Deep FX Laser
Recently developed techniques, especially fractional laser resurfacing, are revolutionizing skin rejuvenation and giving patients options they didn’t have even a few years ago. If you are trying to deal with such skin problems as wrinkles, sun damage, age spots, or splotchy skin, you may want to take advantage of one of the newer methods of skin resurfacing.
All resurfacing procedures remove damaged or wrinkled layers of skin, allowing a new healthier skin to form and decreasing your risk of skin cancer. The doctors at Northwest Face specialize in rejuvenation techniques and are experts in helping you determine which method is right for you.
The oldest technique (dating back to the time of Cleopatra) is the chemical peel. Peels can treat wrinkles, pre-cancerous growths, discoloration, or sun-damage.
The gold standard in skin rejuvenation is carbon dioxide (CO2) laser resurfacing, which has the best ability to actually shrink skin and prevent skin cancer. The CO2 laser vaporizes the upper layers of damaged skin with precise and controlled penetration. While laser surgery was introduced more than 40 years ago, using it in combination with computer scanning technology is a recent advance that achieves remarkable results.
Because the laser beam is computer controlled, surgeons are able to perform complex micro-procedures with far greater accuracy than is possible with mechanical instruments. Facial wrinkles often form in specific areas, such as near the eyes or around the mouth. A laser can be precisely directed so that only these specific areas are targeted at exactly the right depth. Laser surgery is very safe and has less post-operative pain than traditional surgery.
The newest technique is called fractional resurfacing or simply FX. During an FX procedure, laser light smoothes out lines, wrinkles and scars; removes brown spots and other irregularities; improves the skin’s tone and texture; and tightens the skin. It also stimulates formation of new underlying collagen that leads to continued improvement over time. With this treatment, a fraction of the skin’s surface is treated by the laser, leaving tiny areas of untouched skin. This makes the healing process much faster and enables you to get back to normal activities sooner.
FX is ideal for you if you have a busy lifestyle or cannot be away from work for a long time but still want noticeable results. At Northwest Face this is an outpatient treatment that is easily tolerated; it is so gentle that you can go home minutes after the procedure. With a washing and moisturizing regimen, your damaged skin is replaced by healthier skin within 3-5 days.
The results of FX laser treatment are long-term and can, with proper sun protection, 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 only over a longer time. Most people look even better 3-5 months after the procedure.
Drs. Julie Voss and Ludwig Allegra at Northwest Face are highly skilled in the art of skin rejuvenation and offer more than 35 years of extensive experience combined with the very latest and most sophisticated equipment. Fortunately we are finally in an era where the dream of true skin rejuvenation is not only possible but has become routine.