A. The delicate skin under the eyes must be treated with great care. There are, in my opinion, two non-surgical options that tighten the under-eye skin. The first is fractional CO2. Active FX is excellent to smooth lines and tighten the skin under the eyes in patients who have fair skin. For those with darker skin and those who cannot do the 5-7 days of downtime from the resurfacing of CO2, I use Exilis radio frequency skin tightening.
Q. I have been getting fillers for a while and have been happy, but I am considering Total FX fractional CO2 to get more permanent improvement. What are your thoughts?
A. I think that if you have significant photoaging with wrinkles, lines and discoloration, Total FX is the gold standard to improve your skin. The improvement, since it is your own collagen stimulated from the repair mechanisms triggered by this deeper laser, will last years. The results last longest if your are strict about sun avoidance and the use of good topical treatments to protect and stimulate further repair.
Q. 1 Month Post Eyelid Surgery: Is it Safe to Now Have Active FX Around my Eyes?
A. I would have preferred that you had the CO2 resurfacing first because the surgeon would not have had to take as much skin. The skin tightening around the eyes from CO2 resurfacing often even negates the need for any cutting at all (depending on your age and the severity of the laxity). That said, I would wait 6 weeks before any resurfacing is performed and I would be less aggressive to prevent any possible risk of ectropion.
Q. Should you have CO2 resurfacing if you are trying to get pregnant? Is it then safe to continue while you are pregnant?
A. It is safe to do CO2 while you are not using birth control. The treatment will not have an effect on you or your ability to get pregnant. Most people only need one CO2 resurfacing treatment. If you need more, I would NOT do another during the pregnancy. You could not do the necessary sedation to tolerate the procedure, and the skin of pregnant women does not always heal as expected. There is a high risk of pigmentation as a result of your hormonal state
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