Skin Care Education

Fraxel

A fractional laser treatment by Solta Medical that delivers microscopic columns of laser energy into the skin to stimulate new collagen, improve texture and tone, and address scarring and sun damage with a more manageable recovery than traditional full-surface laser.

What Is Fraxel?

Fraxel is a brand of fractional laser treatment made by Solta Medical. It was one of the first fractional laser systems to gain widespread clinical use and remains one of the most recognised names in laser resurfacing. The Fraxel system works by delivering laser energy in thousands of microscopic columns into the skin rather than covering the entire surface uniformly. The untreated skin surrounding each column supports faster healing than would be possible with full-surface treatment.

The Fraxel range includes two primary devices. The Fraxel Restore, also known as Fraxel re:store, uses a 1550 nanometre erbium glass laser that is non-ablative, meaning it heats the tissue without removing the surface. It is used for improving skin texture, tone, pigmentation, fine lines, and mild to moderate acne scarring with a recovery period of several days. The Fraxel Repair uses a CO2 laser that is ablative, physically removing the treated tissue columns and producing more significant results for deeper concerns such as more established wrinkles, significant scarring, and more advanced photoageing, at the cost of a longer recovery period of approximately five to seven days or more.

Fraxel has been the subject of extensive clinical research and has a well-documented efficacy and safety profile across a range of skin concerns. Its combination of meaningful results and more manageable recovery than traditional full-surface ablative laser helped establish fractional laser resurfacing as a mainstream treatment category.

What to Expect

Before treatment a topical numbing cream is applied and left for 30 to 45 minutes. During the procedure the laser handpiece is moved across the skin, delivering pulses of fractional energy. The sensation with good numbing is typically a warm prickling or mild stinging. Some providers also use a cold air device during treatment to improve comfort.

After a Fraxel Restore treatment the skin is red, warm, and has a sandpaper-like texture as the microscopic columns heal. This typically peaks at 24 to 48 hours and gradually improves over the following days. Most people are comfortable returning to daily activities within three to five days, though some redness can persist for a week or two at lower intensity. After Fraxel Repair the recovery is more significant, with more pronounced redness, swelling, and visible healing over five to seven days, and ongoing pinkness for several weeks.

Results develop gradually over weeks to months as new collagen forms. Most people notice meaningful improvement from around four to six weeks, with results continuing for up to six months. A course of two to four Fraxel Restore sessions is typically recommended for moderate concerns, while Fraxel Repair may produce a satisfying result from a single intensive session.

Who It’s For and Results

Fraxel is suited to those with fine lines and wrinkles, acne scarring, sun damage and pigmentation, uneven skin texture, and enlarged pores. Fraxel Restore is appropriate for mild to moderate concerns where meaningful improvement is wanted with a manageable recovery. Fraxel Repair is better suited to more significant concerns where a more intensive single-session result is the goal.

Skin tone is an important consideration. Fraxel Restore has a more favourable profile for medium skin tones than ablative CO2-based treatments, though care is still needed. Fraxel Repair carries higher pigmentation risk in darker skin tones and is generally reserved for lighter skin types. A consultation will identify the most appropriate approach for each individual.

Fraxel produces genuine and often significant improvement in skin quality, particularly for sun damage, pigmentation, and surface texture. For acne scarring, a meaningful reduction in scar visibility is achievable over a course of treatments, though complete elimination of deep scars is not typically possible with any resurfacing treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions: Fraxel

Fraxel Restore is a non-ablative fractional laser that heats the skin tissue without removing the surface. It produces gradual improvement over a course of sessions with a recovery of several days. Fraxel Repair is an ablative fractional CO2 laser that physically removes the treated tissue columns, producing more dramatic results in a single or fewer sessions but with a more significant recovery of five to seven days or more. Restore is better suited to those wanting improvement with manageable downtime. Repair is better suited to more significant concerns where a more intensive result is the priority.

For Fraxel Restore, a course of two to four sessions spaced four to six weeks apart is typically recommended for moderate concerns. Mild concerns may respond well to fewer sessions. For Fraxel Repair, many providers recommend a single intensive session for significant resurfacing goals, with a second session considered if further improvement is wanted after the first has fully healed and the results are assessed. A provider will recommend the most appropriate protocol based on the specific concern and its severity.

Yes. Fraxel, particularly the Restore version, is one of the more established and well-studied treatments for acne scarring. It works by stimulating new collagen in the treated columns, gradually filling and smoothing depressed scars over a course of treatments. Rolling and boxcar scars respond best. Ice pick scars respond less predictably. Most people with moderate acne scarring see meaningful improvement over a course of three to four sessions, with results continuing to develop over several months after the final treatment. Complete elimination of significant scarring is not typically achievable with any resurfacing treatment alone.

Fraxel was among the first fractional laser systems and has one of the most extensive clinical research bases in this category. Other fractional laser platforms including those from Lumenis, Cynosure, and others use similar fractional delivery principles and produce comparable results for similar indications. The specific device technology, wavelength, and settings influence results, and an experienced provider’s familiarity with the specific platform they use is often more important than which brand is used. Fraxel’s long track record and extensive published clinical data make it a well-supported benchmark in the fractional laser category.