ProFractional uses a fractionated erbium laser to create thousands of microscopic treatment channels in the skin. This stimulates your body’s natural healing process, boosting collagen and elastin production for smoother, firmer, and more youthful-looking skin.
It’s effective for improving fine lines, wrinkles, acne scars, enlarged pores, sun damage, and overall skin texture and tone.
Most patients experience 3–5 days of redness, swelling, and mild peeling. Makeup can usually be worn after about 3 days, depending on treatment intensity.
A topical numbing cream is applied beforehand to keep you comfortable. You may feel a warm or prickly sensation during the procedure, but most patients tolerate it very well.
Many people see noticeable results after just one session, but a series of 2–3 treatments spaced 4–6 weeks apart can deliver optimal results, especially for deeper wrinkles or scarring.
ProFractional and fractionated CO₂ both resurface skin by creating microscopic treatment zones, but they differ in intensity, downtime, and safety profile:
Energy type: ProFractional uses an erbium:YAG laser, which is absorbed more efficiently by water in the skin, allowing for precise ablation with less surrounding heat damage. Fractionated CO₂ generates more heat, which can stimulate more collagen but also carries a higher risk of pigment changes and longer recovery.
Downtime: ProFractional generally has shorter healing time (3–5 days) versus fractionated CO₂ (7–14+ days).
Safety for skin types: Erbium lasers like ProFractional are safer for lighter and darker skin tones, while fractionated CO₂ is more likely to cause post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation in darker complexions.
Results: CO₂ can deliver slightly more aggressive wrinkle reduction in one session, but ProFractional can achieve similar outcomes over a series of treatments with less downtime and risk.
