Fast facts

Active FX


What it is: Active FX is a single laser treatment procedure in which a high-energy laser beam is used to stimulate the formation of new underlying collagen. Active FX treatments are meant to smooth out fine lines, wrinkles and scars, remove brown spots and tighten lax skin.

Fractional laser treatment treats only a fraction of the skin's surface, leaving small "bridges" of untouched skin. This fractional technique is designed to speed the healing process and enable a quicker return to normal activities.


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Question

Are Active FX laser treatments safe for use with dark skin or ethnic skin?

can Active FX Laser  be used on dark skin types like latino males with shallow scars?


Asked by: helpsoon
maspeth new york 11378

Answers (1)

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1
September 2, 2008

Fractional CO2 laser therapy for dark or ethnic skin

The biggest concern that I have treating darker skin types with Active FX is called Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation. Basically, it is a general darkening of the skin that typically fades in a few months, but sometimes can persist.

If your skin is fairly dark & the primary reason for treatment is acne or other scars, you may want to consider a Deep FX procedure, which is less likely to cause this problem.

To review what you may already know, Bridge Therapy is a fractional CO2 laser procedure that basically uses 2 computer pulse generators (CPG) to make holes in the skin.  The Active FX CPG makes bigger holes that go into the upper dermis & gives a "deep peel" for improvement in texture & tone. It also does a good job of stimulating collegen for the next 4-6 months.  The Deep FX CPG makes holes 1/10th the diameter as Active FX, but goes 2-4x deeper to stimulate collegen & break up any scar tissue better than Active FX, but less improvement in texture & tone.

 In Bridge Therapy, a single CPG can be used for either an Active FX or Deep FX procedure, or they can be used in combination called Total FX.

Acne scars are tough to treat. In my experience with my patients, I typically see about 20-25% improvement with Active FX, 25-30% improvement with Deep FX, & 35-40% improvement with Total FX.

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