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Clear + Brilliant vs Fraxel

Clear + Brilliant: A low-energy fractional laser aimed at dullness, early fine lines, and rough texture. It is the gentlest treatment in this family, with about a day of downtime and a correspondingly small change per session.

Fraxel: A laser that heats thousands of microscopic columns in the skin and leaves the skin between them untouched. Used for sun damage, acne scars, and rough texture. It takes a course of treatments and a few days of looking sunburned each time.

Reviewed by Dr. Schwarz, Board-Certified Dermatologist
Last updated: 10/22/2026
Editorial illustration for Clear + Brilliant, based on the entry’s treatment or equipment reference.Editorial illustration for Fraxel, based on the entry’s treatment or equipment reference.
Choose ifKey differencesWhat is it?What it treatsTreatment areasSkin tonesHow it worksBefore your treatmentDay of treatmentAfter your treatmentRisksCostQuestionsRelated

Choose Clear + Brilliant if…

Choose for gentle brightening and smoother texture with about a day of downtime — small change per session.

  • Dull skin or uneven tone
  • Early fine lines
  • You want minimal downtime

Choose Fraxel if…

Choose for acne scars or sun damage with a few days of downtime per session instead of the week-plus of ablative lasers.

  • Rolling or boxcar scars
  • Sun spots and rough texture
  • You can plan 3–5 sessions
Alternatives, not combined

Can you have both?

Both are fractional lasers. Fraxel goes deeper; Clear + Brilliant is gentler and often used for maintenance between Fraxel series.

Key differences

● Clear + Brilliant
● Fraxel
DowntimeNone → 2+ weeks
1–2 days
3–7 days
PainMinimal → Needs anesthesia or sedation
Mild
Moderate
Results showImmediately → 3+ months
Within days
1–3 months
How long it lastsWeeks → Years or permanent
3–6 months
Years or permanent
Visits neededOne → Every few months
A longer series (4–6+)
A longer series (4–6+)
Cost per visit$ → $$$$$
$$
$$$
ReversibleYes, can be undone → No, permanent
No, fades slowly
No, permanent

What is it?

Clear + Brilliant

Fraxel

What is it?

It is a nonablative fractional laser.

Clear + Brilliant treats selected cosmetic skin concerns.

Treatments vary.

Options depend on the system and handpiece.

“Gentle” is not risk-free.

Burns and pigment changes can still occur.

History matters.

Tanning, pigment changes, herpes and skin disease should be discussed.

It is a nonablative fractional laser.

Fraxel heats microscopic zones while sparing skin in between.

Platforms differ.

Wavelength and device determine the treatment.

It is not CO2 resurfacing.

It is less intensive than ablative lasers.

It is not risk-free.

Burns, redness and pigment changes can occur.

What it treats

Evidence level
Clear + Brilliant
Fraxel
Strong evidenceMost established uses
—
Acne scarring on light skin. Small sharply cut pits and broad shallow dips across a cheek, several sitting inside faint flat pink marks, with no active spots.

Acne Scarring

Improves rolling and boxcar scars.

AI-generated educational illustration of Sun Spots: 1. Sun Spots Header — Light Skin; Lighter skin. Not a clinical photograph.

Sun Spots

Clears sun damage.

Moderate evidenceSome supportive research
Uneven Skin Tone.

Uneven Skin Tone

Evens tone with a series.

A relaxed forehead with faint shallow horizontal fine lines.

Wrinkles and Fine Lines

Smooths texture.

Limited evidenceEarly or small studies
Enlarged Pores on light skin.

Enlarged Pores

Smooths texture.

A relaxed forehead with faint shallow horizontal fine lines.

Wrinkles and Fine Lines

Softens fine lines.

Flat tan patches with soft irregular edges across the forehead and upper cheek of an adult with light skin, the surface completely smooth.

Melasma

Low settings may help some.

Little evidence
—
Ice Pick Scars on light skin.

Ice Pick Scars

Too deep for most sessions.

Not effective
A relaxed forehead with pronounced deep horizontal furrows.

Deep Wrinkles

Too gentle.

Ice Pick Scars on light skin.

Ice Pick Scars

Too superficial.

—
Can make it worse
—
Redness and fine superficial vessels across a light-skinned cheek and nose.

Rosacea

Can worsen redness.

Treatment areas

Treatment areas

Face; the selected area depends on the concern and treatment plan.

Face and hands.

Skin tones

Skin tone
● Clear + Brilliant
● Fraxel
Lighter skin
Low risk
Brief redness.
Low risk
Redness and swelling for days.
Medium skin
Low risk
Gentle settings suit most.
Some risk
Dark marks possible; lower settings help.
Deeper skin
Some risk
Lower risk than stronger lasers; ask about dark-mark prevention.
Some risk
Safer than ablative lasers at lower density with an experienced provider.

How it works

Clear + Brilliant

Fraxel

How it works
Clear + Brilliant mechanism diagram. Creates tiny heat zones: Fractional energy treats small columns while sparing nearby tissue. Supports surface renewal: Healing can help improve uneven tone and superficial texture. Remodeling develops gradually: A course may improve skin appearance; response varies.
Fraxel DUAL diagram: 1927 nm reaches up to 0.3 mm and 1550 nm up to 1.6 mm, depending on settings.
Diagram explanation

Creates tiny heat zones: Fractional energy treats small columns while sparing nearby tissue. Supports surface renewal: Healing can help improve uneven tone and superficial texture. Remodeling develops gradually: A course may improve skin appearance; response varies.

Schematic illustration. Technique and response vary. This explains a mechanism and does not specify treatment settings.

Fractional heat zones leave surrounding tissue untreated. Superficial 1927 nm treatment helps fade uneven pigmentation; deeper 1550 nm treatment triggers repair and collagen remodeling.

Schematic illustration. Technique and response vary. This explains a mechanism and does not specify treatment settings.

Before your treatment

Clear + Brilliant
Fraxel
2–4 weeks before

2 weeks before: Sun and tanning: No tanning, self-tanner or sunburn.

2 weeks before: Sun and tanning: Tanned skin risks blotchy pigment and usually gets the treatment postponed.

4 weeks before: Sun: Avoid tanning, self-tanner and sunburn.

Pigment preparation: For deeper skin tones, providers may prescribe a pigment-lowering cream for 2–4 weeks and test near the ear.

The week before

Actives and hair removal: Stop retinoids, retinol and exfoliating acids about 3 days before.

Actives and hair removal: No waxing, threading or hair removal creams on the area.

Cold sores: Tell your provider; preventive antiviral medicine often starts the day before.

Hair removal: Stop waxing, threading and hair-removal creams.

Actives: Stop retinoids, retinol and acids 3–7 days before.

Day of treatment

Clear + Brilliant
Fraxel
Before you arrive

Clean face: Clean face, no makeup.

Arrive with clean skin and no makeup.

Arrange a ride if you will have strong settings or oral pain medicine.

Arrival & prep

Skin is cleaned, and the provider checks what you have stopped using and whether you have had sun.

Skin is cleaned and photographed. Numbing cream stays on for 45–60 minutes.

Treatment

The cream comes off and a roller handpiece moves over the face in overlapping passes, usually four to eight per area.

It feels warm and prickly and builds with each pass. It takes 15 to 20 minutes. Most people call it a strong tingle, much milder than Fraxel.

The laser passes over the skin while cold air cools it.

Expect prickly heat that builds with each pass, often strongly uncomfortable—especially on the forehead and around the mouth.

Before you leave

Pink, hot, sometimes slightly swollen, like a mild sunburn.

Skin feels hot, red and swollen. Ice packs and a bland ointment are usually applied.

After your treatment

Clear + Brilliant
Fraxel
First 24 hours

Days 1 to 4: Skin feels dry, tight and faintly like fine sandpaper, and often looks duller before it looks better.

Days 1–2: Redness and swelling, especially around the eyes.

Days 2–7

Days 5 to 7: The rough layer is gone and skin looks brighter and smoother.

Days 3–7: Rough, bronzed skin flakes away. Do not scrub or pick.

Weeks 2–4

Week 2 onward: The fresh look softens over the next few weeks unless another session follows.

Not specified
Beyond 1 month
Not specified

1–3 months: Time to results.

Scar improvement can last years; sun damage can return with sun exposure.

Time to results

About 1 week

Not specified
How long results last

Months with maintenance

Not specified

Risks

Risks
  • Dark patches
  • Redness that keeps increasing
  • A cold sore outbreak
  • A breakout or small white bumps
  • Dark patches
  • Worsening redness
  • Cold sores
  • Acne or white bumps
  • Lighter patches

Cost

Per session

A full-face session runs about $300 to $600 in the US, with neck, chest or hands extra.

About $900–1,500 for a full face in the US. Smaller areas cost less.

Insurance

Insurance does not cover this.

Cosmetic treatment is not covered. Coverage for surgical or injury scars is uncommon.

Full course
Not specified

Several thousand dollars. Packages may reduce the per-session price.

Questions

Clear + Brilliant

Fraxel

Individual Questions
Is Clear + Brilliant worth it?

Depends what you are buying. For generally good skin already on a retinoid and sunscreen, it is reasonable maintenance. For acne scars, established wrinkles or sagging, it is not, and the money goes further elsewhere. One session buys a glow lasting a few weeks.

How is it different from Fraxel?

Same manufacturer, same principle, far less energy. Clear + Brilliant is shallower and gentler, about a day of downtime and much less change per session. Fraxel goes deeper, does more for scars and lines, and costs about a week of downtime.

Is it really a lunchtime treatment?

Redness settles within hours, which is where the phrase comes from. But days two to four bring dryness and fine flaking, and skin looks best five to seven days later. Book a week before an event.

How many sessions do I need?

Four to six, two to four weeks apart, then maintenance every one to three months to hold it. One session gives temporary brightening.

Does it help acne scars or large pores?

Not indented scars — they sit deeper than this reaches. Pores can look smaller because the surface is smoother, but the pore does not change size and the effect fades.

Is it safe on deeper skin tones?

One of the gentler light-based options, used across skin tones, but not risk-free. Dark patches can still happen, settings should be adjusted, and the Permea handpiece carries more risk of worsening pigment.

How many Fraxel sessions will I need?

Three to five, two to four weeks apart. Sun damage sometimes needs fewer, acne scars usually need the full course, and deeper skin tones are treated at lower settings, which means more sessions.

Does Fraxel get rid of acne scars?

It improves them rather than removing them. Studies of nonablative fractional lasers show partial improvement in scar depth and appearance over a course. Deep icepick scars respond least and are often better treated by combining the laser with subcision or filler.

How much downtime is there really?

Plan for a week. Two days of redness and swelling, then a few days of rough, bronzed skin that flakes off. Most people cover it with makeup from day three and look normal by day seven.

Does it hurt?

With an hour of numbing cream and cold air, most people call it hot and strongly uncomfortable rather than unbearable, and it stops as soon as the laser does. The forehead and around the mouth are the worst.

Is it safe for deeper skin tones?

It can be done, but differently. The main risk is temporary dark patches. Lower settings, more sessions, pre-treatment creams and strict sun protection all lower that risk, and the provider experience with your skin tone matters more than the device.

Is Fraxel the same as CO2 laser?

No, though one device sold under the Fraxel brand is a carbon dioxide laser. The Fraxel most people mean is nonablative, heating the skin without removing the surface. A carbon dioxide laser removes tissue, does more per session, and brings one to two weeks of downtime and more pigment risk.

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