Understanding the science behind your skin treatment options
The Basics: How These Devices Actually Work
Every device on this list uses light energy to create a controlled, targeted injury in the skin — one small enough that it doesn’t require a scalpel, but real enough to trigger the skin’s natural healing and collagen-building response. The differences between devices come down to a few key variables:
- Wavelength — the “color” of light used, which determines what it targets (water, pigment, blood vessels) and how deep it travels
- Delivery pattern — whether the energy treats the entire surface at once or is broken into thousands of microscopic treatment zones
- Depth of injury — whether the outer skin layer is removed (ablative) or left intact while heat is delivered beneath it (non-ablative)
Two terms will come up throughout this guide, and understanding them will make every device description below easier to follow: full field vs. fractional, and ablative vs. non-ablative.
Full Field vs. Fractional
- Full field treatments deliver energy across 100% of the treatment area at once. This is how BBL works. It’s a broad, even application meant to correct color and tone across the whole face.
- Fractional treatments deliver energy in a grid of microscopic columns, leaving the tissue between each column untouched. Only a fraction of the skin (often 5–40%, depending on settings) is actually treated in a single pass. That untouched tissue acts as a reservoir of healthy cells, which speeds healing and lowers the risk of complications compared to treating the entire surface at full intensity. Fraxel Dual, Halo, Moxi, UltraClear, and Clear+Brilliant are all fractional devices.
Ablative vs. Non-Ablative
- Ablative means the laser actually vaporizes/removes the outer skin layer in the treated columns or areas. This produces the most dramatic single-session results but comes with real downtime, including oozing, crusting, and social downtime of roughly a week or more, along with a longer list of aftercare requirements.
- Non-ablative means the outer skin layer stays intact. The laser passes energy through it to create heat injury underneath, in the dermis, without an open wound. Results build more gradually over a series of sessions, but downtime is typically limited to redness and mild swelling for a day or two.
- Hybrid devices deliver both an ablative and a non-ablative wavelength to the same treatment zone in one pass, aiming for a middle ground between the two.
What Are “MENDs”?
If you’ve had a hybrid fractional treatment like Halo, you may notice tiny bronze or gray specks on the skin’s surface in the days afterward. These are called MENDs — microscopic epidermal necrotic debris. They are the visible remnants of the microscopic treatment zones working their way to the surface as the skin exfoliates and rebuilds. MENDs look more dramatic than they feel; they are a normal, expected part of the healing process (not a sign of a burn or a complication), and they typically shed on their own within 3–5 days.
Our Devices, Explained
BBL Hero (BroadBand Light)
What it is: A full-field, non-ablative light-based device that is technically an intense pulsed light (IPL) platform rather than a true laser, though it’s often grouped with lasers because it works on the same principle.
How it works: BBL Hero delivers broad-spectrum light through filters that select specific wavelength ranges. These wavelengths are absorbed by pigment (melanin) in sunspots and freckles, or by hemoglobin in small visible blood vessels, generating heat that breaks down the target while sparing surrounding tissue. More recently, a study out of Stanford on gene expression examined skin samples from patients who had received a series of BBL treatments over several years. The researchers found that gene expression patterns in the treated skin shifted to more closely resemble those of younger skin, suggesting BBL’s effects may extend beyond surface appearance to measurable changes at the cellular level. -Chang, et al. Journal of Investigative Dermatology (2013), “Rejuvenation of Gene Expression Pattern of Aged Human Skin by BroadBand Light Treatment.
What it treats: Sun damage, brown spots, redness, and visible small vessels; general improvement in skin tone and clarity.
Downtime: Minimal. Treated spots may darken and flake off over 7–10 days; redness typically resolves within hours to a day.
Clear + Brilliant
What it is: A non-ablative fractional diode laser, often described as an entry-level or “gateway” resurfacing treatment.
How it works: Available in two wavelengths, a 1440 nm wavelength for general texture and fine lines, and a 1927 nm wavelength that creates shallow, dense micro-zones aimed more at superficial pigment and enhancing product penetration. Both leave the skin’s surface intact.
What it treats: Early signs of sun damage, uneven texture, enlarged pores, and dullness; frequently used as a “maintenance” or pre-juvenation treatment between more intensive procedures.
Downtime: Minimal. Mild redness and a sandpaper-like texture for 1–2 days.
Moxi
What it is: A non-ablative fractional laser using a 1927 nm wavelength, with somewhat greater intensity and depth, excellent for superficial pigment and even melasma.
How it works: Like other fractional lasers, it creates microscopic columns of thermal injury that stimulate collagen turnover and superficial pigment clearance, delivered with settings that scale from very light to moderate intensity.
What it treats: Early photoaging, uneven tone, and texture across a broad range of skin tones; frequently used as the “starter” laser for patients who are new to resurfacing or want low-downtime, low-risk maintenance.
Downtime: Minimal. Redness for several hours to a day, with light bronzing of treated pigment over the following days.
Fraxel Dual
What it is: A non-ablative fractional laser platform offering two wavelengths, 1550 nm (erbium fiber) and 1927 nm (thulium fiber), that can be used individually or combined in one session.
How it works: The 1550 nm wavelength penetrates deeper into the dermis and is the workhorse for textural concerns like acne scarring and fine lines. The 1927 nm wavelength is more superficial and more strongly absorbed by pigment, making it useful for sun damage and melasma-adjacent concerns. Combining both in one session allows treatment of surface and deeper structural issues in a single visit.
What it treats: Acne scarring, fine lines, uneven texture, and pigment irregularities.
Downtime: Moderate. Redness and swelling for 2–4 days, with bronzing/flaking of pigment over about a week.
Halo
What it is: A hybrid fractional laser combining an ablative and a non-ablative wavelength in the same treatment pass.
How it works: Halo delivers a 2940 nm ablative wavelength (Er:YAG) and a 1470 nm non-ablative wavelength (diode) to the same microscopic treatment zones simultaneously. The ablative component removes a small ablative core to jump-start visible textural change, while the surrounding non-ablative “shoulder” of thermal injury drives deeper collagen remodeling. The two wavelengths’ relative contribution can be adjusted (more ablative for faster surface results, more non-ablative for lower downtime).
What it treats: More significant textural irregularities, sun damage, enlarged pores, and fine lines.
Downtime: Moderate to significant. Visible MENDs (see above), swelling, and a bronzed/rough texture for 3–5 days, with full skin turnover over 1–2 weeks.
UltraClear
What it is: A fully ablative fractional laser using a 2910 nm erbium fiber wavelength, with adjustable treatment modes ranging from a superficial “light peel” setting to deep ablative resurfacing.
How it works: UltraClear’s wavelength is very strongly absorbed by water, allowing precise, controllable ablation at varying depths and densities of treatment from very superficial (targeting only the outermost skin layer) to deep dermal remodeling, in the same platform. This adjustability is what distinguishes it from traditional single-setting ablative CO2 or Er:YAG lasers.
What it treats: Deeper wrinkles, significant sun damage, scarring (including acne scarring), and skin laxity. This is our most intensive resurfacing option and the one with the longest track record for dramatic single-session change. Laser Coring Elite can be added to address loose skin / laxity.
Downtime: Significant. Oozing and crusting for several days, with social downtime typically in the 5–10 day range depending on the depth selected, and structured post-procedure care.
Laser Stacking: Combining Devices in One Visit
“Laser stacking” refers to using more than one energy-based device in the same appointment, for example, BBL Hero followed by Moxi or Halo. The rationale is that each device targets a different structure in the skin (pigment and vessels with BBL, deeper collagen and texture with a fractional laser), so combining them in one visit can address more concerns than either device alone, often with less cumulative downtime than doing the treatments on separate days.
Whether stacking is appropriate and which combination makes sense depends on your skin type, tolerance, and treatment goals, and is something we determine at consultation rather than as a default protocol.
Choosing the Right Device
Because these devices range from a lunchtime treatment with no visible downtime to a multi-day recovery, the right choice depends on your specific concerns, your skin type, how much downtime you can accommodate, and your treatment history. A consultation lets us match the device (or combination) to your goals. Schedule a consultation with one of our medical providers for $75, and that consultation fee can be applied towards any laser you choose. NeuroSpa Beauty Bank Members always receive complimentary laser and BBL consultations.
This guide is for general education and does not constitute a treatment recommendation. Individual results and appropriate device selection vary by skin type, medical history, and treatment goals, and are determined during an in-person consultation.