Fraxel Restore - How Are the First and Second Generation Lasers Different?

Dear Missy, The first generation Fraxel was called Fraxel 750, the second Fraxel SR1500, both are now renamed Fraxel re:store, erbium fractionated non-ablative lasers that help correct mild to moderate skin wrinkles and brown spots, acne scars, and melasma. The difference between the 1'st and 2'nd generation re:store Fraxel lasers was a $30,000 "upgrade" fee paid to Reliant, and alleged improved results because of an aperture on the SR1500 laser that adjusted the size of the... more

There is little difference between the 1st and 2nd generation Fraxel Restore lasers. The early one required the use of a coloring agent applied to the skin prior to laser treatment. The second generation Fraxel Restore laser does not require that. However, the results achieved by both lasers are fairly similar. Neither of them is the same as Fraxel Repair, which generally is a more aggressive approach to the treatment of aging skin and wrinkles.

The second generation Fraxel is better in that it penetrates deeper than the first generation laser AND it doesn't require the blue dye that the first generation laser used, which was the worse feature about it. However, we found that while the second generation was a little bit better at treating wrinkles than the first, the first generation Fraxel did a better job at treating hyperpigmentation.