Fraxel is often the first name you hear when people talk about lasers for tone and skin texture. It is a serious device, long used in dermatology.
At Clinique DC, we chose LaseMD Ultra, a laser from the same family. Here is what they share, what sets them apart, what the full face costs on each side, and who is better served by a stronger laser, like CO2.
LaseMD Ultra: a gentle laser for tone and skin texture.
LaseMD Ultra is made by Cynosure Lutronic. It is a non-ablative fractional thulium laser: it creates fine micro-columns in the skin without removing the surface, then we apply a serum chosen for your skin. Here is what the treatment looks like at Clinique DC.
| What is treated | Tone, brown spots, texture and pores |
|---|---|
| The session | 45 to 60 min |
| How often | Every 3 to 4 weeks |
| Afterwards | Redness 24 to 48 h |
| The result | Gradual over 3 to 6 sessions |
| The price | $500 per session, face, taxes extra |
Two fractional lasers that leave the skin’s surface in place.
Both treat the skin in small columns, leaving the skin around each one intact so it heals quickly. Neither removes the skin’s surface: that is what “non-ablative” means. Fraxel DUAL also uses, besides its main laser, a thulium wavelength, like LaseMD Ultra.
- They don’t tighten a face that is loosening: that is radiofrequency, like XERF.
- For deep marks or marked wrinkles, a fractional CO2 laser, which removes part of the surface, goes further, with one or two weeks of recovery.
What sets them apart, point by point.
What comes from a manufacturer or a clinic is labelled as such. The rest comes from the sources cited at the end.
| Criterion | LaseMD Ultra | Fraxel |
|---|---|---|
| The laser | Fractional thulium, non-ablative | Fraxel DUAL: two lasers, 1,550 nm and 1,927 nm (thulium), non-ablative |
| Manufacturer | Cynosure Lutronic | Solta Medical |
| Length | 45 to 60 min | Varies with the area and settings |
| Afterwards | Redness 24 to 48 h | Redness and swelling from a few days to about a week, according to clinics |
| Sessions | every 3 to 4 weeks | Often 3 to 5, spaced 2 to 4 weeks apart, according to clinics |
| After the laser | A serum chosen for your skin, applied into the micro-channels | Depends on the clinic |
| At Clinique DC | $500 per session, face | Not offered |
What one full-face session costs, on each side.
We gathered the prices clinics post for one full-face Fraxel session. We compare like for like: one session, full face.
| Where | What is treated | Posted price |
|---|---|---|
| Fraxel, Toronto | Full face, one session | from $1,200 |
| Fraxel, North York | Full face, one session | $1,200 |
| Fraxel, Toronto | Full face, one session | from $1,089 |
| Median, Fraxel | Full face, one session | $1,200 |
| Clinique DC, Laval | LaseMD Ultra, face, one session | $500 |
Fraxel and LaseMD Ultra are both done as a series. So compare the number of sessions you are offered too, not just the price of one.
A higher price doesn’t guarantee a better result: no study compares the two devices.
Prices posted online, gathered October 12, 2026, before taxes (plus HST in Ontario). No clinic in Laval or Montreal posted a full-face price. Clinic names are in the sources. Clinique DC price before taxes. Face and neck, and the three-session package, are on the treatment page. Taxes extra.
LaseMD Ultra gives you your week back.
Four points where the difference shows, each with where the fact comes from.
Short downtime
After a session: redness 24 to 48 h, then a few days of light flaking. Makeup is back the next day.
A serum in the micro-channels
The micro-channels opened by the laser let in a serum we choose for your skin.
The face, a posted price
$500 per session on the face, taxes extra. The neck and the three-session package also have their price on the treatment page.
A 3D analysis before you decide
We measure your skin with the free LINE VU analysis before suggesting anything. If a stronger laser suits you better, we tell you.
Fraxel has the track record and its studies, and it should be said.
An article that only praises one device doesn’t help you choose. What Fraxel has going for it:
- It launched fractional lasers: the first study of the principle, in 2004, used its prototype.
- Two lasers in one device, including a 1,550 nm one that works deeper in the skin.
- A US clearance for brown spots obtained in 2013, and twenty years of published studies.
- A full family: the same brand also offers an ablative CO2 laser, Fraxel re:pair, to go further.
No study compares LaseMD Ultra and Fraxel.
The pages pitting the two against each other online are clinic pages, not studies. Here is what actually exists.
| Study | Device | What it shows, and its limit |
|---|---|---|
| Manstein et al., 2004 | Fraxel | The founding study of fractional lasers, done with the Fraxel prototype |
| FDA, 2013 | Fraxel DUAL | US clearance for brown spots |
What it means: Fraxel is better documented than LaseMD Ultra, and neither has been shown superior. The choice comes down to your skin, the downtime you accept, and the price.
The right choice depends on what you are looking for.
| If… | Rather |
|---|---|
| You want radiance and finer texture, with short downtime | LaseMD Ultra |
| You want a posted price for the face | LaseMD Ultra |
| You want the device with the most studies | Fraxel |
| You have deep marks and can take a week or two off | Neither: fractional CO2 laser |
| It is mostly firmness that is missing | Neither: radiofrequency |
Why we chose LaseMD Ultra.
We wanted a laser that can be repeated through the year without asking our clients to disappear for a week. A laser that works on tone and texture, and opens the skin to a serum chosen for it.
We also wanted a device we know inside out: the clinic’s owner has trained clinicians for Cynosure, the LaseMD Ultra supplier. And when a skin needs more, we say so.
A good laser is one you can repeat without missing a week of work.
Questions we get asked
Is LaseMD Ultra a Fraxel?
No, but it is the same family: two non-ablative fractional lasers. Fraxel DUAL combines two wavelengths; LaseMD Ultra uses a thulium laser, followed by a serum.
Do you offer Fraxel at Clinique DC?
No. For tone and skin texture, we chose LaseMD Ultra. The prices other clinics post for Fraxel are in the “The price” section, with their source.
Is a CO2 laser better?
It is stronger. Fractional CO2 removes part of the skin’s surface: it goes further on deep marks and marked wrinkles, but takes one to two weeks of recovery and more caution on darker skin. It isn’t the right choice for everyone.
How many sessions does it take?
For LaseMD Ultra: gradual over 3 to 6 sessions, every 3 to 4 weeks. We confirm it at the skin analysis.
How much does LaseMD Ultra cost in Laval?
$500 per face session at Clinique DC, taxes extra. Face and neck, and the three-session package, are on the treatment page.
Sources
- Manstein D, Herron GS, Sink RK, Tanner H, Anderson RR. Fractional photothermolysis: a new concept for cutaneous remodeling using microscopic patterns of thermal injury. Lasers Surg Med. 2004;34(5):426-438.
- FDA. Fraxel DUAL, autorisation 510(k) pour les lésions pigmentées, 2013 (recherche dans la base 510(k)).
- Dermatology Times. FDA clears Solta device for skin pigmentation treatment, 2013.
- Solta Medical. Fraxel, site du fabricant.
- Cynosure Lutronic. LaseMD Ultra, fiche produit.
- Prix : PearlMD Rejuvenation (Toronto), visage complet dès 1 200 $ la séance, consulté le 12 octobre 2026.
- Prix : Emerald Skin Lab (North York), visage complet 1 200 $ la séance, consulté le 12 octobre 2026.
- Prix : Bellair Laser Clinic (Toronto), Fraxel visage complet, 1 089 $ à 2 650 $, consulté le 12 octobre 2026.
Facts attributed to a manufacturer come from its documents. Other clinics’ prices are those they post online, as of the date gathered; Clinique DC’s are before taxes. Results vary from person to person.