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Fraxel® 1927 vs. Clear + Brilliant®: Which Laser Is Right for You?

Dr. Vincent Richer

One of the most common questions we hear at Atelier is:

“What’s the difference between Fraxel® 1927 and Clear + Brilliant®?”

It’s an entirely reasonable question: both are fractional lasers. Both improve skin quality. Both stimulate collagen production. So, on the surface, they can seem quite similar. The reality is that while they work using the same basic concept, they are designed to address different sets of expectations, and have a different recovery period. Our patients often come in asking which laser is “better.” In reality, that’s a bit like asking whether a screwdriver is better than a hammer. They’re both useful tools — they’re just designed to do different jobs.

The most critical questions are:

1) What are we trying to treat?
2) How much of an improvement are we looking for?
3) Can we prepare for some “social recovery” after laser?
4) Is there a timeline/specific date for the improvement?

Same family, different purpose

Before deciding which laser is right for you, the first step is understanding what we are actually treating. Is that brown discoloration from traditional sun damage (“solar lentigines”), or is it melasma? Is the redness from rosacea, precancerous spots (“actinic keratosis“), or something else?

These details matter because the treatment should be based on the diagnosis — not simply the name of the device.

Fraxel® and Clear + Brilliant® are both fractional lasers. Rather than treating the entire surface of the skin, they create thousands of microscopic treatment zones while leaving small areas of untreated skin in between. This allows the skin to heal while stimulating collagen remodeling.

The difference comes down to how densely they treat the skin and how much energy is delivered.

Think of them as different variants around the of the same idea:

Clear + Brilliant® is designed for more gentle, gradual improvement – it carries a quick 1-3 day recovery.
Fraxel® is designed for patients who need more significant remodeling within the skin – to change the skin more dramatically, a social recovery of 1 week is often needed.

Clear + Brilliant®: Improving skin quality over time

Clear + Brilliant® is often a great option for patients who want to improve overall skin quality or address very early signs of sun damage.

It addresses:

  • Early sun damage
  • Mild uneven pigmentation
  • Skin texture/pore size
  • Dullness
  • Early fine lines

One of the advantages of Clear + Brilliant® is that downtime is usually minimal. Many patients choose it because they want to improve their skin without taking significant time away from their regular routine. It is often used as part of a long-term approach to maintaining healthy skin. To yield more significant improvement, patients may choose to do a series of 3 or 6 treatments if doing a single procedure like Fraxel® is not compatible with their personal or work commitments.

Fraxel® 1927: A more robust approach for more significant concerns

Fraxel® is a fractional laser treatment designed for concerns that require greater collagen remodelling: it delivers more energy than Clear + Brilliant® not by delivering much deeper, but by treating a larger portion of the skin. This is referred to as “treatment density” – think treating 45-60% instead of 5-8%.

Depending on the specific Fraxel® technology being used, it may be recommended for:

Because Fraxel® treats the skin more intensely, recovery is generally longer compared with Clear + Brilliant®. Many patients who choose Fraxel® to treat sun damage plan for a week of “social downtime”. For the right patient, that additional downtime is worthwhile.

The “strongest” laser is not always the best laser

A common misconception is that a stronger treatment will always produce a better result. While laser resurfacing can be a bit of a “no pain, no gain” situation – more is not always better. The goal is not to choose the most aggressive treatment.
The goal is to choose the treatment that is most appropriate for your skin, your concerns, your expectations – and the rest of your life! We often say: “we don’t live for treatments, we do the treatments to enjoy life”.

And so for some patients, a gentler approach is exactly what they need. For others, a more intensive treatment may be necessary to create meaningful improvement. The best results come from matching the right treatment to the right patient.

The most important decision isn’t the device

While each laser has its own strengths, the device itself is only one part of the equation. When our patients start a discussion by asking: “Should I do this laser treatment?”, we go back to the skin to establish a diagnosis and reframe the question to clarify the outcome they seek. Once we understand these, the treatment options become much clearer. One of the advantages of seeing a dermatologist is that we do not leave the treatment choice up to chance – we get to know you, understand the signs your skin is showing us, contrast and compare the options and together, choose an approach that makes the most sense for you.

For some, that is Fraxel® 1927.

For others, it is Clear + Brilliant®.

And many times, another treatment – or a combination of treatments – may be the better choice.