about that. am 100% done peeling, and I am off to see my doc, and I am going sans fancy hat and scarf.... Dont think a baseball cap and huge shades will do the trick... but it is what I have. I will tape a paper bag to my window to try and block out some of the sun as well. I have not used Acquafor today, nor did I get up in the middle of the night last night to shower. I feel like I should apply some sun bock, but I will wait to see what doc says. My skin underneath is pretty blotchy. I am concerned about that. I will post what my doc told me tomorrow.
Updated on Sep 4, 2008:
Went to see the doc yesterday. He was extremely supportive and optimistic. He said he passed over my skin with both the active and deep, and even tried a third pass in problem areas. The setting was on 3. He said my skin looked as good as it could at this point.
I went into see him without any suncreen or acquafor, and I regretted not putting something on. I wanted him to see my face bare. My face was beet red, and I was pretty self conscious about it. Today, my face is a teeny tiny bit less red, and I have noticed a couple of broken capillaries. My forehead shed last, and it has some broken capillaries as well as my nose.....My guess is that I let my skin dry out too much yesterday. SO, for advice, I would say that make sure you have purchased a good sunbock and a good post treatment creme. I am going to go to Sephora today to find these two things.
I put a bit of acquafor on my face today. I am posting pics of today. My skin does look better than it did before procedure, and each day it gets better. Main improvement I see is the dark spots are gone. I still have some traces of my acne visible, and I am not sure how much of an improvement there is. As for wrinkles, it is still hard to tell because my face is still swollen. My skin is smoother. Skin does glow, and the ruddiness is gone. I am blotchy and hope like crazy that it will all even out. As for my lips.... geez, I just need to get used to them. They are huge. I will keep posting....not so much daily... but maybe weekly.
What I am taking away from this experience ...
1. Be Prepared. I gotta wonder about the validity of some of these reviews. People who just write about what a great experience they had.....have to be full of it. This is not a cake walk. It was not easy. It is not a procedure on Friday, back at work on Monday deal. (Unless you are casted for horror flick). Take a week out of your life. You will look hideous for days. Swollen and Scaly. I could not even look at my husband or myself for that matter, and my kids were scared they would catch it....On average, by the 5th day after treatment, you can go out in public....semi-comfortably. Prepare with plenty of food, your meds, and cremes (postop, too). If you dont have someone to take care of you, you may struggle a bit. Enlist some help, especially if you have children. 2. Stay hydrated before, during, and after treatment. Skin needs water/nourishment. Be sure to rest. No alcohol. Eat right. I also took Arnica 3 times a day, and I can't say if it helped or not.
3. Be patient. Let the shedding occur naturally. I took two showers a day. One in the middle of the night, and one in the middle of the day. You will feel a bubbling feeling.... and when I could not stand it anymore.... I got into the shower.... Now if I see a lizard shedding its skin, I will relate....Let the water soak in...do not rub face. When I got out of shower, I patted a wash cloth all over my face, and lots of dead skin just came off. I did not force any off. Let it run its course. Slathered on the Acquafor. I would also recommend silk pillowcases.
So, we will see. If you would like to email me privately, please do. I would love to help in any way that I can.
Updated on Sep 9, 2008:
Today is Day 11. I went to see my doctor again. I stopped using the Acquafor about 5 days ago (per doc's instructions), and my skin really started to dry out. I have tried a multitude of moisturizers. I even bought one from the office called Vivete. I did not like it. I switched to Aveeno... then Eucerin (the one that "soothes redness")..... Nothing is moisturizing enough. My skin is very dry/rough to the touch...to the point that if I wear makeup...it cakes...yucky. The day I stopped using Acquafor, my skin was supple... Makeup glided on, and I thought....wow, this was worth it.... I could cover up the redness with some concealer, and I was good to go. Now, I prefer being without makeup which I really don't like doing. I wasn't a big makeup wearer before... but,, I would at least like to cover up the dark circles under my eyes and the redness. My skin is blotchy, too. The doctor assured me that I was progressing beautifully, and once the redness went away, my skin would be the same uniform color. I definitely see an improvement in my skin as far as it looking clearer...pore size smaller and darker spots gone. Acne scars less noticeable...I think (hard to tell since I am stil swollen a bit). Will probably have procedure done again in 6 months for further improvement. Not sure about wrinkle reduction either. The swelling is going down more and more everyday, and until that is complete, I won't know about the wrinkles either....which is the least of my worries. So, we will see.... will keep posting.
Updated on Sep 22, 2008:
Ready to update again. Day 24. Not happy with results. Since swelling has significantly decreased.... What I once thought was maybe some wrinkle reduction/acne scars improvement, has turned into my skin looked a bit plumper due to swelling.
I would recommend that IF you have this procedure done....DO NOT DO FILLERS WITH IT! I almost got Botox when I was there...and I would have had no idea what improvements were due to Active FX...
I have my old skin back. My skin is a blotchy mess. Hyperpigmentation....hypopigmentation...you name it..Stripes....I've got it going on. Remember the TV series "Alien Nation".... That is what my skin looks like. I can not be seen without makeup since I have a striped/blotched face.... I have parts that look like a honeycomb mainly around forehead... Still have dark spots that I had before around eyes
OVer three weeks later... been using hydroquinine cream again... see no improvement. This procedure HAS NOT BEEN WORTH IT! Maybe if it cost $100 .... I could see paying for it... You have to think all that shedding got rid of something... Maybe it would be worth it if in two/three months, my skin has a uniform color... which I highly doubt. I am VERY concerned that these problems I have are permanent.
An interesting thing to note... I remember the doctor going over my skin ONE time. He tried to go back over it again..... I could not bear the pain. He says he went over it two times, and he tried to go over it a third time. Any doctors listening? Is it possible he tried to go over skin a third time?
Anyway.... it is your decision... believe the posts with pics over the ones just gloriflying their doctor.... do not throw caution to the wind...this is a serious procedure with serious downtime. 3 weeks and counting... and for the first two....you are not in a good place...definitely not one where you want to be out in public. DO NOT SCHEDULE anything importance for months after procedure....like weddings, vacations...etc...
Took pics outside... hoping the camera would pick up the extent of the issues....but it did not. The redness is muted.. The red streaks, spots should be darker...and I have dark spots that are not seen.... sorry.
The day of procedure at home
Day after procedure- day 1
Day 2
Day 3- this is the end of the day....
Day 4- you can see the dry darker skin has flaked off; early in day
Day 4- end of the day...lots of shedding in 8 hours
Day 6- all shedding gone... Broken capillary on cheek where skin got too dry
Day 6- pretty red and blotchy...no makeup
Day 6- Left side of face appears to be healing better
Day 11- no makeup
Day 11 - can see the blotchiness and redness
Day 24... look around forehead for "honeycomb" texture... stripes on cheeks.. (Scar from son scratching)
The camera does not show the extent of "issues:
Active FX reviews by RealSelf.com users
Avg cost $2,369
68% say Active FX was worth it
32% say Active FX was not worth it
9/2/08
Hi, I am going to have this done in October and would like to know how you like it. Thanks for posting your pictures also. Now I have an idea on how it looks after the procedure.
9/2/08
Just make sure you don't pick at the peeling skin at all! You're looking good so far. Good luck :)
9/2/08
Looks great ! Good luck take care.
9/4/08
Hello there. Thanks for the updates. So what's the latest?
9/9/08
Hi There!
Today is 9/8/08....how have you been doing? Please advise on your progress and please post a picture...I'd love to see the progress. Thanks!
~Mayra
9/11/08
Is it possible you could send a before image, to make a comparison with the results?
Thanks!!!
9/12/08
Yes, I would love that too! Thanks!
9/16/08
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you... for posting a photo diary of your results!!! So many do not, and I suppose I can not fault them. I always said when I have it done, I would do the same as you have. Photo's help us know what is good and what is not...like Thermage.
9/23/08
I would like to echo the sentiments of others and thank you for posting the photo diary and keeping us updated. It's been very interesting following your progress to this point.
After your last update it really sounded like things would get better for you; I'm so sorry to hear this didn't work out and you're still having problems! :( Do you have any more consults scheduled with your doc?
Best of luck to you,
--Sharon
9/23/08
Thanks, Sharon... I actually sat down yesterday and read the entire post in one fell swoop. My first thought was geez, I sound insane.... one minute I am loving the procedure/ wanting to do it again and the next I am criticizing it... Your skin radically changes after ACTIVE FX...like minutes after.....you go through so many phases. The time when I felt the best about it was around 10 days after when my skin had a rosy glow and I still had significant swelling.. That was also the time when I noticed the stripes, etc...and my doctor assured me that they would quickly go away.... they have not... not even lightened... also starting to notice some more dark spots.....Doctor also advised me to do the procedure again for even better results.... Not going to happen unless in 3 months or so, my skin has a uniform color and I see some miraculous signs of improvement. (like the influx of collagen production that is supposed to occur)
Right now, all the swelling is gone, so any improvement of acne scars or wrinkle reduction is also gone. ALso, these stripes/ "honeycomb" marks on my face are really unsightly. I must wear makeup to conceal it, and guess what?> there is no amount of makeup I can wear to conceal. I am literally caking on concealer. So, after spending $1800, putting my life on hold for almost a month...with no end in sight... I am just not happy. I went into this thinking after 5 days, I would have radiant, clear skin...and that is so far from the truth. I am sure my doctor will tell me to just be patient and let the hydroquoinine do its thing... but that is not what I signed up for. $1800 is ALOT of money to me, and I would rather of spent it on SOOOOOOO many other things that WORK! Like a vacation..
Again, this is my experience. For some people, it could be the be all-- end all.... It was not for me. So far it was a total waste of hard earned money and valuable time!
9/24/08
The information you shared regarding your docs initial procedures surprised me. My doc prescribed Valtrex beginning two days prior to the procedure and continuing for six days afterward.
I was given one Ativan at the clinic about an hour before the procedure along with the numbing gel. I experienced almost no pain until the last two minutes of the procedure when things were wearing off. My doc did not use any Novocaine, although he had several syringes available if necessary.
Your disappointment is apparent and you are correct, having a darker complexion can lead to discoloration. Has your doc offered you any reason as to why you are not recovering in the normal time line? I'm ten days post and look completely "normal." What ever that is... LOL.
You may want to check out my provider's web site as well as his research. You may find beneficial information.
http://www.med.umich.edu/derm/patient/patient.shtml
Best wishes!!!
9/28/08
Dear Kenai12,
Thanks for your post. Not sure if you had any, but if so, did this procedure reduce any scars you may have had?
I was treated by {doctor information edited} a couple of years ago, but he was not using this type of laser at the time. This new procedure sounds promising!
Congrats on doing something nice for yourself!
--
Editor note: To share doctor information, you must contact users privately or write a review. To contact another user click on their username, or write a treatment review and enter the provider or clinic name in the field provided.
10/1/08
Thanks so much for your post. I am a RN and our office just purchased this machine but I have used it a few times over the last 1.5 years. Of the patients I have done thus far the pain levels really vary from person to person but I am troubled that you were subjected to a "9" repeatedly! My patients faired quite will with only a "4-5" on the same scale with the machine cranked up, but you are so right that it is the second pass that hurts more.
I am shocked that the office gave you Vivete (as it contains acids) which could irritate the skin CAUSING pigmentation!
I hope your final outcome is good or at least no long term damage has been done. It is a great technology..... for the right condition.
10/2/08
Thanks August. I appreciate your post....that is exactly why I stopped using Vivete. It even says "exfoliant" on the bottle. I don't know how to read ingredients to tell what is an acid or could cause irritation, but I knew an exfoliant is not what I needed. You are right, the first pass does not hurt...well, bearably...it is the second pass...which makes me think he barely passed it a second time because I could not stand it. He is trying to say that he went over twice trying for third. Have you ever heard of a third pass? I remember only one full one. Thanks again for responding.. I went in yesterday, and they told me to start using Retin A and keep with the Hydroquonine. The "alien nation" spots around my forehead were classified as "wow, I have never seen that happen before".... Great! I am beyond distraught...I wear an exorbitant amount of makeup to conceal... going to the gym (without makeup) is downright embarrassing.. he told me it could take SIX MONTHS for this mess to clear up. I would never have signed up for this. He used a "3" on me ...one pass, I am sure...so that is why I see no improvement... AND I have this mess to deal with. ANd I wasted nearly $2K.
10/3/08
At the very least, you should be reimbursed! The treatment and the Doc did not do what they claimed they were going to - you have every right to get your money back.
It sounds like your skin needs a break, Retin-A is an acid that could continue to irritate the skin and "maintain" the pigmentation. If I were you I would use some calming agents like Hydrocortisone and the most basic nonirritating moisturizers for 3 months and see if things calm down.
No Sun, no scrubs, no peels, no acids.
and find a Doc who can say, "yes I have seen this before, and this is what we are going to do because it works..."
Best Wishes
August
10/18/08
Wow, August, and where do YOU practice? Your patients are very lucky to have such a knowledgeable and caring practitioner! I can tell that you are in this industry because you have a true passion for it, and not because you are out to make a quick buck. I feel that this industry needs REGULATING. How do you know how many patients your doctor has treated before, how do you know what type of training your doc has undergone... heck, when docs put botox in you.. how do you even know you are getting botox, and exactly how much is getting diluted? So many docs, etc are in this industry for the money ONLY... and it is real easy to make it because it is unregulated, expensive, and any Jo Schmo can call themselves a "cosmetic surgeon".. not a stab at you.. but, You know what I mean. Again, thanks for your responses. You sound like an awesome RN...
10/8/08
Aperfectcircle,
Your coloring looks very similar to my own. You actually look a lot like my sister. I have tried a couple of different lasers. I did five fraxel treatments that did not address a single one of my concerns and left me with dark pigmentation on my left side of my face and redness that never went away.
This past June I tried the Smartxide CO2 fractionalized laser. Night and day in terms of pain level, downtime and results. I am pretty happy with the results I received. The pigment problem is gone. The redness is gone. No pain during the laser treatment. Very little downtime. Day four I was back at work and my skin looked normal. In the end I think I had about a 30% improvement of my acne scars. I plan on doing the treatment again to see if I can get a bit more improvement on those scars.
The more I read the happier I am about my choice I made to try the Smartxide dot laser verus Active FX or Fraxel's latest CO2 fractional laser. Maybe I would have gotten a bigger improvement with one of these other lasers after one treatment but it seems like there is also more risk on olive toned skin like yours and mine. I am just grateful that the Smartxide worked for me with no negative results.
I had track marks for over a year after my last fraxel treatment. It was hugely embarassing. I quit looking at myself as it was so upsetting. I quit going into a pool or going anywhere there was a chance I would be seen my someone I knew without make-up.
Its upsetting to me to learn that other people are going through this psychic pain. You hope you are improving your life but are actually made worse off.
My recommendation is to kid glove your skin for awhile. Stay away from anything harsh for a year. I would then consider trying a different doctor (get several opinions) and try a different treatment to correct the remaining problems from the Active FX treatment you had. Smartxide really helped me with pigment and the redness from Fraxel and I wasn't expecting it. I had resigned myself to a full make-up life. I had just been hoping for acne scar help and I got more than that.
I hope they come out with non-company paid for comparison studies of these different fractional CO2 lasers. An unbiased report of their treatment pain levels, after pain levels, true downtime and real results. A big part of me suspects that doctors sell and use the laser they have invested in and ignore becoming educated about the different technology that may be safer, less painful and has a quicker equivalent or better result.
I really would hate to find out the laser treatment I had was as good or better in result than all these other lasers that seem so painful.
I strongly feel doctors should no longer suck into the fraxel treatments I had. $5,000 dollars worth of pain, over 50 days of downtime and NO RESUlTS and serious negatives.
Good-luck to you and my heart really goes out to you. I unfortunately have been where you are right now and I know how painful in your heart that is.
Allison
10/9/08
If you had Deep FX, you didn't have Active FX. Deep FX is old fashion full blast CO2 laser from what my derm explained to me. He told me that I didn't need that, and if I did, my downtime would be VERY long.
10/9/08
This article is from the U of Michigan Cosmetic Dermatology Center. You may want to research more articles on laser resurfacing by Jeffrey Orringer. Your explanation differs from my doctor's and his research.
Laser Resurfacing / Fractionated CO2 Laser Treatment (UltraPulse Encore Total FX/Deep FX/Active FX™ Laser)
We are pleased to be able to offer to our patients treatment with a new type of CO2 laser that we believe may change the way sun damaged, scarred, and wrinkled skin is treated for years to come. Combining the safety of fractionated laser therapy with the unparalleled efficacy of CO2 laser treatments, the UltraPulse Encore Total FX ™ (fractionated CO2) laser is revolutionary technology that is certain to help thousands of patients look their very best. With this device, microscopically small but deeply penetrating and highly effective CO2 laser "microbeams" ("Deep FX ™") remove old sun damaged and scarred tissue and stimulate the body to produce new, healthier collagen. In addition, most patients also elect to have the surface of their skin treated with a second laser pass designed to blend color imperfections ("Active FX ™"). The result is a significantly improved appearance of the treated skin with wrinkles and scars substantially diminished and skin color made more uniform. Patients especially appreciate the laser"s ability to safely treat both facial and neck skin, resulting in a very natural outcome. Healing after this treatment is rapid with minimal care required for just a few days and redness of the treated skin generally resolving over the subsequent week. Most patients' appearance will continue to improve for months after this unique laser therapy. Only one or two treatment sessions are generally required to achieve our patients' goals. Because of extensive research done here at the University of Michigan regarding the molecular effects of carbon dioxide (CO2) laser therapy, we are uniquely positioned to maximize the benefits of this treatment for our patients.
10/20/08
Hello, just thought I'd put my two cents in. I am a Fraxel laser technician and my office is about to get the Active FX. Sounds to me like you need to go have a little chit chat with the doctor that did this! My office could do a dental block (like at the dentist) for those who jump right off the table because they have such a low tollerance to pain, or we could prescribe valium to relax them; but, I don't think we've ever had to do that.
The skin bleaching cream (or any type of retin-a for that matter)should have NOT been used for at least two weeks prior to the treatment! It compromises and irritates your skin (even if you don't itch or turn red, it's happening!) and makes it thinner, therefore not helping in the healing of your skin b/c you've already stripped it of what it needs to be healthy. A day or two is not enough to get it all out of the skin and out of your system either.(Bleaching creams are WONDERFUL don't get me wrong :) ) Then he was injecting you with stuff while he was doing the procedure? Um... never heard of that before in my life, unless it was a dental block which it doesn't sound like to me....I've heard of: numbing cream- absolutely, dental or nerve blocks (Nerve blocks numb nerves on the forehead and temples like the dental block does on the lower face)- sure, it's quite nice actually, anti-inflamatory-maybe if you're very allergy sensitive.
It just doesn't sound right. You shouldn't have had to stop mid treatment to take more pain killers at all! I've heard also that the Fraxel even hurts worse than the Active FX, so it shouldn't have been bad enough to take more pain meds.
I've had the Fraxel done twice on myself and I didn't find it painful at all, just uncomfortable, so I can't imagine the Active FX being THAT much more painful :/. Maybe for some because of the different pain levels in people. Kind of like some people can do natural childbirth and not even have a drop of sweat and others you might as well put them to sleep because they are in so much pain they panic. (bad comparason, I know, but it's kinda the same thing) From what I understand about the Active FX, you're only supposed to use one or the other all over and the deep and the active heads on problem areas because that IS a double wammy and can be painful and cause skin problems if not done properly. Ex: deep scars on the cheeks could use both, but not lighter, superficial ones or deep crows feet, but again, not superficial. But absolutely NOT three times! Are you kidding me? You've already taken that layer of skin off all the way to the dermis and maybe a bit beyond, so let's fry the muscles now shall we? That is just pure ignorance on his part! Fraxel and Active FX are very similar, Fraxel heats the skin to the point of later dying off, and the Active FX basically incenerates the skin and goes deeper. That's what's supposed to make it so awesome. Like the Fraxel, it goes in little pinpoint dots and only treats 20% of the skin at a time, leaving 80% of healthy tissue around it to help heal the damaged part. (that's where no bleaching creams or retin-a's come into play) The old CO2 lasers would take off all of the skin at once so you might as well have just held a flame thrower to your face for a couple of seconds and saved your money. The down time was rediculously long, but the results were great and in the early 90's they started coming up with the concept of "fractional" CO2 and perfected it finally in the late 90's and 2000.
Fraxel is 4 treatments to the Active FX's 1, so yes, Active FX can obviously be rough, but it has way better results in the end. BUT it's also not recommended for darker skin tones... a lot of european skin is very "iffy", you walk that fine line between dark and light, so you need to be really careful!!!! Personally, I don't like to work on european skin because they are so unpredictable when you do serious treatments (peels, lasers, etc.), but how do you know unless you experiment, right? Bleaching creams work great on european skin and chinese skin, whereas my very oily acneic southern po-dunk skin dosn't like them at all.
Another thing is that no smart injector is going to give you fillers immediately after (or before) a laser treatment. Our rule here (governed very strictly by our injector specialist that's been doing botox and filler injections for 14+ years) is never do a laser after filler or botox for at least two to three weeks prior, or if you want them after, wait until you are completely healed and add a week. They need time to bind to your muscles and tissues and after a laser, you need to give your body time to heal from the laser so they can bind properly b/c your body could reject it and it would be an even bigger mess! They could just absorb into your body (like it naturally does over time, but within a day or so) or sit on top and make a lumpy mess!
I know that's an earful, or eyeful.... whatever, but this could have purely been an innocent mistake on the doctor's part because you have to be very careful on european skin. You almost have to treat it like a black person's skin because it is so unpredictable. BUT at the same time, the doctor should have been able to look at you and know to take special precautions. Understand too that collagen and elastin are stimulated over time so even six months or a year from now the results will be getting much better, I promise!!!!!!! Sorry you had to go through that! I hate it when people call in here or I read about this stuff. It just makes me ill how ignorant people can be!
10/30/08
I just wanted to put my two cents in. I had Active FX about a month ago and I have great results that are still evolving. When I went to see my doc before treatment I wanted Total FX and he offers that too because I was convinced I would see greater benefits with that. The doc incidentally helped Lumenis develop the treatment. In any case, he talked me out of Total FX because he said it was too extreme for what I needed and that the downtime would be high and he compared it to old school CO2, and that he could accomplish the same result with two Active FX treatments spaced 4 months apart with a better safety profile. He used an aggressive setting on the Active FX and he stressed that going less intense versus traditional CO2 allows the skin to repair itself more efficiently and more quickly. My doc does lots of Active FX and I went with what he recommended. He believes that patients should come in once a year for a touch-up to repair the yearly damage and that makes sense to me. Hope this helps.
11/6/08
Can you tell me which doctor did
you get this treatment from pls?
11/7/08
Hi Misb,
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