Active FX: Stories

Write a Review

Painful but Some Improvement

Cassiegal
posted 5 years ago
updated 3 years ago

Not Worth It
Cost: $2,800
Delray Beach, FL

My face was numbed and I had taken a Valium...

19 Dec 2007

My face was numbed and I had taken a Valium beforehand, but it was still very painful during the entire Active FX procedure. Except, around the mouth because they gave me many injections inside my mouth, just like a dentist would do.

It has been over one month and my face is still red and splotchy.
There are big patches of brown skin around the eyes where the crow's
feet were. I now am getting the crow's feet back again. The painful peroxide soaks had to be done 6 times per day and were excruciatingly painful. I don't think it was worth it for minimal results.

Great review?

Comments (6)

diane53169 31 Aug 2008

I had the Active FX done around my eyes 17 days ago. It is still quite red. There is no scabbing or peeling anymore, just redness. I am also noticing many tiny broken blood vessles where the Active FX was done. Has anyone had a similar experience? Perhaps one of the doctors can comment on my experience.

Shawn Allen, MD 6 May 2008

It sounds as if during your pretreatment explanation (for whatever reason) you may not have fully understood the power of these types of lasers. They can scar you easily if used too agressively or improperly. Even though they may seem harmless when discussed in terms of fractionated , safer, less downtime etc. These should only be used under the direct supervision of a highly trained physician. Check to see if your med spa is supervised by dermatologists who are truly skin experts and who have had laser training (extensive), that the Doctor comes in to see you and sets the lasers and hopefully does the treatment themselves. So please be sure you check out the credentials of those who are treating you, how much experience they truly have , see photos of pre and DURING and after. IF you had seen any immediate post treatment pics they often give you the chance to discuss the prolonged redness and swelling that occurs with abalative lasers (fractionated or not). You might also look into the Profractional laser by Sciton (Sciton.com) This is a great fractionated laser with less downtime and great results. Lastly, it can often be used with no topical or local anesthesia because of the technology behind Erbium Yag lasers as opposed to CO2!!! Again, there is no free lunch so be aware of the need to match results to side effects. Good luck and keep your communication lines open with those who treat you because without your feedback they have no way of knowing what their patients truly experience !

View answers from Shawn Allen, MD

Marlei (unregistered guest) 16 Feb 2008

I had the Active FX Laser treatment 4 days ago. My face is still red and extremely swollen. It feels like there's fluid under the skin and my face is throbbing. I'm trying to not freak out but I'm pretty scared. There's a lot of dryness but I'm not really flaking or peeling yet. I don't understand why I am still so swollen. Has anybody else out there had swelling that lasted this long? I'm trying not to regret doing it and keep a grip on my anxiety. I was just going to get IPL for sun damage/age spots and then the nurse at the Med Spa told me about Active FX. I thought "why not?" At 52 a little firming and tightening couldn't hurt. I already had good skin, tone and texture, just the sun damage spots. Can someone please give me some reassurance that I'm going to be ok? Thanks.

Deirdre (unregistered guest) 17 Apr 2008

I too am just starting my 4th day - had the procedure Monday, April 14th around Noon. I am splotchy peeling, excessively swollen (despite taking a steroid since Tuesday), red, raw and sore. I had a combo CO2 peel and chemical peel in 2004 and was completely peeled by the 5th day with bright white skin underneath, no swelling (that doctor put me on a steriod from the first day) and no pain either during the procedure (I was under anesthesia) or after. Despite the ads touting fractional (i.e. Active FX)as being less painful with a shorter recovery period than the *old* CO2's, I am learning the truth the hard way. In the CO2 peel, I peeled cleanly in cocoa brown sheets and was white underneath - it took 4 days to peel. This is more like flaking with bright sunburn red underneath. The swellings under each eye are so bad, I feel like I'm carrying weights under there. I am having anxiety as I must return to work on Monday. Can you tell me how it worked out for you? I asked so many questions before having this procedure and right now I'm feeling duped.

blakester (unregistered guest) 24 Apr 2008

I had active fx done three weeks ago. Don't freak out about the swelling/redness. It does go away. However, I doubt if you will be able to go back to work so soon if you heal the way I did. It took me a full week and a half to start looking human again. By two weeks, I was able to put on makeup and look normal but I had my eyes done and there is still a slight redness to them now. I think everyone heals differently. You may need to call in sick. It is worth it, once you heal. Just remember that. My skin now looks great and smooth.

Lin Pirretti (unregistered guest) 24 Apr 2008

Hi Marlei, First, hang in. My face was also very swollen and raw. I am not a typical example because mine took 2 months to start healing. My skin is ultra-sensitive but the doctor reassured me it would be fine within a week. It was swollen and raw for a very long time. I had to apply peroxide compresses to my face x 4 times a day. Let me tell you, putting peroxide on a raw face is horribly painful. The good news is that eventually, it does heal. I would not do it again because I got a lot of white heads from all of the creams that I had to use on my raw face. The skin healed over the creams and that is how that started. Good luck; you will probably be just fine in another week or two. (I was not working, thank goodness!) Lin Lin