Active FX - Recovery and Rosacea?

Question

I am a 46-year old, fair-skinned female, and because of constant maintenance, sunscreen and regular derm treatments, my skin is in fairly good condition for my age. I have had 2 different doctors recommend Active FX to treat wrinkles, scarring and tighten skin. I have done research and am pretty sold on the procedure, but I have 2 major concerns - How long is downtime REALLY? How long before you can be seen in public? And 2) I have mild rosacea - how will Active FX affect that? Thank you,

Hooman Khorasani, MD · Answer

These are great questions! It would be great to see a photo in order to give a better answer to your question. The amount of downtime for ActiveFx depends on the treatment settings and what you are hoping to get out of the treatment. Skin tightening treatment usually requires higher treatment settings and longer downtime.  We usually recommend to our patients 5 days with treatments on Thursday and return to work by Mon/Tues (with Sunday being the worst day). With respect to rosacea there isn't any issue we treatment but may cause a flare right after treatment.  I would recommend speaking to the board certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon who has cosmetic training.  They may recommend treating the rosacea with PDL before starting the ActiveFx in order to prevent the flare with ActiveFx.

Brett S. Kotlus, MD, MS, FACS · Answer

The ActiveFX treatment which is a fractional CO2 laser is arguably one of the best options for wrinkle reduction and skin rejuvenation in fair-skinned individuals.The downtime will depend on the strength of the treatment but on average, my patients have 5-7 of redness and peeling that can't be hidden from others.  After this initial phase, it is common to have pinkness to your skin that fades over a period of weeks but can be disguised with mineral makeup. If you have rosacea, you may experience a prolonged recovery.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

Recovery an downtime are based on the settings used and the wound healing.  you should have PRP treatments post co2 to speed the healing process.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Kristin J. Tarbet, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question.  Downtime...."REALLY" ? LOL love this question! I find most of my clients are out and about in 6 to 10 days. Like most things there is a wide range of downtime experiences. Some will exhibit some mild redness after peeling.
PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) used in conjunction with Active Fx will generally shorten your downtime even further. 
Your mild rosacea should react well to treatment too. We are big on Pre-Treatment of your skin prior to the procedure which will also enhance your result. We use ZO products at our facility. Specifically, Pigment Control Creme with 4% Hydroquinone. 
Best of luck to you!

Chaz Stucken, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question-- you've obviously done your research!  Patient's with rosacea do tend to have a slightly longer recovery time compared to patients who do not have rosacea.  The issue with the recovery is that you will remain pink longer than other patients.  Most patients do not go out to major social events during the first week after the procedure.  This is mostly due to redness and the need for Aquaphor applications.  Fortunately, you should be able to use mineral based make-up between 5-10 days after the procedure (depending on the laser settings used and your skin's response).  With a light layer of mineral based make-up, you can cover up the pinkness and feel comfortable at a social event.  If the pinkness lasts for a prolonged time period, you may ask your surgeon about a pulsed dye laser treatment that can help the pinkness fade faster.Good luck!

Active FX - Recovery and Rosacea?

Answers (5)