William P. Adams, MD (retired)

I had active FX and Deep Fx combined for "Total FX".Excellent improvement in skin tone, reduction in pore size, 50% improvement to acne scars. Procedure hurt, but only while they were doing it. Fcae was super hot for about 4 hours after. After that no Pain or discomfort. You will not look back to normal for 2 plus weeks, but you should be presentable within 5-6 days. I am posting a video I made of the process on YouTube under "totalFX"



Updated on Jan 19, 2010:

 

i have been considering getting Total FX for some time now. i am writing this in hopes that i can answer any questions that anyone might have for me since i am now in my third day of recovery.

there are a lot of things to consider when having this done, realistic down time (a whole week at least); finding a great board certified doctor; and how much pain you are willing to endure.

i will say two things about this procedure, it is Extreme, but, the results are like nothing i have ever seen. first of all the tightening is seen immediately and i mean immediately and the pain is real and not for the faint of heart. i had co2 resurfacing 15 years ago and BOY has the technology changed. total fx blows the old ablative procedure out of the part! i know that all my scars will not be gone but i now see a good 90percent improvement.

if anyone has any questions, just write me. i will see if i can upload before and after pics in the future. my doctor is the best and located in peabody, ma, caring staff. the $4,000 was for face and neck and doctor has monthly deals for $500 break.

sprinkles

Updated on 11 Feb 2011:

After doing some research on Radiesse, and upon the recommendation of the facility to fill in the cheeks, etc., I decided to go for it.  After reading all of these posts, it became quite evident that it was important to choose the correct MD.  Then, prior to the procedure stop all ASA, Omega 3's (fish oil) and Vit. E.  At the visit, I had some sort of numbing gel applied to my cheek areas and around the lips.  I also had a dental block.  There was absolutely NO Pain.  The MD injects inside the mouth similar to if you were receiving novacaine for a dental procedure.  I think I had 3 injections both sides.  It seemed like he massaged the area to make sure all was smooth and in place.  Immediate results!  My skin was smooth and pretty free of wrinkles.  I ice'd on the way home and for the next 2 days.  Only had a small bruise on each side of the nose, but other than that -- looked great and felt good.  Will definately repeat -- hopefully not until a year has passed!

Updated on May 15, 2008

I guess I was just lucky.  If I had read these reviews before having the procedure done, I may have made a different decision.  I guess the key is getting an experienced surgeon.  I had botox in the forehead, juvederm in the lip area and Radiesse in the cheeks and lower jaw.  I was completely numbed -- dental block and topical on cheeks -- and it was pretty painfree.  I had minimal bruising and my cheeks appear to be a good shape.  I have noticed small lumps that were easily massaged out.  My skin feels pretty smooth and full.  It's been about 3 weeks and so far I'm loving it!.

This is my second day after having Total FX performed yesterday. It was excruciating! I always thought I had a high tolerance for pain, but I'm one of the ones that didn't tolerate this procedure well.

I am under the care of a wonderful and highly respected plastic surgeon and I was given percocets and a valium beforehand as well as the topical anesthetic and a numbing block. Even with all that I cried and whimpered through the whole thing! Some possible reasons for this... I was hormonal so extra sensitive to pain (day before my cycle) and I take an SSRI, which I know from past experience with my dentist can lessen the effect of novocain so it's possible that might have happened here. Just some things to be aware of if you are considering this procedure.

As far as the results, it's too soon to tell but I have total confidence that it'll be worth it, though I highly doubt I'll ever do it again so I'll compensate by taking superlative care of my skin to maintain. I look like hell this morning, but whatever! It's part of the process.

Yesterday was uncomfortable and I felt like I had a bad sunburn. I applied the saline gauzes every hour followed by Biafine, which is thinner and not as occlusive as aquaphor so therefore better for oily skin like mine that's prone to the occasional breakout.

I'm going in for a follow-up this morning to get my protocol for the next few days. I'll write again in a few days when I have something new to report.



Updated on May 19, 2009:

Update:  Here's an overview of my healing process the past few days since having Total FX last Thursday.  I am now on Day 6.

Day 2-3:   Very red and crusty.   I soaked with saline gauze 3-4 times a day and washed with Cetaphil followed by Biafine.   For meds, I took Sinnutech (anti-infammatory) 3X a day and Zovirax (anti-viral) morning and evenings. I also had percocets for pain and discomfort.  The swelling was really bad these first few days, but the pain wasn't too terrible.  The percs helped with the discomfort.  I also take a multi-vitamins with Vitamin C to promote faster healing. 

Day 4:  Still very red but the peeling began and my skin slowly shed the the crusty brown layer throught out the day.  It was itchy, but taking a benadryl definitely helped. Still takign the Sinnutech and Zovirak and washing with the Cetaphil 3X a day.  Instead of the Biafine, I was switched to a high SPF moisturizer during the day and an emollient antioxidant cream at night.  Still swollen in the morning, but it quickly subsided throughout the day.

 Day 5:  Still peeling, but I had a follow-up appt. and it turns out I wasn't being aggressive enough when I was washing my face.  After a good soaking and an enzyme cleaner, almost all of it came off.  No swelling today, but my face looked raw and red and I'm still uncomfortable leaving the house.  (The bruise around my eye doesn't help.)  Major cabin fever.  I'm hoping by tomorrow I can at least cover with make-up and go outside. 

Day 6:   Some of the redness has gone down and my face has been breaking out around my mouth, but I was told that was normal.  I have this patch of red dots on my nose and I can't tell if it's dead skin that will flake off or if it's a wound that will heal and resolve itself.  It's annoying to say the least.   Still washing with Cetaphil and following with the SPF 36 during the day and the antioxidant cream at night.  Today is my last day on the Zovirax.  

I have a third follow-up on Day 8 and by then I should be able to give an objective opinion on the results.  The healing is taking longer than it should for a laser treatment (I would expect this from surgery) so I'm glad I don't have any place I need to be, but it is still frustrating.  My eyes and skin look refreshed, though and my new skin looks fresh and glowing. 

I am now on Day 6 since getting Total FX last Thursday.   Almost all the crustiness has peeled off leaving fresh pink skin.  There's some residual blotchy redness in certain areas that I hope will fade in the next few days.  I also have patches of red dots on my nose, which is annoying to say the least.  I can't tell whether it's dead skin that just needs to come off or if it will just heal and resolve on its own.  I also have had some breakouts around my mouth, which I was told was  normal. 

Updated on Jun 21, 2009:

June 21st, 2009 - it's now been five weeks since my treatment and while I'm noticing some results in terms of texture, I can't say it was worth the cost and aggravation.  The redness has yet to fade completely and my face is definitely darker right now than my neck.  I was on vacation for a week and used an SPF 60 sunblock to protect because I am that paranoid about hyperpigmentation.  What really bothered me though is that I had to use foundation just to cover up the dark areas and even out my skintone.  When I got home I immediately invested $90 in Obagi's Blender with hydroquinone so I can bleach out the discoloration as I'm not totally convinced it will fade on its own.  If anything, the summer months just threaten to make things worse.  After shelling out $3K, I'm not too pleased to have to spend another $100 on a bleaching cream.  What's the point of the laser treatment? 

I would advise anybody seeking this treatment to do so in the winter months or a time when they won't be spending much time outdoors.   I only did it in May because my doctor was offering a special promotion.  As I said, I do notice my skin has a smoother, tighter texture and my pores do look noticeably smaller, but for $3200 one should expect dramatic and immediate results.  Just to put it in context, I spent $5k on eyelid surgery six years ago and it was worth every penny.   I still love my doctor and my review is more a comment on the limitations of the technology than his technique.  I just think there are too many variables to be able to predict a satisfying result and one shouldn't have to set their expectations low when spending thousands of dollars. 

You can see from the picture how my skin was really discolored! Partly this was from some acne that I had picked at (I started getting acne at 28! mostly from stress I think) and also you can see a lot of freckles (this photo was taken in August 2009 and I had been out in the sun a lot that summer. My face looked 'mottled'. I have very fair skin, I think I am the next to lowest level on that skin color chart dermatoligists use. I went in thinking I needed to do a traditional laser to get rid of this in one fell swoop, but because I didn't have any actual scars (just discoloration and some sun damage) and because of the fair skin and age (30) I deccided to do the IPL. I was afraid because of some of the horror stories here, but after 2 sessions everything you see in that picture is gone. My freckles are also gone nearly, there are a couple that had been around since childhood which I sort of miss, but not that much.
IPL session: I have done two so far and they need to be 4 weeks or more apart. It takes 20 minutes for the visit, Rose cleans the makeup off my face and does IPL for about 5 minutes. I wear protective goggles and close my eyes. Frankly it feels like nothing more than a little snap each time she fires the light, like if you took a thin rubber band and snapped it on your face, the pain stops within 1 second so it doesn't linger. In a weird way I find these sessions relaxing because I think about the huge benefits I get for so little pain and no downtime. A lot of other people have said they were applying cold compresses, had redness etc. That was never my case. I just left the office looking the tiniest bit red (then proceded to go to the sales at ann taylor.... :). After the first treatment there were some little brown pigmentation dots that appeared over the course of the next 3 days, and they would just brush or fall off when I washed my face, over the first week the skin became lighter, BUT I did break out, especially after the first treatment. That worried me because I thought it had created more of an acne problem than I already had. So I went and saw Rose who explained the skin was just purging hidden impurities. Well I immediately began using Burts Bees facial wash for acne with 1% Salycilic acid and nothing else and by week two the bout of acne had cleared and my face was noticibly fairer, more even, and many of the old acne scars were gone or barely visible (as were my darkest freckles). I went in for a second treatment recently and had minimal breakout. I didn't see as much pigment flaking off, but more freckles were removed and Rose focused on some stubborn acne discoloration. I don't have a camera that would give you a good enough view of my skin now but I will say that it is very porceline! I think I'll do one more and then maybe one IPL per year just to fight that inevitable sun damage. Note: one thing everyone should be doing is using Retin-a to fight wrinkles! The combination of some IPL + Retin a a few times a week will keep your pores small and skin very nice. IPL works best on skin like mine where there are no physical scars just redness/discoloration. I highly recco. Rose at the Adams Center in Boston! Oh the cost was $330 per session, but if you get on their mailing list they run monthly discounts!

I went in to have the lines above and below my lips filled in. The MD suggested lip enhancement would do the trick. OMG --it was so painful that I totally passed out. I don't think the novacaine worked. Anyways, my lips were injected with minimal bruising, but one side was slightly larger than the other. I went back about 10 days later to even them out and had a completely different experience. I was completely numbed up -- but had massive bruising after.

Now 5 days later still about a 1"x 1/2" bruise on upper L lip and .5x.5" bruise below lower lip. But --- I love the results. I also had the Radiesse to fill out the cheek area and it looks awesome.