It is a nonablative fractional laser.
Clear + Brilliant treats selected cosmetic skin concerns.
Clear + Brilliant vs RF Microneedling
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.
RF Microneedling: Microneedling with heat added. Insulated needles carry radiofrequency energy to a set depth in the skin, so the healing response comes from both the puncture and the heat. It is used for indented acne scars, texture, and mild sagging.
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 RF Microneedling if…
Choose for acne scars and texture with some tightening, with a lower pigment risk than resurfacing lasers.
- Rolling or boxcar acne scars
- Mild sagging too
- Deeper skin tone where lasers are riskier
Fine together
Can you have both?
They can alternate in a plan: RF microneedling for scars and firmness, Clear + Brilliant for tone. Space them about 4 weeks apart.
Key differences
● Clear + Brilliant
● RF Microneedling
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 short series (2–3)
Cost per visit$ → $$$$$
$$
$$$
ReversibleYes, can be undone → No, permanent
No, fades slowly
No, permanent
What is it?
Clear + Brilliant
RF Microneedling
What is it?
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 combines needles and energy.
Radiofrequency energy is delivered into or beneath the skin.
It is a medical procedure.
It differs from conventional microneedling and home rollers.
Serious complications are reported.
The FDA has noted burns, scarring, fat loss and nerve damage.
Device and depth matter.
These should be discussed before consenting.
What it treats
Evidence level
Clear + Brilliant
RF Microneedling
Strong evidenceMost established uses
—
Acne Scarring
Improves rolling and boxcar scars.
Rolling Scars
Heat remodels soft dips.
Moderate evidenceSome supportive research
Uneven Skin Tone
Evens tone with a series.
Sagging Skin
Mild tightening.
Limited evidenceEarly or small studies
Enlarged Pores
Smooths texture.
Wrinkles and Fine Lines
Softens fine lines.
Enlarged Pores
May shrink pores.
Little evidence
—
Ice Pick Scars
Needs TCA CROSS or punch excision.
Deep Wrinkles
Modest change on deep folds.
Not effective
Deep Wrinkles
Too gentle.
Ice Pick Scars
Too superficial.
—
Treatment areas
Treatment areas
Face; the selected area depends on the concern and treatment plan.
Face and neck; depths and coverage depend on the treatment plan.
Skin tones
Skin tone
● Clear + Brilliant
● RF Microneedling
Lighter skin
Low risk
Brief redness.
Low risk
Redness and swelling for days.
Medium skin
Low risk
Gentle settings suit most.
Low risk
Insulated needles protect the surface.
Deeper skin
Some risk
Lower risk than stronger lasers; ask about dark-mark prevention.
Some risk
Lower pigment risk than lasers; grid marks or dark spots possible.
How it works
Clear + Brilliant
RF Microneedling
How it works
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.
Needles enter the skin: A device places fine electrodes at a selected depth. RF energy heats nearby tissue: Controlled heating occurs around active needle segments. Repair remodels tissue: The healing response can change collagen and skin texture.
Schematic illustration. Technique and response vary. This explains a mechanism and does not specify treatment settings.
Before your treatment
Clear + Brilliant
RF Microneedling
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.
Pigment cream and sun: Do not arrive tanned or sunburned.
Pigment cream and sun: On deeper skin tones, many providers prescribe a pigment-blocking cream for two to four weeks first.
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.
Actives and hair removal: Stop retinoids, benzoyl peroxide and exfoliating acids about 5 days before.
Actives and hair removal: No waxing or hair removal creams on the area.
Day of treatment
Clear + Brilliant
RF Microneedling
Before you arrive
Clean face: Clean face, no makeup.
Clean face: Clean face, no makeup.
Clean face: If injected anesthetic is planned, expect a long appointment and a ride home if anything sedating is used.
Arrival & prep
Skin is cleaned, and the provider checks what you have stopped using and whether you have had sun.
Skin is examined and photographed, and the provider maps depths for each area — shallower around the eyes and forehead, deeper over scarred cheeks and the jaw.
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 handpiece is pressed on the skin and fired one stamp at a time in a grid, not glided.
A full face takes 20 to 45 minutes, often with passes at several depths. With cream alone the sting is sharp, worst on the forehead and jaw; with injected anesthetic it is mostly pressure and heat.
Before you leave
Pink, hot, sometimes slightly swollen, like a mild sunburn.
Red, hot and swollen, with a visible grid of small dots.
After your treatment
Clear + Brilliant
RF Microneedling
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 to 2: Swelling is worst the first morning, especially around the eyes and jaw, enough to change how your face looks.
Days 2–7
Days 5 to 7: The rough layer is gone and skin looks brighter and smoother.
Days 3 to 10: Swelling drops, redness fades to pink, and the skin feels sandpapery with the grid faintly visible.
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
Months 1 to 6: Firmness and texture keep changing after the visible healing.
Time to results
About 1 week
1–3 months, improving to 6
How long results last
Months with maintenance
Years for scars
Risks
Risks
- Dark patches
- Redness that keeps increasing
- A cold sore outbreak
- A breakout or small white bumps
- Dark patches
- A visible grid that will not fade
- Prolonged swelling or redness
- A hollow or a change in face shape
- A cold sore outbreak
Cost
Per session
A full-face session runs about $300 to $600 in the US, with neck, chest or hands extra.
In the US, a full-face session generally runs about $700 to $1,500, and a package of three commonly falls between $2,000 and $4,000.
Insurance
Insurance does not cover this.
Insurance does not cover it, since it is classed as cosmetic.
Questions
Clear + Brilliant
RF Microneedling
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.
Is Morpheus8 the same as RF microneedling?
Morpheus8 is one brand of radiofrequency microneedling device. Profound, Vivace, Genius, Secret RF, Scarlet and Sylfirm X do the same job. Needle insulation, depth, energy and the operator determine the outcome.
Does it work on acne scars?
Partly, and over a course. Rolling and boxcar scars become shallower across about three sessions. Icepick scars respond poorly. Expect improvement, not clearance.
Will it tighten my jawline?
Modestly, if the laxity is mild and early. It firms rather than lifts. Skin that visibly hangs will not respond, and a surgical consultation is the more honest next step.
How much does it hurt?
More than plain microneedling. Numbing cream alone leaves a sharp hot sting, so many providers add injected anesthetic or nerve blocks at deeper settings. With those it is mostly pressure and heat.
Is it safe on deeper skin tones?
Generally safer than ablative lasers, since melanin does not absorb the energy. Dark marks are still possible from the heat, sometimes in the grid pattern, and they fade over months. Ask about insulated needles and conservative starting settings.
Can it cause fat loss in the face?
Yes, and it is the risk worth understanding. Deep, high-energy settings in a thin face can shrink the fat under the skin, leaving a hollow that does not reliably return. Conservative settings built up over sessions, and a provider who takes the question seriously, are the protection.
Keep exploring.
Procedure
Clear + Brilliant
Procedure
RF Microneedling
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