← All comparisons
Dermapedia / CompareProcedures

Moxi vs Halo Laser

Moxi is the light one. It is a gentle resurfacing laser aimed at early pigment, dullness and upkeep, given as a course of three or four sessions with a few speckled days each time. Halo is the strong one. It does far more for sun damage, texture and fine lines in one or two sessions, and it costs you about a week of peeling. Both are made by the same company, and many clinics own both, so the real question is how much recovery you can give up.

At a glance

The differenceMoxi LaserHalo Laser
What it does to your skinLight heat in tiny columns near the topTwo wavelengths in the same pass
What it is best atEarly pigment, dullness, upkeepSun damage, texture and fine lines
DowntimeThree to five days of specklingAbout a week of redness and peeling
CostLess per visit, more visitsFewer visits, a larger bill each
Two strengths of the same ideaMoxi keeps its energy near the top.Halo adds a second wavelength that removes surface skin.

Moxi Laser

Clinician holding a Moxi laser handpiece against a person's cheek.

Moxi is a gentle fractional laser. It is often chosen for younger skin or before summer.

Halo Laser

Clinician passing a Halo laser handpiece over a person's cheek, with eye shields in place.

Halo puts two laser depths into one pass. Eye shields are worn throughout.

Side by side

The differences that matter

15 comparison points

What it does to your skin

Moxi Laser

Light heat in tiny columns near the top

One wavelength, absorbed by water very close to the surface. Nothing is removed. Damaged pigment is carried up and shed.

Halo Laser

Two wavelengths in the same pass

One removes a thin layer of surface skin in each column. The other heats deeper without removing anything. The skin in between is left alone to heal the rest.

How strong it is

Moxi Laser

Deliberately light

It is sold as prevention and maintenance, and it is designed around a short recovery.

Halo Laser

The bigger treatment

More energy, more depth, more result, and a longer wait to look normal.

What it is best at

Moxi Laser

Early pigment, dullness, upkeep

Freckling, patchy tone, marks left after spots, and skin that has lost its brightness.

Halo Laser

Sun damage, texture and fine lines

Established sun spots, uneven colour, crepey skin and general roughness, all in one go.

What it will not do

Moxi Laser

It will not lift a scar

The energy stops near the surface. Deep indents need something that reaches further down.

Halo Laser

It will not tighten loose skin

The energy is concentrated in the upper layers. A soft jawline is not its job.

How many sessions

Moxi Laser

Three or four, four to six weeks apart

It is a course, and it is often repeated once or twice a year.

Halo Laser

Usually one or two

The treatment takes about half an hour after numbing.

Downtime

Moxi Laser

Three to five days of speckling

Pink on day one, then a sandpaper feel and tiny dark specks that flake away. Make-up is usually fine after a day.

Halo Laser

About a week of redness and peeling

Red and hot for two to three days, then rough and flaking for several more. Make-up sits badly on it.

What you will see

Moxi Laser

Brighter, more even skin

The change is real and modest. It builds across the course rather than arriving at once.

Halo Laser

A bigger change in the same direction

Sun spots lift and shed, tone evens out, and the skin looks glossier. Fine lines soften too.

How long it lasts

Moxi Laser

Months, and sun ends it

New pigment arrives every summer, so most people repeat once or twice a year.

Halo Laser

Often a year or more

Sun exposure is what undoes it. New spots appear if you stop wearing sunscreen.

Skin tone

Moxi Laser

Less energy, less risk

It is one of the gentler lasers and is used across a wide range of skin tones. Any laser can still leave a patch that heals darker or lighter.

Halo Laser

More energy, more care needed

The same risk, larger. On deeper skin tones the settings have to be dialled back and the gaps lengthened.

Cost

Moxi Laser

Less per visit, more visits

Usually sold as a package. Ask what three or four sessions cost, not one.

Halo Laser

Fewer visits, a larger bill each

One or two sessions, so the total is easier to pin down.

The at-home or drugstore version

Moxi Laser

There isn't one

No home device makes fractional laser columns. Home light wands put a fraction of the power into the surface and work by a different mechanism.

Halo Laser

There isn't one either

The gap is bigger still. A retinoid, vitamin C and daily sunscreen fade sun spots slowly, and they are the honest home comparison for both.

Who each suits

Moxi Laser

  • Best for — Early sun damage, and anyone who cannot lose a week.
  • The trade — Smaller change, repeated more often.

Halo Laser

  • Best for — Established sun damage, texture and lines together.
  • The trade — A visible week, for a bigger result.

Two strengths of the same idea

Moxi Laser

Moxi keeps its energy near the top. Its wavelength is absorbed by water very close to the surface, so it works in and just under the epidermis. That is where early pigment sits.

Halo Laser

Halo adds a second wavelength that removes surface skin. Because a thin layer is actually taken away in each column, more happens per session, and the healing is more involved.

The week is the real decision

Moxi Laser

Moxi gives you speckled days. For three to five days the skin feels like fine sandpaper and carries tiny dark flecks that flake off. Most people work through it.

Halo Laser

Halo gives you a peeling week. Two to three days red and hot, then several more days of shedding. Most people want that week clear of anything social.

Which one for which problem

Moxi Laser

Moxi suits skin that is starting to change. Faint freckling, patchy tone, a general dullness in photographs. It also works well as upkeep between bigger treatments.

Halo Laser

Halo suits skin with real sun damage. Established brown spots, crepey texture and fine lines that have been building for years.

Halo also does more per session for texture. Because it removes a little surface skin, it reaches roughness and fine lines that Moxi mostly leaves alone. Many clinics own both and use a Halo session as the reset, then Moxi once or twice a year to hold it.

Common questions

Questions Patients Ask

What is the difference between Moxi and Halo?

They are the same idea at two strengths. Moxi keeps its energy near the surface and nothing is removed. Halo adds a second wavelength that takes away a thin layer of surface skin, so it does more per session.

Which one has more downtime?

Halo. Expect two to three days red and hot, then several more days of peeling — about a week before you look normal. Moxi is three to five days of a sandpaper feel and tiny dark specks.

Is Moxi worth it if I could just have Halo?

Yes, if you cannot lose a week or your sun damage is early. Moxi is designed as maintenance, and many people alternate: a Halo session for a reset, then Moxi once or twice a year to hold it.

Which is better for brown spots?

Halo clears established sun spots more completely in one or two sessions. Moxi works on the same problem in smaller steps, which suits faint freckling and patchy tone.

Can either one be used on darker skin?

Both are, with care. The main laser risk is a patch healing darker or lighter, and the lower-energy option is the safer place to start. Ask how often the clinic treats skin like yours.

How long do the results last?

Halo's improvement often holds for a year or more. Moxi's lasts months, and most people repeat it once or twice a year. Sun exposure is what ends both.