Total FX - How Long After Treatment Will I Have to Avoid the Sun?

Question

I am an outdoor person and have an Asian skin tone. I do wear a hat and sunscreen all the time, but I worry that having Total FX done will cause me not to be able to enjoy outdoor activity as much. Please clarify,  how long do I have to avoid the sun after Total FX?  Thank you,  Tam

William Ting, MD · Answer

One of the greatest challenge of treating Asian or Hispanic skin with laser resurfacing is post-treatment pigmentation. If sun protection is less than adequate within 4-6 weeks after fractional CO2 laser with Total FX, Fraxel Repair or Mixto, fair skin person may have persistent facial redness and Asian or Hispanic skin person may have to endure several weeks of post-treatment pigmentation. It's fine to enjoy outdoor activities after fractional CO2 laser resurfacing after 2 weeks, but only with SPF 45 or above, reapply every 2 hours when outdoors between 10am and 4pm. You need to protect investment made in laser resurfacing, thus the commitment to sun protection (as well as Vitamin D supplement) should be lifelong.

Corey S. Maas, MD · Answer

We advise patients to protect their skin against sun exposure for at least 2 months to minimize the risks of hyperpigmentation. A good sunblock of SPF 30 will be adequate. As long as you continue your routine sun protection skin care after 2 months, you should still be able to enjoy outdoor activities. You may want to consider delaying outdoor activities until after 8 weeks.

Total FX - How Long After Treatment Will I Have to Avoid the Sun?

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Total FX - How Long After Treatment Will I Have to Avoid the Sun?

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Everything you need to know about TotalFX

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.