What is ResurFX?
ResurFX is one of our most popular non-ablative laser skin treatments, offering Washington, D.C.-area men and women a wonderful option for reducing cosmetic skin concerns and generally improving their complexions. This impressive system can treat a wide range of concerns, from stretch marks and laxity to discoloration, age spots, and scars. By encouraging the skin to build more of its own collagen, ResurFX creates lasting, beautiful improvement with virtually no downtime.
Areas Treated With ResurFX
Because it uses a treatment head that’s capable of emitting laser energy in a variety of shapes and patterns, ResurFX can be used on skin irregularities all over the face and body. These include stretch marks on the breasts or elsewhere, sun damage on the décolletage or hands, and fine lines on the face. During your first appointment at West End Plastic Surgery, your practitioner will work with you to develop a treatment plan that precisely suits your needs.
Conditions Treated With Skin Resurfacing
Because it’s a fairly gentle treatment, ResurFX is an effective solution for many different aesthetic concerns, both environmental and age-related. We often recommend it for the following
- Discoloration due to sun damage or aging
- Scars, both acne- and injury-related
- Stretch marks
- Enlarged pores
- Uneven or blotchy skin tone
- Mild sagginess or laxity
How Does ResurFX Work?
ResurFX works by delivering laser energy to the skin’s deeper layers without removing its outermost layer. Instead of using a solid beam of laser light, fractional lasers, including ResurFX, deliver light through tiny, evenly spaced dots. This ensures pinpoint accuracy and also accelerates the healing process.
Laser Resurfacing Treatment
Although most patients find the treatment to be comfortable on its own, we often apply a light topical anesthetic to ensure your comfort. Your practitioner applies special shields to your eyes to protect them from the laser’s bright light. We then adjust the laser’s settings to tailor the treatment to the needs of your skin.
We then pass the laser handpiece over your treatment area, administering short bursts of laser energy. You may feel a strong sensation of warmth, but the treatment is not painful. Only 1 pass over the skin is needed, and most treatments take about 30 minutes, depending on the size of the area. ResurFX is equipped with proprietary CoolScan™ technology to monitor temperature and the patented Chill Tip™ to offer your skin an extra level of protection during treatment.
What To Expect After Laser Treatment
Immediately following treatment, your practitioner gives you ice packs or cold compresses to prevent unnecessary swelling or redness. It’s important to protect your skin from the sun while it heals, because these types of resurfacing treatments can make skin especially sensitive to sunlight. Reapply sunblock often throughout the day, wear sunglasses, and avoid going outside in the afternoon, when the sun is at its most intense.
For several days after treatment, your skin may look and feel red and slightly swollen — as if you have a mild sunburn. This is normal, and most redness can be concealed with makeup. This redness gives way to some roughness and flaking, which can persist until about day 5.
ResurFX Results
Because ResurFX stimulates your skin to produce new collagen, results take some time to develop. You can expect to see your results peak after about 1 week. Your skin will be markedly smoother and more even-toned. With repeated treatments, usually spaced about 1 month apart, you’ll also see a gradual reduction in dark spots and other areas of irregularity. Your practitioner gives you a more accurate idea for how long you can expect to enjoy your results, as well as recommendations for what you can do to prolong them.
Other treatments, such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP), microdermabrasion or a chemical peel can further enhance your results. ResurFX is also a popular complementary procedure to IPL. When the 2 procedures are performed together, it’s called a “photofractional” treatment.
Is Skin Resurfacing Safe?
Yes. At West End Plastic Surgery, we offer only those services that have been carefully vetted for safety and effectiveness. Additionally, ResurFX is cleared by the FDA. Because it’s non-ablative, ResurFX is extremely well-tolerated. The treatment also carries minimal risk of long-term damage or discoloration. Our practitioners take care to maintain your safety and comfort both during and after your treatment.
Schedule a Consultation
Men and women come from communities throughout metro Washington, D.C. for laser skin resurfacing with ResurFX. You can request a consultation online to meet with our doctors or call our office at 202-785-4187 to schedule an appointment.