Active FX Vs. Deep FX - What's the Difference?

This is fairly simple. I have been doing both for almost a year. They represent two different ways to deliver CO2 laser energy to the skin. The ActiveFX device uses a pattern of 1.3mm spots or hits of CO2 energy scattered over the skin. How much coverage you get depends on the density - I have used up to 96% coverage. The DeepFX device produces a pattern of 120 micron spots of variable density from 5-25%. These beams of laser energy go fairly deep - all the way to the fat if you turn the... more

Same laser, different spot sizes. The bigger the spot size, the less deeply  the beam penetrates the skin. So the "Deep FX" spot size targets deeper lines, wrinkles, and scars, whereas the "Active FX" spot size targets pigments, superfical lines, etc.  By combining the two (Total FX) you can get  a dramatic treatment result with minimum downtime. Some patients with severe lines and laxity still opt for  a "Max FX" (high powered Active... more

Active FX has a wider spot size, whereas the Deep FX has a narrow spot size.  They can be used in combination or separately depending on what type of result the patient is after.  As with any laser treatment, appropriate settings of the laser is the most important consideration.

Active Fx is the workhorse of resurfacing and effectively treats lines, wrinkles, acnes scare and sun damage. Active Fx treats the skin with lots of tiny laser spots. Deep Fx is actually a version of the same treatment but the laser spots are much smaller and go much deeper than the Activ Fx.  I will often use the Deep Fx to treat deep wrinkles like smoker's lines or deep scars and then at the same sitting treat the entire face with the Active FX.  We call this Total Fx and... more

I have been using the Encore laser for over 2 years now and to explain in simple terms, the difference is that the deep hand piece delivers energy resulting in a clean small hole to the dermis of the skin in order to affect collagen remodelling. The active handpiece lays a more superficial and larger "dot" of energy that only affects the skins surface resulting in a resurfacing of the epidermis. Dr. Malouf