Fraxel laser vs. fractional laser?

Fraxel is the brand name of the first fractional lasers that was available.  Since then, other fractional lasers have become available.  Fractional lasers are in general ablative, which means that they vaporize skin on the surface, removing the top-most layers of the skin. However, fractional lasers differ from other ablative lasers, in that they ablate the tissue only in small areas, leaving the surrounding areas uninjured.

The different types of fractional resurfacing use different wavelengths of laser light to treat the skin.  They are all similar.  Really the major difference is between practitioners.   Some people are more aggressive, using higher settings and multiple passes over the face, producing more dramatic results, but also more redness and swelling.  So really, of course, the best person to ask about how red you will be is your doctor, because it depends a lot on what type of treatment he or she has planned for you. 

But, in general, patients are pink and swollen for 7-10 days.  And, in general, the first 2 days it is most noticeable, then after that, it is less obvious with some makeup.