Active FX laser skin resurfacing is gaining popularity at medical spas, laser centers and skin clinics. It’s main competitors are Thermage, Fraxel, and other skin tightening or laser skin resurfacing treatments.

Here’s an overview of Active FX and some links to more information.

The goal of laser skin resurfacing is simple: replace damaged skin with new, fresh skin. Techniques for skin resurfacing have made enormous advances, allowing nearly everyone to achieve close to flawless complexions. Many systems allow for light, moderate or deep laser resurfacing. The primary targets of laser skin resurfacing include:

• Fine lines and wrinkles of the face, especially around the upper lip, cheeks and forehead
• Loose eyelid skin
• Crow’s feet around the eyes
• Pucker marks (smoker’s lines) and frown lines
• Brown spots and splotchy, uneven skin tone
• Scars, especially acne scars
• Loose skin around the neck and jowls

How it Works

One of the standard laser resurfacing systems, the UltraPulse® CO2 laser delivers thousands of tiny laser pulses in a pattern over the skin. Each pulse heats a column of tissue eliminating pigment discolorations at the surface and creating a zone of heating deep in the tissue. Unique to the UltraPulse Encore, these zones of heating shrink collagen and tighten the skin immediately*. The CO2 laser also offers the benefits of heating deeper layers of skin tissue, thereby stimulating collagen remodeling, tightening* the skin further. Patients can select from a range of treatments depending on the needs of your skin and lifestyle.

What is ActiveFX “fractional” laser resurfacing?

ActiveFX is a fractional laser procedure performed in a single treatment with minimal patient downtime. During the procedure, a high-energy beam of laser light is used to smooth out lines, wrinkles and scars, remove brown spots and other irregularities, and tighten the skin. It also stimulates formation of new underlying collagen to continue improvement over time. With fractional laser treatment, only a fraction of the skin’s surface is treated by the laser, leaving small “bridges” of untouched skin. This technique makes the healing process much faster and enables you to get back to normal activities sooner.

Is ActiveFX right for you?

Treated areas should be washed twice a day with cool water and a mild soap. Use our lotion twice daily to treated areas for 3 to 5 days or until healing is complete. Treated areas should be protected from direct exposure to sunlight. Sunscreen with SPF greater than 15 should be used at all times on the treated areas.

ActiveFX is ideal for you if you:

• Have a busy lifestyle or cannot be away from work for a long time
• Want noticeable results with minimal downtime
• Want to treat dyschromia, fine lines, wrinkles and skin laxity

What you can expect from ActiveFX

Most physicians perform the procedure in the office with a topical anesthetic cream that is applied 30-40 minutes before the ActiveFX procedure begins. There is little to no pain associated with the procedure – most patients say they feel warmth similar to sunburn. You can drive yourself home after the procedure. With a gentle washing and moisturizing regimen, your photodamaged skin will begin to flake off within 2 days. After about 3-5 days, your doctor will probably let you wear make-up. Pinkness should be gone in about a week.

ActiveFX benefits

ActiveFX treatment produces a dramatic effect on the skin:

• Causes immediate skin tightening
• Reduces wrinkles and fine lines, and softens deeper frown lines
• Noticeably improves skin tone and texture
• Stimulates new collagen formation and plumps the skin

The results of ActiveFX laser treatment are long-term and, with proper sun protection, can persist for many years. Most effects of treatment become visible right away, whereas others – such as new collagen formation, which leads to continued inner tightening – build up gradually and become more evident over time. Therefore, most people look even better 3-5 months after the procedure.

Additional Information on ActiveFX

http://www.aesthetic.lumenis.com/wt/page/activefx

http://www.lumenis.com/wt/page/pr_1170434066

Redness after IPL & Laser Treatments: DeepFX & ActiveFX

Reliant UltraPulse Fractional CO2 Laser

For Physicians using Active FX: Medical Spa MDs Physician user groups.

Active FX: Physician User Group ~ Medical Spa MD

Active FX Laser Skin Resurfacing is a post from: Skin Clinic MD

Skin Clinic MD related posts:

1. Fractional Laser Resurfacing Fractional CO2 laser ablation has become increasingly popular as...
2. Non Surgical Facelift Non Surgical Facelift is the nomenclature that many medical...
3. Skin Tighening Skin Tightening: What to expect from your laser skin...
4. Skin Clinic News – April 6, 2009 ActiveFX and DeepFX laser skin rejuvenation - Lumenis ActiveFX...
5. Thermage Skin Tighening Thermage is FDA approved for tightening and thickening skin...

In principle, there's no difference in clinical outcomes bet the Thermage TC and the Thermage NXT. However practically speaking there is because of the shorter lapse time between pulses on the Thermage NXT machine that one can get better results from it than from the Thermage TC.

The effective clinical targets are to heat collagen containing dermal layer to 56-60 degree celsius AND to maintain such temp range for 1-2 mins (though my goal is 2-3 mins long). Therefore the more rapid pulse firing of the NXT device would make it easier for the treater to "get there and stay there" more efficiently. Personally, I don't have such problem using the TC device (by the way, I have both devices). When using the TC device, you want to make smaller sections on the face or abdomen or wherever then start and finish one section at a time. Make sure that within each section that any treated 3cm square per pulse is "re-pulsed" within 30-60seconds, this will ensure that any heated square will be effectively brought to the correct temp range and maintained there for those 2 mins.

One more thing you asked was about the Alma Accent, it is of the "same" monopolar RF platform technically speaking combined with bipolar RF. The difference which I see is with Thermage tips you know for sure they deliver the RF at consistent depth (2.4 mm or 4.3mm depending on the tips STC or DC). With the Alma Accent, I don't think the company has been able to provide the exact information on this thu I heard the depth was about 2.4 also but not any deeper.

More discussions about Thermage and Fraxel at Medical Spa MD.

Thermage NXT vs Thermage TC vs Alma Accent is a post from: Skin Clinic MD

Skin Clinic MD related posts:

1. Thermage Skin Tighening Thermage is FDA approved for tightening and thickening skin...
2. About Laser Hair Removal About Laser Hair Removal: Treatment Before laser and IPL...
3. Skin Clinic News – April 13, 2009 Latest Girls Pages » Blog Archive » 151 Beauty...
4. Clear Clinical Acne Treatment Program All you need for clear, acne-free skin. Clear Clinical...
5. Solta Medical Reports Third Quarter 2009 Results Solta Medical Reports Third Quarter 2009 Results Provides full...

Solta Medical Reports Third Quarter 2009 Results

Solta Medical Reports Third Quarter 2009 Results is a post from: Skin Clinic MD

Skin Clinic MD related posts:

1. Medical Spa MD: Allergan’s Botox profits on the rise. Allergan Inc (AGN.N) on Thursday said its quarterly profit...
2. Skin Clinic News – March 23, 2009 New York Doctor Fined $20000 for Injecting Patients With...
3. Skin Clinic News – April 13, 2009 Latest Girls Pages » Blog Archive » 151 Beauty...
4. Medical Spa Marketing: Blogging for your medspa. First, if you’re not blogging for your medical spa, ...
5. Plastic Surgery, Skin Clinic & Medical Center Click Fraud If you’re one of the many aesthetic clinics, dermatology...

Featherlift + Threadlift is a post from: Skin Clinic MD

Skin Clinic MD related posts:

1. Medicals Spas & Laser Clinics in 2009 What happened in medical spas, skin clinics and laser...
2. Botox & Nose Jobs becoming more popular in India A pointed nose and taut skin seem to have...
3. Non Surgical Facelift Non Surgical Facelift is the nomenclature that many medical...
4. Liposuction Patient Training Video: Using thin liposuction cannulas. Liposuction Training Video: Why thin liposuction cannulas give the...
5. Thermage Skin Tighening Thermage is FDA approved for tightening and thickening skin...

Looking for a Skin Clinic? is a post from: Skin Clinic MD

Skin Clinic MD related posts:

1. Skin Clinic MD: IPL Why does my dermatologist have an IPL? Medical Spas,...
2. Skin Clinic MD: Cutera’s Cosmetic Lasers Cutera has become a contender in the cosmetic laser...
3. Skin Clinic MD: Esthetics Training Book  The Advanced Medical Spa Esthetics Training Course & Study...
4. Thermage Skin Tighening Thermage is FDA approved for tightening and thickening skin...
5. Skin Clinic: Botox & Dysport Botox &  Dysport are now offered at almost any...

Thermage is FDA approved for tightening and thickening skin without surgery. This non-invasive choice is particularly attractive for patients who don’t want to undergo the more drastic effects of a traditional surgical facelift and its associated recovery period.

Thermage uses a radiofrequency (RF) technology to heat the deep layers of the skin while protecting the skin’s outer layers with a cooling cryogen spray. This deep heating promotes immediate collagen contraction beneath the skins surface and generates new collagen growth over time.

Thermage: Key Points

• Thermage is approved by the FDA for skin tightening and collagen growth.
• Thermage provides an alternative to traditional surgical face lifts.
• Thermage not only treats existing conditions, but is also a preventative treatment for future problems including wrinkles, loose skin and collagen loss.
• Thermage can treat any area of the body but is most commonly used on the face, around the eyes and forehead, cheeks and jowls, and the neck. Results actually increase over time. With maximum results usually achieved up to 6 months after the treatment.
• Thermage “Vectoring” can be used for more specific results. Vectoring uses a second, double row of pulses to tighten skin along specific lines or “vectors”. In this way we can perform eyelifts, neck lifts, bags around the eyes, crows feet, or any part of the face where loose skin is unwanted.

Thermage: Key Benefits

• Thermage tightens skin and stimulates new collagen growth.
• Thermage can be performed in 2-3 hours under local anesthetic.
• Thermage actually “tightens” skin rather than stretching skin.
• The results look completely natural
• The cost is less than traditional, surgical facelifts
• The results are very long lasting or permanent.
• Additional treatments can maximize the effects or just maintain results.

Thermage: Benefits in comparison to traditional surgical face lifts

• No cutting. No stretching. No stitches. No scars.
• Thermage requires no physical recovery time.
• The skin is tightened rather than stretched, eliminating the pulled look that can happen with traditional face lifts.
• The chance of complications or infection is almost nil.
• Thermage can be combined with other treatments like filler injections and Pointé Lifts for more dramatic effects.

Possible Complications with Thermage Treatments:

Thermage complications are very rare. The device contains three computers that constantly monitor the amount of energy being delivered. However, as with any medical treatment there exists the possibility of other results, including:

• Burns; in clinical trials for Thermage less than 1% of patients received any burns. (There were only two that healed completely and without complication). At Surface, we have never seen a burn.
• The effect is less dramatic than the client wants: However, Thermage can be used as a treatment more than once. Results can be improved or enhanced with additional treatments like Botox or Surface Pointé Lifts.

NOTE: Thermage has received mixed reviews from both patients and physicians. In our opinion this is because of the way that Thermage has been marketed to physicians as an "add-on" to their practice. Thermage results are highly dependant upon the treatment you receive. While Thermage is now widely available, our recommendation is that you only have a Thermage treatment from a physician who specializes in non-surgical cosmetic medicine and has a laser clinic, skin clinic, or laser treatment center with experience with this treatment.

Thermage Skin Tighening is a post from: Skin Clinic MD

Skin Clinic MD related posts:

1. Non Surgical Facelift Non Surgical Facelift is the nomenclature that many medical...
2. Skin Tighening Skin Tightening: What to expect from your laser skin...
3. Rosacea Skin Treatments Rosacea laser treatments can be particularly effective in treating...
4. Looking for a Skin Clinic? There are many medical anti-aging options available today, but...
5. Fractional Laser Resurfacing Fractional CO2 laser ablation has become increasingly popular as...

Image by interplast via Flickr

The non surgical face lift has been the Holy Grail of plastic surgeons for the last 30 years.

The most promise for a non surgical face lift currently is probably Thermage, a treatment that heats the deep and middle layers of the dermis using RF or radio frequency energy. (You can think of it sort of as a microwave on a stick.)

This RF energy heats the dermis enough that the collagen in the skin ‘coils’, but does not burn, much like your eyebrows crinkle if you stand too close to the bonfire. (You can see why this is somewhat tricky.)

If you’re looking for information about Thermage or other non surgical face lift technologies, you should make sure that you have all of the information and facts. Medical Spa MD is a fantastic place to start. Since it has plastic surgeon forums you can see what the doctors are discussing among themselves and then ask knowledgeable questions form doctors that won’t be treating you. It’s easily the best way on the web to gather information before you look for a local derm or plastic to actually perform the treatment.

Non surgical face lifts may be coming, but they’re not really here yet. Of course you don’t have the risks and down time associated with surgical face lifts. Who want’s to wander through life with a permanent Joker grin.

Non Surgical Face Lift is a post from: Skin Clinic MD

Skin Clinic MD related posts:

1. Non Surgical Facelift Non Surgical Facelift is the nomenclature that many medical...
2. Thermage Skin Tighening Thermage is FDA approved for tightening and thickening skin...
3. Skin Clinic MD: IPL Why does my dermatologist have an IPL? Medical Spas,...
4. Looking for a Skin Clinic? There are many medical anti-aging options available today, but...
5. Skin Tighening Skin Tightening: What to expect from your laser skin...

Non Surgical Facelift is the nomenclature that many medical technology companies, skin clinics, plastic surgeons and med spas are using to market laser and radio based skin tightening treatments like Thermage, Fraxel, ActiveFX, DeepFX, and CO2 laser resurfacing.

Of course the non surgical facelift has been the holy grail of cosmetic medical technologies. Themage, DeepFX, ActiveFX, Fraxel, laser skin tightening… all have some promise and effects but a surgical face lift will always be the most dramatic. Of course surgical facelifts have more potential downside; scarring and that overly ’stretched’ look among them.

Non surgical facelift technologies have come a long way and there is a tremendous amount of research being conducted that goes beyond the current base of Fraxel and Thermage and into bioengineering and potentially even nano-technology that reverses the aging process on a cellular level.

Thermage: Radiofrequency energy is directed just below the surface of the skin into the collagen with no surgery, injections, or incisions. The process heats and contracts the existing collagen and thereby stimulates the production of new collagen.

Fraxel: Fraxel treatments use thousands of tiny beams of light to establish microscopic treatment zones that treat only a predetermined percentage of skin while leaving normal surrounding skin to help with the healing process. This “fractional” treatment allows the skin to heal much faster than if the entire surface of the skin were treated at once. Using microscopic treatment zones also allows certain Fraxel® Lasers to penetrate more deeply into the dermis than traditional lasers. This deeper penetration helps to stimulate collagen production helping to make the skin appear more youthful and counteract the effects of aging. Generally, 3 – 5 treatments spaced 2 – 4 weeks apart are recommended.

DeepFX: Fractional DeepFX laser treatments involve treating only a fraction of the skinʼs surface, leaving bridges of untouched skin to aid in the regeneration process. (similar to Fraxel) Each laser pulse removes a narrow column of tissue while simultaneously treating surrounding skin. This deep heating causes immediate collagen remodeling. The result is softening and smoothing of wrinkles and scars, and improved skin texture.

ActiveFX: Active FX laser treatments cover about 80% of the skin’s surface. (Fraxel treats only about 20% of the skin’s surface at a time.) The 80% coverage by Active FX seems to provide a good balance of desired results with amount of down-time. (ActiveFX and DeepFX are cosmetic lasers that are offered by the same company.)

CO2 Laser Resurfacing: CO2 lasers are generally older and only recommended in the hands of the most specialized plastic surgeon or cosmetic dermatologist that ’specializes’ in these treatments. CO2 laser resurfacing burns away the entire top layers of the dermis and has significant disadvantages compared to Thermage, Fraxel, ActiveFX and DeepFX.

Thermage, ActiveFX, DeepFX, and Fraxel Laser skin resurfacing results are both immediate and progressive. If you respond well, you will see some improvement within days of the procedure as your skin begins to heal. Good skin care can extend the benefits of  your Themage or Fraxel non surgical facelift.

Medical Spa MD has more information about Thermage vs Fraxel.

Non Surgical Facelift is a post from: Skin Clinic MD

Skin Clinic MD related posts:

1. Skin Clinic News – April 6, 2009 ActiveFX and DeepFX laser skin rejuvenation - Lumenis ActiveFX...
2. Thermage Skin Tighening Thermage is FDA approved for tightening and thickening skin...
3. Fractional Laser Resurfacing Fractional CO2 laser ablation has become increasingly popular as...
4. Skin Clinic MD: Cutera’s Cosmetic Lasers Cutera has become a contender in the cosmetic laser...
5. Skin Clinic News – April 13, 2009 Latest Girls Pages » Blog Archive » 151 Beauty...

Skin Tightening: What to expect from your laser skin tightening treatment

Skin tightening treatments are usually performed by an esthetician under the direct supervision of a physician.  Skin tightening treatments don’t require much down time for the patient. While devices used for skin tightening do vary in their modality; the procedures do not require topical anesthetics. These procedures are typically performed in monthly intervals and results can be seen gradually over several months. Because of the gradual improvement, it is important to obtain before photos of the intended treatment area(s) before the procedure, with subsequent photos taken immediately prior to performing each consecutive treatment. A final results photo should be taken one month after the last treatment. This photo journal can show the patient their improvement.

IPL and Laser Skin Tightening Devices

The source of energy used to produce thermal damage can be either radio waves, infrared light, lower wavelength laser or any combination of the three. The intention is to stimulate increased collagen production.

Light wavelengths, specifically in the infrared spectrum, are successfully used to promote tightening of the skin by heating the dermis. This in turn initiates the body’s natural healing response. This type of treatment is called “selective thermal damage”. When the dermis becomes “damaged”, the body will begin to heal itself by encouraging additional collagen production and the rebuilding of the collagen that already exists in the tissue. As the layer of collagen builds upon itself, the underlying tissues of the skin contract, resulting in a tighter appearance to the skin. Most infrared devices deliver their light source in a single grid. This results in a large area of controlled thermal damage. The Palomar LuxDeepIR Fractional is one device on the market that delivers light in an array of columns into the target area of tissue and leaves the surrounding areas untouched. The company says that this type of technology reduces patients’ pain and also promotes quicker healing time as the new developing areas of collagen can attach to and build upon the untouched areas. When using the radio frequency devices, there also is a variance from one source of energy to bipolar devices constituting two wavelengths.

Why is collagen important to Laser Skin Tightening?

Collagen is an important protein and structural component of skin. Large amounts of collagen are contained in the dermis. Collagen fibers build a strong mesh responsible for maintaining the texture, strength and resilience of skin. As we get older, our collagen fibers start to break down and the epidermal layer thins. The results are visible sagging, wrinkles and folds. Even though fibroblasts can produce more collagen fibers, the human body’s ability to do so decreases as we age.

Skin Tightening Results.

Although not comparable to plastic surgery, on average, the most dramatic results of laser skin tightening treatments are seen in the neck and jaw line where the dermal layer is thinner. However, results are not seen until months after one treatment or more. Results are also varied depending on differences in skin texture and thickness and a patient’s lifestyle (alcohol, smoking, sleep patterns). Each device states different claims of how painful the procedure is, so some patients may choose to use a topical anesthetic or an analgesic to decrease pain. Side effects may include edema, erythema, or skin blanching immediately following treatment. Rarer side effects of laser skin tightening may include blistering, skin depressions and even slight pigment changes.

Skin Tighening is a post from: Skin Clinic MD

Skin Clinic MD related posts:

1. Skin Clinic MD: IPL Why does my dermatologist have an IPL? Medical Spas,...
2. Skin Clinic – Sciton BBL Sciton BBLs Cutting Edge Medical Center IPL & Aesthetic...
3. About Laser Hair Removal About Laser Hair Removal: Treatment Before laser and IPL...
4. Dermatology Clinic Procedures: Sciton SkinTyte & BBLs Medical centers all around Europe have been combining SkinTyte...
5. Thermage Skin Tighening Thermage is FDA approved for tightening and thickening skin...

Is Your Plastic Surgeon or Dermatologist Using Old Thermage Tips!

Thermage Skin Tightening treatments from Solta Medical have ushered in a new type of anti-aging and skin laxity treatments for your local skin clinic, cosmetic dermatologist, plastic surgeon and medical spa that adds another nonsurgical treatment to a cosmetic medical practice… Radio Frequency Skin Tightening.

Thermage has also implemented a new business model that charges the physician for each Thermage treatment by ‘deactivating’ a treatment tip after a set number of pulses or a specific time, even if the tip is still usable. This leaves the cosmetic dermatologist or plastic surgeon in the position of having treatment tips that would still work, except that they’ve been artificially turned off by the company. (Treatment tips with higher ’shot counts’ cost progressively more money. There’s no difference between tips other than the number of shots programmed into the Thermage tip.)

With high-count Thermage tips costing more than $800 for a single treatment and medical practices under increasing pressure to maintain profitability, many doctors are turning to third parties to ‘reactivate’ these Thermage tips for additional use by bypassing the counter inside the chip and effectively resetting the device to allow for continued use.

According to Thermage, Thermage tips are disabled to ensure patient safety.

Thermage’s position on reactivating Thermage tips:

“The largest study we know of involving Thermage is a four year study conducted by Weiss,1 and it only involved 600 patients. In addition, the claims in the Stevens publication are also wildly inconsistent with immense quantities of Thermage quality and reliability data we have compiled on our own products over the years. We know for a fact the dielectric membrane on our treatment tip will break down when subjected to a tiny fraction of the repeated use this publication alleges can be done. Dielectric breakdown can result in patient harm.”

Potential complications can arise from treating patients with damaged Thermage tips that can include burns or the destruction of underlying fat that can leave permanent depressions in the skin. But, with more and more cosmetic dermatologists and plastic surgeons looking to squeeze out a profit wherever they can and grey-market suppliers able to sell a reactivated Thermage tip for hundreds of dollars below the retail price, refurbishing or reusing Thermage tips may be used in an increasing number of cosmetic practices and medical spas.

For the most current information on new non-surgical cosmetic medical treatments visit the Thermage & Fraxel physician forums at Medical Spa MD.

Skin Clinic MD: Is your med spa reusing used Thermage tips? is a post from: Skin Clinic MD

Skin Clinic MD related posts:

1. Skin Clinic: Botox & Dysport Botox &  Dysport are now offered at almost any...
2. Looking for a Skin Clinic? There are many medical anti-aging options available today, but...
3. Thermage Skin Tighening Thermage is FDA approved for tightening and thickening skin...
4. Fractional Laser Resurfacing Fractional CO2 laser ablation has become increasingly popular as...
5. Medical Spa Marketing: Blogging for your medspa. First, if you’re not blogging for your medical spa, ...