Active FX - Recovery and Rosacea?

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.

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.

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.

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!

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 is a fractional CO2 laser that helps rejuvenate the skin. Fractional means that most but not all of the outer layer of skin is removed and therefore there is some normal skin left which helps speed the healing process. I have my patients use a retinol before the procedure which increases the cell turnover rate in the skin. this effectivel "primes the pump" and makes the skin heal faster. It does depend on how powerful the laser is set at but for almost all patients five days is enough healing time to be out in public. If you have a major date or function I generally warn taking about 10 days to absolutely look your best. There is really not much pain after the first day (which feels like a bad sunburn) and patients are able to go about their business in the house and do work from home by the second or third day. Other people just do not want to see you for at least 4 days. This treatment is also very effective for rosacea as the rejuvenation actually thickens the skin a bit and therefore the redness is not as visible after the treatment. 

Downtime can be controlled by the power and density of the fractional laser. If more skin treated, higher the downtime. Usually 6 days to 8 days for a GOOD treatment. This can be dialled back for a quicker recovery.  Patients can wear a special make up like Lycogel at day 4, however expect redness to be prolonged especially if you have rosacea. Most dermatologist will take this into consideration and place you on a prolonged course of anti inflammatory rosacea medication for 3-6 weeks following the procedure. I usually let the erythema or redness subside, but if it is still present at week 4-6, I usually use a V BEAM vascular laser to treat redness. See an expert and you will be in good hands. All the best, Dr Davin Lim. Brisbane. Australia.