The ideal Active FX provider is experienced with this and other laser technologies, has had many successful and happy patients and can explain the whole procedure from start to finish so you know exactly what to expect.
Who Can Provide Active FX Treatment
Active FX is FDA approved for prescription use only, so it can only be provided by a qualified medical doctor. Your doctor should also be board-certified. There are a number of organizations that can certify cosmetic surgery providers, including the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Most of the certifying boards have directories that you can use to look up certified physicians. Ask your doctor if he or she is board-certified, and through what organization. If you have any additional questions, don't be afraid or embarrassed to ask. If your doctor intimidates you or is rude when you ask questions, that should be a warning sign.
Your dermatologist may be able to refer you to providers in your area. If you know any friends, family members or coworkers who have had ActiveFX, find out who performed the treatment and how satisfying the results were. Warnings are just as useful as recommendations, and customer reviews either in person or online can alert you to doctors whose results were less than satisfying.
Special Training to Ask About
Active FX and its cousin treatment Deep FX are both performed using the UltraPulse Fractional CO2 laser, manufactured by Lumenis. The company offers training in the use of the UltraPulse, so you should always ask your doctor if he or she was trained by Lumenis. If not, you should find out when, where and how he or she was trained. Ask the doctor how many procedures he or she has performed and how often he or she uses the machine. All of this tallies up to experience, and the more experienced your doctor is, the less likely it is that you will have negative results from misuse of the machine.
