What is Active Fx really like?

I have many of same q's about activefx. Also is it same as deepfx?

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I just had the active FX laser treatment done yesterday (3/28) I was pleasantly surprised that it was not as painful as I had heard it would be. I did take a valium about an hr. before & the Dr. gave me 2 Lortabs about 20 mins. before the procedure. He also applied some serious numbing cream. The combination of all that worked very well for me. Today I look sunburned w/ some swelling mainly around my eyes. I have some red and brownish dots on cheeks and chin. I'm keeping the ointment on my face and using ice packs frequently. I hope the end result will be worth it!

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I had Deep Active FX five days ago. The redness is totally gone, however I do not see any change in my appearance. The deep lines are there, I seem swollen at the bottom of my face. Is this unusual? Am I being impatient? My Dr. told me I was. I cannot imagine that building up collagen in up to 6 mos. is going to make all these lines disappear. I would like to hear from others.

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update: I had the deep and superficial active fx done on 3/28. Went for post laser check-up 4 days after on 4/1 and Dr. said everything looked very good even alittle ahead of schedule. Most of my face had already peeled. He said I wasn't using enough of the vaseline type stuff which might be why I was feeling very itchy. Also said if you stayed greased up all day and night the redness will go away sooner. When I got home I put alot more "grease" on! Today the redness is much less and I should be close to normal by tomorrow! It is still hard to say what my results will be. My cheeks do seem smoother, eye area less wrinkled but still pink, pores seem smaller.

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Hi, I have a Deep FX treatment scheduled for May 16th. Honestly I am getting worried about the redness issue. I have had fotofacials to remove the redness in my face. Did you end up going through with the process?

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Did you end up getting the treatment? I have seen 6 of these procedures done so far, and this is my advice. Take anti-anxiety medication and pain medication BEFORE the procedure! Also, a very strong numbing agent 45 minutes before your procedure makes it much more tolerable. You want someone to be there to drive you home. You will be slightly sedated, and uncomfortable. You'll probably appreciate all the help you can get! After your procedure... Ice, rest and ointment!!! Most patients have only reported discomfort for the first 2 days.

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Hi all. I ended up backing out of the Active Fx. Although the doctor I was to see is part of one of the premier practices in the field of lasers (I've seen the doctor mentioned with high regards on other boards), I was put off by how unresponsive they were. From (a) not being able to see before and after photos (other than 2 on the website) to (b) not being able to see the photos of the doctor who was going to do my procedure (the doc had it done, too) to (c)not having my phone call returned by a nurse who had Active Fx done and said she'd tell me all about it....well, my gut just told me to hold off. I did, however, go through with a Jessner's/20% TCA peel on Monday. It's technically the end of day 4 and I've peeled around my mouth and a little on my cheeks. I have a lot of peeling left to do and I am *really* praying the peeling is done by Tuesday when I go back to work. Most of all, I am hoping this BRIGHT PINK blotchy look will fade by then. I seriously look like a clown! It's pretty wild, though, to see my freckles peel away. It's hard to tell b/c the area under my eyes has not peeled yet, but it seems that my undereye circles have improved tremendously. That's huge for this tired mom of 2 boys under 4. Here's hoping some of that early stage cross-hatching is gone, too. I will say this about peels and what people write on boards. A lot of folks write that it is best not to put ointment (like Aquaphor) on b/c it inhibits peeling. Heck with that! I tried not wearing Aquaphor this morning and OWWW did my face feel tight, sore to the touch and just awful. I called the nurse in my derm's office (a different doctor than the Active Fx dr) and she said to put that ointment on ASAP! My face hurt b/c it was dry. She was totally right. Lots of water and Aquaphor for me! If anyone else out there has had a 20% TCA peel, I'd love to hear about your experience.

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I am writing to tell you about my ActiveFx and DeepFx treatment I had yesterday. I am an RN as well as an esthetician. I have several years experience working with plastic and cosmetic surgeons in three states. I have comments from both sides, as a nurse and as a patient. I have personally tried Thermage, Fraxel, and now Activ/DeepFx. I have moderate sun damage and fine line around my eyes and mouth. I can already see the tightening around my eyes and mouth. As far as pain, I think all three of the treatments I have tried feel about the same. I did have a topical anesthetic applied every time prior to the treatment. With Thermage and ActivFx I also took Percocet and Valium an hour before the treatment. With Fraxel I just had Valium to relax. As for results, it is early to comment on the ActivFx, but already I see more improvement than ever before! With Thermage I saw nothing. I waited weeks for the collagen rebuilding and still nothing. Fraxel showed minimal improvement in skin tighening but left me with a stiped effect on my neck. On the second Fraxel I only had my face done and didn't see anything improve. I know I should have done more to get the full effect of Fraxel, but for the price, I elected to try ActiveFx. If I could do it all over again, I would definately go with Activ/DeepFx. Results are much better and the recovery is the same.

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I had the active fx 7 days ago. I will be honest. I took pain med and they put numbing on my face but it hurt. I breathed through it because I wanted the doc. to take his time. As of now I am still red as lobster and have to go back to work tomorrow. my eyes and face were swollen for the first 3 days, my face for 5. They say you can't see the results right away. That in six months is when you will look your best because that is when you have developed more collegen. So, I really can't say if I am happy I did it. I had some wrinkles above my lip and a scar. Main resaon I had this procedure. But I did hear that the non-fractional laser is much better than the fractional laser. Fraction means just what it is. A fraction. Hope that helps. Still in limbo!

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I have scheudled this procedure for May. If you were not asked about cold sores your provider is not giving you good care. Those of us with cold sore issue need to take a n anti viral medication before and after treatment. the rest of your desciption is the same as I was told.

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