Active FX for Acne & Acne Scars

The Active FX fractional laser is a revolutionary breakthrough treatment for skin resurfacing. The procedure allows us to deliver the remarkable results of traditional ablative lasers with a fraction of the recuperation and none of the discomfort or inconvenience patients had come to expect from laser resurfacing. 
 
The Active FX procedure has its ideal applications in two patient populations. First, it is great for younger patients with the very beginning signs of aging, such as surface pigment irregularities, sun damage as well fine lines and wrinkles, especially around the mouth and eyes. For these patients, a lighter setting is used, producing noticeable results with minimal recovery time. Secondly, for patients with more advanced signs of aging, the machine is ideal as it can be programmed to deliver a deeper treatment, thereby smoothing out the skin imperfections and stimulating deep dermal collagen formation.
 
At the heart of this device is a carbon dioxide laser, the gold standard for resurfacing technology. The laser allows for wrinkle reduction, skin texture improvement, and skin tightening. Programmed at the fractional, Active FX settings, the treatment allows for rapid recovery and minimal downtime. 
 
Traditionally, patients who wanted real, visible improvement in skin imperfections such as wrinkles, laxity or acne scars had to go through intense resurfacing with traditional ablative lasers or deep chemical peels. Patients had to accept long healing times, sometimes taking up to 3-4 weeks, in order to get true results. 
 
Unfortunately, there are many lasers that claim to achieve what this laser achieves. We tested the majority of the Active FX’s competitors. The results were astounding. The improvements seen with the Active FX were clearly superior to anything we could achieve with other devices. For us, the Active FX represents the gold standard, and we are proud to offer it to our patients.
 
How does it work?
 
The Active FX laser delivers thousands of tiny laser pulses in a spaced pattern over the skin. Each tiny pulse smoothes out skin imperfections and eliminates pigment discolorations at the surface of the skin. The pulse is designed to penetrate into the skin and create a deep zone of heating. This shrinks the surrounding collagen and causes tissue tightening and collagen remodeling, improving the skin further over months following the procedure.
 
What makes the Active FX so special is that the procedure leaves tiny areas of untreated skin between the zones of treatment. These small islands of healthy skin allow for fast skin healing after treatment, and reduce the possibility of skin pigment changes after the procedure. 
 
How many treatments are necessary?
 
Typically, most patients need only one Active FX treatment to achieve the desired results. However, for deeper wrinkles or severe acne scars, several treatments may be necessary.  
 
At the time of your consultation, Dr. Ilya Reyter will thoroughly analyze your skin and discuss your treatment objectives. Should multiple treatments be necessary, they are generally spaced several months apart.
 
For the most severe, very deep, coarse wrinkles and acne scars, Dr. Reyter may recommend a non-fractional carbon dioxide laser treatment. The downsides of this treatment include a longer healing time and a higher possibility of skin pigment changes. However, for a select group of patients, the astounding changes that a traditional resurfacing can provide may outweigh the downsides of the procedure.