FSX Laser:
what the term means

Where FSX Laser matters on this site

FSX Laser is referred to on skin-quality pages, eyelid pages and scar pages, because the same non-ablative protocol is directed at different targets depending on the pass.

A heavy lid from loose skin and a heavy lid from a fallen brow look the same in the mirror; the pinch test tells me which one a laser can address.— Dr Sin Yong

• FSX Laser Singapore: the full protocol page, with the 1540 nm and 1927 nm wavelengths and the six targets explained.
• Droopy eyelid treatment and droopy, hooded eyelids: where FSX is chosen for lax lid and brow skin, and VF Lift – Vertical Facelift for a descended brow.
• Uneven skin texture and large pores: the dermal pass around pores and fine lines.
• Post-inflammatory erythema: the red marks left by acne, and where FSX sits among the options.
• FSX Laser vs VF Lift – Vertical Facelift for droopy eyelids: the pinch test and the fingertip brow-lift test side by side.
• Clear + Brilliant vs Fraxel vs Tetra Pro: where FSX sits against the non-ablative brands and the ablative platform.

For superficial acne scars the acne-scar hub is the better starting point, because it is the scar map, not the device, that decides whether FSX or the S3 Resurfacing Lift comes first.

Not to be confused with

FSX Laser is non-ablative and fractional. Most of the confusion comes from treatments that share one of those words, or one of its wavelengths.

• S3 Resurfacing Lift: ablative fractional CO₂ for deep acne scars. FSX treats superficial scars with the surface intact; S3 removes columns of tissue.
• VF Lift – Vertical Facelift: monopolar radiofrequency along vertical vectors for a brow and upper face that have descended. FSX treats the skin of the lid; it does not move the brow.
• Laser toning: single-pass 1064 nm brightening. FSX is a multi-pass protocol and does not use a Q-switched toning pass.
• Fractional CO₂ laser: ablative. FSX uses 1540 nm erbium glass and 1927 nm thulium energy, neither of which vaporises the surface.
• LaseMD vs pico vs R2 Glow: LaseMD runs the same 1927 nm thulium wavelength as one of the FSX passes, which is why the two are often asked about together.

Fraxel, which pairs an erbium wavelength with 1927 nm thulium, belongs to the same wavelength family; the device, settings and sequence of passes are not the same as Fraxel's.

What decides whether FSX Laser is right for you

FSX is chosen by target and by skin, and ruled out by a short list of conditions. Dr Sin Yong goes through these at the assessment.

• Eyelids: a pinch test of the lid skin and a fingertip lift of the brow show whether the heaviness is skin, which FSX can treat, or brow position, which VF Lift – Vertical Facelift addresses; true ptosis is referred for surgery.
• Scars: superficial textural scarring suits FSX; deep ice-pick and boxcar scars need the S3 Resurfacing Lift, with FSX used later for surface refinement if at all.
• Pigment: the type is named first. Melasma is managed with sun protection and medical treatment before any laser, and if FSX is used the parameters are different from those for a sun spot.
• Skin type: settings are chosen for Fitzpatrick III to V skin, and for V and VI after assessment, because post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is the main risk.
• Rule-outs: pregnancy, sunburnt or freshly tanned skin, an active cold sore or other infection, recent isotretinoin and photosensitising medicines are declared beforehand.

Redness, warmth and fine flaking are the expected effects and are part of the plan, not a complication; the post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation page explains the risk the settings are built around.