What does Fraxel laser accomplish? Does it tighten the skin?

There are multiple “Fraxel” lasers produced and marketed. There is a CO2 version as well as two versions of a non-ablative glass erbium laser. I do not like the CO2 version of the Fraxel as it has led to issues of scarring in some patients. Another disadvantage is that it’s not a good choice for darker skin types. I have been using the glass erbium Fraxel since 2005. The Fraxel is a fractional laser so it only treats a portion of the skin at a time ranging from 15% to 35% of the skin at a time. The advantage of this is that there’s less downtime and recovery. It does usually take a series of treatments to show significant improvement. I recommend to start with three treatments. The fractional, when used appropriately, can do a great job treating acne scarring, pigmentation, as well as improving skin tone, texture and quality. I do not feel that the Fraxel does a great job tightening skin and would not recommend its use if that is the primary concern.