Ablative vs Fractional CO2 Laser for Skin Resurfacing

i have ablative co2 laser last 12 months ago on one cheek called silk touch co2 laser, it kind of made my cheek pale, iam interested in having active fx for my acne scarring, is this treatment ablative or is it fractional,
what is the difference, i dnt want to be left with even more white skin

The Active Fx is a fractionated CO2 laser, designed specifically to avoid the kind of hypopigmentation that you describe. Instead of vaporizing an entire layer of skin, the Active Fx works by punching microscopic holes with untreated skin around the holes. Healing is faster, easier and scar tissue formation is minimized. If you are treating acne scars, however, I would recommend using the Deep Fx head as well as the Active Fx head during your procedure. Acne scars are notoriously difficult to treat, so the combination treatment is more effective.

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Swelling under the eyes after Fraxel

I had Fraxel yesterday and today the swelling under eyes is enormous and very alarming, so I went online and read that some women had pronounced swellling under their eyes lasting 5 month and one lady it was over two years. I was unaware of this prior. If I would have this same problem lasting basically permanently, is there a solution to permanent reduce the pronounced swelling under the eye? Thank you kindly.

I would suggest going back to the physician or clinic that performed the procedure and speaking with them. Short term swelling from Fraxel is not unusual, especially in a delicate area like under the eyes. It usually resolves within a few days and has no longterm consequences. If the swelling is still prominent a week after the procedure or if the swelling is so extreme that you are uncomfortable and having trouble with vision, your doctor can prescribe a 5 day steroid course called a medrol dose pack. This should decrease the swelling quickly without the risk of side effects.

I am honored to have been selected for the cover of this month’s MedEsthetics magazine!

First of all, it just goes to show that my mommy was right – I am special!

Actually, it is great to see the continued attention that non surgical facial sculpting is receiving.These procedures have been adoopted faster than I even expected back in the day (6 years ago) when it was all getting started.

Fillers and Botox have redefined the relationship that the average person has with the aesthetic field.

The last six years have seen a non surgical revolution and I look forward to all the new stuff we have yet to discover!

Fraxel Repair Concerns

I am thinking of having fraxel repair on my face, neck, chest and hands. My main concern is the possibility of scarring or anything permanent that could go wrong. My doctor said she hasn’t had any negative reactions to fraxel repair. Is there any need for concern?

hi,
the face is quite resilient, so i’m not concerned about that as much as the hands, neck and chest. make sure that your doc has had a good amount of experience treating those areas with the repair. the settings are different when you’re not lasering the face. the skin is more delicate and burning is more of a concern in those areas. it is extremely rare to have permanent scarring from this kind of laser, though. we use the active fx, which is essentially the same technology. we had one patient when we first got the laser that had a very severe reaction (redness, swelling, pain for a couple of weeks) but have never seen anything even close to that since. we perform the procedure on neck, hands and chest all the time without a problem.
hope that helps

Rosacea, Fine Lines and Skin Tightening

Hi, I’m 45 years old, the clinic I go to has recommended 3 treatments because I have complained about slight rosacea, vertical lines on cheeks and above lip and some loose skin on the lower sides of my cheeks and chin………………
the machine they use is called Fractional Non-Ablative Skin Resurfacing with the Palomar Starlux System, the treatments are $900.00 a piece.
Would this help these problems, is it worth the expense….Would 3 treatments do it?
Thanks so much.

Although I don’t have this device, I do have the Starlux. I have been happy with the Fraxel Fractional Laser, however, I am somewhat skeptical that a fractional device will help you with rosacea and skin tightening. Honestly, I have a hard enough time seeing good results with Thermage (whose very purpose is skin tightening!). I simply don’t think that this device will do all three things. It’s an Erbium laser, which is good for helping the fine lines a bit, but I don’t think that it’s powerful enough to make that much of a difference. In my opinion, IPL/photofacial would be a better modality for your rosacea.

Make sure that you speak to a doctor at the clinic – if you’re going to shell out that kind of money, you want an MD telling you that yes, this is the right procedure for you.

For the best results, I would target treatments, offering IPL for the rosacea, Thermage for the skin tightening and Juvederm for the lines. Sometimes one size does not fit all!


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