Plastic Surgeon Offers Treatment Hope To Acne Patients

Dr. Julio Gallo, a Miami facial plastic surgeon is giving hope to patients suffering from disfiguring acne scarring with new laser technology.

The Active FX by Lumenis 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 as well as tighten the skin. It also stimulates formation of new underlying collagen to continue to improve over time.

With fractional laser treatment, only a fraction- from about 20%-80% 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 patients to return to normal activities sooner.

"In my years as a surgeon one of the most challenging things has been acne scarring," explains Dr. Julio Gallo, Medical Director of the Miami Institute of Age Management and Intervention. "I see patients all the time who suffer the psychological effects of acne scars. In some cases it can be debilitating. With Active FX, I can offer patients smoother, fresher, more pleasing looking skin."

Acne scars are caused by the body's inflammatory response to sebum, bacteria and dead cells in the plugged sebaceous follicle. The Active FX Laser, in addition to its resurfacing component, also improves acne scars by a process of dermal remodeling. This can take two to four months to be complete, giving patients more dramatic, longer lasting results.