PIXEL LASER

Pros

• Pixel skin resurfacing treatments are effective at improving skin texture and signs of aging. 
• The treatment is relatively painless, thanks to a numbing cream that's applied in advance.   
• Recovery time can be significantly shorter than you'd experience with ablative laser treatments. 
• RealSelf members who rated Pixel laser “Worth It” were pleased to see noticeable results.

Cons

• You may need more than one treatment to achieve optimal results.  
• While the downtime is less than with fully ablative lasers, recovery can still take one to two weeks.
• People with very dark skin (Fitzpatrick skin type VI) should avoid Pixel because of the risk of hyperpigmentation. 
• Pixel laser does not treat deep wrinkles or sagging skin.

The price you pay for your Pixel laser treatment will depend on your provider's level of experience, their practice location, and how many treatment sessions you have.

Because this is a cosmetic treatment, it's not covered by insurance, but most providers offer payment plans.

The Pixel laser photos in our gallery have been shared by the provider who performed the procedure, with the patient's consent.

Before the procedure begins, your doctor will cleanse your skin and numb the area with a local anesthetic or numbing cream. You’ll put on goggles to protect your eyes.

Once you’re ready, your doctor will hold your skin taut while moving the laser’s handset across the treatment area. People often say it feels like having a rubber band snapped against the skin. 

A Pixel laser treatment session lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours, depending on the size of the treated area.

Afterward, your provider will apply an ointment and bandage your skin, which may look raw and be mildly oozing. 

Follow their instructions on how to care for your skin during healing. Resist the temptation to pick or scratch the treated area, which could result in scarring or uneven pigmentation, and avoid direct sun exposure until you're fully healed.

Recovery from a Pixel laser treatment can take one to two weeks, less than half of the recovery time expected with a typical ablative laser treatment (which removes the entire surface of the skin).

For the first few days, you might experience side effects like tingling, burning, and itching sensations, similar to what you might feel with a severe sunburn.

"It's normal to have crusting and flaking for three to seven days after Pixel, depending on the depth of penetration and the number of passes," says Dr. Jacob Freiman, a plastic surgeon in Miami. 

In some cases, some skin inflammation can persist for up to a few months after the procedure, reports Dr. Gary Motykie, a West Hollywood, California, plastic surgeon. 

The skin on areas of the body other than the face can take at least twice as long to heal because the skin turns over more slowly and does not have as many oil glands.

You can use ice packs to ease swelling, take over-the-counter pain relievers, and moisturize the treated area. If your skin crusts, apply more moisturizer. “Always cover the treated area with moisturizer, to decrease healing time and the extent of redness,” says Dr. Gary Motykie, a plastic surgeon in West Hollywood, California.

Avoid strenuous activity and direct sun exposure for at least the first week and apply sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, to prevent pigmentation issues like melasma.

You’ll begin to see results once the healing process is complete, but you may need more than one treatment to achieve your desired results.

Pixel skin resurfacing works to even out skin texture, tone, and pigmentation. "You will see initial results in seven days and, as long as the treatment was done correctly, you should see continuously improving results over the next six weeks," says Dr. Freiman. 

RealSelf member ronwin, who'd been left with bad acne scarring after dealing with cystic acne for five years, reported seeing "massive improvement after one day. Nothing miraculous changed, meaning the super deep scars are still there. But the crackly wrinkles that connect scars are gone. I also have sun damage, and I felt like it helped address that." He says that most of his acne scars healed with the exception of the super deep ones, and the less severe scars on his nose, neck, and cheeks are almost gone entirely. 

However, RealSelf members give Pixel laser a Worth It Rating of just 86%, which shows that the treatment doesn't always seem to deliver the dramatic results many people are expecting. In her review, piperbaby called the Pixel laser "a huge waste of time and money."  

The quality of results can vary by the energy level your provider uses and the number of passes they make, as well as the condition of your skin. To avoid disappointment, be sure to discuss your goals with your provider prior to treatment, to be sure that this is the best treatment option to reach them.

It can, but it's not usually the best option. For new stretch marks that look red or purple, a pulsed dye laser should be considered as a first-line treatment. This laser has been shown to reduce redness and stimulate new collagen. 

For best results, a fractionated laser can be added to the mix, either separately or at the same time. Doctors on RealSelf recommend the Fraxel laser over the Pixel, because it penetrates more deeply, making it more effective for stretch marks. 

That said, RealSelf member taylor_sc who had her stretch marks treated with Pixel reported an improvement after two treatments. "It's a lot more smooth and the color is fading," she said.

Related: These Are the Best Treatments for Stretch Marks, According to Doctors and RealSelf Members

Fraxel is another brand of ablative fractional resurfacing laser that uses intense, focused light to treat sun damage, reduce wrinkles, and improve the appearance of acne scarring.

Pixel and Fraxel laser are similar enough that rather than choose between them, you'll be better off paying more attention to picking an experienced provider who can show you before and after photos of patients who had similar concerns and great results.

A few notable similarities between the two:

• The skin rejuvenation process is the same, in that each laser stimulates new collagen production and the regeneration of new skin cells, replacing older, damaged ones. 
• Both the Fraxel and Pixel laser are effective at treating acne and acne scars, though some say Fraxel works better.

Both laser skin resurfacing options carry a risk of causing hyperpigmentation for people with dark skin. Fraxel is generally not recommended for people with olive or brown skin, while Pixel is not recommended for people with very deeply pigmented skin (Fitzpatrick skin type VI).