Total FX Skin Resurfacing

Many patients have expressed confusion about the differences between Total FX, Active FX, and Deep FX skin resurfacing, so I'd like to clarify a few things.

All these names refer to treatments performed with the same laser- the Ultrapulse CO2 Laser from Lumenis. Active FX is the term coined to refer to a frationated treatment with a 1mm spot size. Active FX allows for quick healing, minimal risk, while still achieving excellent skin contraction and tightening and removal of brown spots and sun damage. Deep FX refers to a fractionated treatment with the 120 micron (smaller) spot size, which penetrates deeper into the skin, enabling treatment of deeper scars, wrinkles and irregularities. Because of the smaller spot size, deep fx is not as effective for superficial brown spots. For that reason "Total FX" combines one pass each with each of these different spot sizes, theoretically providing the best of both worlds.

So what kind of results have we seen?

The look and feel of skin after a Total FX treatment is truly impressive, and our patients have been very satisfied. I believe that for patients with moderate skin laxity and wrinkles- Total FX is a great choice.


I advise patients not to be too concerned about the "name" of the treatment they receive. We customize all laser treatments to the patient: to their desires, their skin quality, and the downtime they want. The best choice will be made after a comprehensive consultation in our office.