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CO2 or Fraxel. How much resurfacing, and how much downtime?
Who tends to ask this
You are comparing laser resurfacing options, and you are mostly weighing how much downtime you can take against how much change you want. I offer CO2, specifically the Solaria system. I do not offer Fraxel, so here is a fair, general comparison.
The real difference
Fraxel is a family of fractional lasers, and its treatments range from non-ablative, which are gentler with less downtime, to more ablative options. In general, an ablative CO2 treatment tends to be a stronger single-session resurfacing with more downtime, while gentler non-ablative approaches tend to have less downtime but often need more sessions to reach a similar goal. The real variable is intensity: how deep the treatment is set, matched to your concern, your skin, and how much healing time you can plan for.
Where each one tends to shine
CO2
When you want stronger resurfacing in fewer sessions and can plan for a healing window. What I offer, and I set the intensity to your skin and schedule.
Non-ablative fractional options (such as some Fraxel treatments)
When you prefer less downtime and are willing to do more sessions over time.
Worth knowing
Stronger resurfacing means more downtime, and gentler means more sessions. There is no version that does the most with no recovery. Because I do not offer Fraxel, I can speak in depth about CO2 and only generally about Fraxel. Results vary.
Trying to balance results against downtime?
That trade-off is the whole decision, and it is personal. Tell me your concern and how much recovery time you realistically have, and I will help you find the right intensity.