When it comes to the subject of skin rejuvenation, Active FX is among the most reputed techniques in practice today. It is a laser resurfacing procedure that fractionally removes the damaged area on the surface of the skin, allowing the emergence of a new layer of healthy cells. There are many benefits of Active FX that contribute to its growing popularity, but there are also limitations to this technique that makes other alternatives more suitable in certain situations.
If you are looking for a resolution to your skin conditions, you should examine all your options before choosing the one most advantageous to you.
Deep FX
Deep FX is the closest cousin to Active FX. They are actually two different hand pieces attached to the same laser from the same manufacture, and both operate by the same principle. Deep FX and Active FX both use a CO2 laser to inflict thermal damage to catalyze the removal of blemished skin. The main difference between the two is that the beam size used in Active FX is 1.3mm, whereas in Deep FX the beam is much finer at 12 microns. In terms of effectiveness, Active FX is more suitable for treating larger areas of superficial malformations, such as light wrinkles and age spots. Deep FX, on the other hand, is much more penetrating and effective for acnes, scars, and deeper lines and wrinkles.
Though both of these techniques are considered fractionally ablative and both have minimal risk factors, Deep FX inflicts much smaller collateral damage due to its ultra fine laser beam so the healing is even quicker. Because both Active FX and Deep FX have its unique advantages, many doctors combine them in one treatment session for more profound results.
Fraxel Laser
Fraxel laser is the other most common alternative to Active FX. This technique is also highly popular and highly acclaimed for its non-invasiveness and low risk factors. There are two subcategories of Fraxel laser that are most comparable to Active FX, and of the two, Fraxel Repair is perhaps more synonymous.
Fraxel Repair also uses a CO2 laser, but it is much higher in power, enabling it to penetrate deeper into the skin tissue. Many doctors suggest that you would probably need to combine an Active FX and a Deep FX to get the same effect as a Fraxel repair treatment. The downside of Fraxel Repair is that the time for recovery is also longer with higher levels of discomfort.
Fraxel Restore is your other option. This one is actually non-ablative in nature since it bypasses the epidermis to induce dermal level damage. The advantage of this is that the risk factors, as well as the downtime, are reduced. The disadvantage of Fraxel Restore is that multiple treatments will be needed to produce the same results from just a single Active FX.
Active FX, Deep FX, Fraxel Repair and Restore are all cutting edge techniques with a wide range of applications. Each is unique in their qualities and each has its own setbacks. Discuss all of them with your doctor and see which one will produce the best results for you.
