Moxi Laser
The Moxi handpiece is glided over the skin in passes. It is a fractional laser set gently, so the skin looks flushed rather than raw afterwards.
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Dermapedia / CompareProcedures
Moxi vs CO2 Laser
These two lasers sit at opposite ends of the same scale. Moxi is the gentle end: it works near the surface, fades brown spots and costs you a few days looking bronzed. A fractional CO2 laser is the hard end: it resurfaces deep enough to change lines and scars, and asks for a week or more of real recovery. Downtime and your skin tone are the decision.
At a glance
| The difference | Moxi Laser | Fractional CO2 Laser |
|---|---|---|
| Downtime | A few days looking bronzed and rough | A week or two, raw skin and peeling |
Fractional CO2 Laser
The treatment head is held above the skin rather than resting on it. The blue shields are not optional — they protect the eyes from a beam that would otherwise reflect.
Side by side
The differences that matter
What you actually do
Moxi Laser
A series, commonly three or more
A laser is passed over the skin. Water near the surface soaks up the energy. That heats tiny columns of tissue just under the surface, but leaves the surface itself intact.
Fractional CO2 Laser
Often one treatment, sometimes two
The laser vaporises microscopic columns of skin, surface included, and reaches down into the dermis.
How it works, illustrated
Fractional CO2 Laser
Conditions treated
Fractional CO2 Laser
Wrinkles and Fine Lines
The strongest result available from a device for fine lines, texture and sun damage, particularly around the mouth and eyes. One treatment usually does it, and the trade is a week or more of raw, red, peeling skin. The pigment risk is significantly higher on deeper skin tones, so settings are lowered, a test spot is done first, and the provider's experience with your skin matters.
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Acne Scarring
The most effective single option for indented scarring, and the one with the most downtime — about a week of raw, swollen skin and months of strict sun avoidance afterwards. It does most for boxcar and rolling scars; icepick scars need something aimed at them separately. Settings are dialled back on deeper skin tones because of the pigment risk.
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Rosacea
Used to reshape a nose that has thickened, by removing the excess tissue layer by layer. This is the answer for rhinophyma, since creams and tablets do not reverse it. It is a real procedure with real downtime of a couple of weeks, and results are strongly dependent on who does it.
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Stretch Marks
An ablative laser that removes columns of skin rather than only heating them, so downtime is longer and the response can be larger. It is the highest-risk option on this page for post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and for thickened scars on the chest, shoulders and upper back, which is why it is not a first choice on deeper skin tones.
←4 / 5→
Melasma
An ablative resurfacing laser with a real risk of making melasma worse, particularly on medium and deep skin tones. Any benefit tends to be short-lived and the rebound darkening can last a long time. If a clinic is offering aggressive resurfacing as the answer to melasma, that is a reason to get a second opinion.
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What you can expect to see
Moxi Laser
Brown spots fade, the surface brightens
It is built for sun spots, freckling and early sun damage.
Fractional CO2 Laser
Deep lines and scars change shape
It reaches the dermis. That is why it can reshape indented acne scars, deep lines and heavy sun damage.
What it will not do
Moxi Laser
Not for deep lines or indented scars
Moxi will soften these a little at best. It works above the level where they sit.
Fractional CO2 Laser
Not a gentle, repeatable option
CO2 does more in one go and asks more of you. Moxi trades depth for repeatability.
Related topic illustrations
Fractional CO2 Laser
RF microneedling
Moderate evidence. Reaches depth through needles rather than light, so melanin does not absorb the energy. Less improvement for scars, considerably less downtime, and a much smaller pigment risk. Often the better trade on deeper skin tones.
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Microneedling
Moderate evidence. Far cheaper, minimal downtime, safest across skin tones, and clearly less effective. Needs a course of three to six rather than one to three sessions.
←2 / 3→
Chemical peel
Strong evidence for pigment and pores, none for indented scars at superficial depth. Not a substitute here.
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Downtime
Moxi Laser
A few days looking bronzed and rough
Redness on the first day, then a sandpapery texture. Most people are presentable within a few days.
Fractional CO2 Laser
A week or two, raw skin and peeling
Skin oozes and peels early on. This is the biggest practical difference between the two. Do not book CO2 with a social event in the same fortnight.
The downside
Moxi Laser
Low, but not zero
Some people get darkening of the skin afterwards. It usually fades.
Fractional CO2 Laser
Higher, and some of it is permanent
Longer healing means more chance of infection and scarring. Redness lasting weeks to months is common. The one that defines this treatment is permanently lighter patches.
The at-home or drugstore version
Moxi Laser
No home version of a clinic laser
Handheld "fractional" devices are sold for home use. They are far weaker and do not reach the depth a clinic laser works at.
Fractional CO2 Laser
There is no home version at all
Nothing sold for home use vaporises the surface of the skin. Anything that did would be a burn with no clinic to manage the healing.
Who tends to be happy with it
Moxi Laser
- Best for — Sun spots and a dull surface, with a life you cannot pause.
- The mindset — Gradual, low risk, repeatable.
Fractional CO2 Laser
- Best for — Deep lines or scarring where a gentle laser will not move the needle.
- The mindset — One serious treatment, real recovery, bigger change.
How to choose
Moxi Laser
Colour is Moxi's job. Brown spots, freckling, a dull uneven surface. This is what it is built for.
The fine print
Moxi Laser
Moxi is a 1927 nm thulium laser made by Sciton. It heats columns of tissue roughly 100 to 200 microns down, in and just under the epidermis. Fractional CO2 devices use a 10,600 nm wavelength.
Moxi's FDA clearance covers soft tissue coagulation, actinic keratosis and benign pigmented lesions, including lentigines, solar lentigines and freckles. It is widely used for texture and fine lines, which are not in that clearance. That is off-label use — legal and normal, but it means the claim was not reviewed.
Fractional CO2 Laser
Fractional CO2 devices are cleared for skin resurfacing, including wrinkles and scars.
Common questions
Questions Patients Ask
Is Moxi as good as a CO2 laser?
For brown spots and surface dullness, it does that job with far less downtime. For deep wrinkles and indented acne scars, it is not in the same class — CO2 reaches the dermis and Moxi does not.
How much downtime does each need?
Moxi is redness on day one and a bronzed, sandpapery texture for a few days. Fractional CO2 is typically a week or two, with raw skin and peeling early on.
Can Moxi replace a CO2 laser?
Not for structural problems. Several Moxi sessions do not add up to one CO2 treatment, because they act at different depths.
Which is safer?
Moxi, straightforwardly. Its risks are lower because it leaves the skin surface intact. In a large series of non-ablative fractional treatments about 5% had any side effect, with darkening afterwards in about 1%.
Is Moxi FDA-cleared for wrinkles?
No. Its clearance covers soft tissue coagulation, actinic keratosis and benign pigmented spots. Treating texture and fine lines with it is off-label — common and legal, but not a reviewed claim.
Which is better for acne scars?
Fractional CO2, by some distance. Scarring is a dermal problem and Moxi works above that level.
How many sessions?
Moxi is usually a series of three or more. CO2 is often a single treatment.