Fraxel and IPL are not comparable in any way. IPL is meant to minimize and reduce pigmentation issues. As a side benefit, you would see a little bit of wrinkle reduction but that is not it's main goal or result. Fraxel on the other hand, was created to substantially reduce wrinkles, minimize pores, address pigment and tighten all in the one technology.
I am an owner of a laser business in the Phoenix area and have performed thousands of these treatments in the last 6 or 7 years. Both of these treatments are a little painful. I use topical numbing for the Fraxel but the IPL doesn't really require it because of the bipolar infrared technology that I use. The results from both is quite dramatic but different and it depends entirely on what you are trying to accomplish.
Hope that helps, although you posted this sometime last year so you may have done something already.
Christine
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Posted to Accent vs. Titan for skin tightening on 29 May 2008