A CO2 laser and an erbium laser both resurface skin by vaporizing microscopic columns of tissue, but at different wavelengths — and that single difference decides how much heat is left behind, how many days you spend healing, and how much pigment risk you take on. CO2 gives the biggest change per session at the cost of an open wound; erbium heals faster but still peels. The third option, non-ablative fractional laser, keeps the surface intact and reaches a comparable endpoint gradually, over a series of sessions, with no downtime and no pain. If you are comparing options for CO2 laser resurfacing in Montreal, this article explains what each laser does, how results build session by session, which side effects belong to which laser, and why the gentle route is the obvious one for most people. IPL Lab performs non-ablative fractional laser rejuvenation (1550 nm / Er:YAG in non-ablative mode), and that is the treatment the packages below are built on.

“The best result is not the one you can see on day one. It is the one that looks like you, only rested — and that nobody can date to a treatment.”The IPL Lab rejuvenation philosophy

What this article covers

What is the actual difference between a CO2, an erbium and a non-ablative fractional laser?

All three target the same thing: the water in your skin. The CO2 laser emits at 10,600 nanometres. Water absorbs it well but not perfectly, so a portion of each pulse travels past the column it vaporizes and heats the surrounding dermis. That halo of heat is what gives CO2 its immediate collagen contraction — and its week of oozing, crusting and peeling.

The erbium:YAG laser emits at 2,940 nanometres, almost exactly on water’s absorption peak, so it ablates cleanly, layer by thin layer, with far less residual heat. Healing is shorter and redness fades faster, but the surface is still removed, so there is still a peel and still wound care.

A non-ablative fractional laser — 1550 nm, or an erbium platform run in non-ablative mode — does something different: it delivers the same grid of microscopic columns, but as heat placed in the dermis beneath an intact surface. No tissue is removed. The dermis remodels and rebuilds collagen exactly as it would after an ablative pass, just more gradually, while the skin you see stays closed, comfortable and presentable the next morning.

If the ablative-versus-non-ablative distinction itself is still new to you, our companion article on what fractional laser actually does to your skin covers that ground; this one stays on the practical decision.

Which laser gives the best results — per session, and over a series?

Per single session, CO2 does; no honest clinic will tell you otherwise. The thermal halo around each column triggers a stronger wound-healing response, so one aggressive CO2 pass produces roughly the change that two or three gentler sessions would. The question that actually matters is different: what result do you have after three months, and what did it cost you to get there?

Over a series, the gap closes. Fine lines, uneven texture, enlarged pores, acne scarring, sun damage and early laxity all respond to cumulative dermal remodelling, and a non-ablative series of three to six sessions delivers the same kind of collagen rebuilding in instalments — each session adding to the last, with the skin never opened. The improvement arrives the way good results should: gradually, so that friends notice you look rested and well rather than “done”. Only deeply pitted scars and heavy laxity still argue for an ablative laser, and those are the exception, not the rule.

What does a non-ablative series actually feel like, step by step?

This is where the gentle option earns its place. An ablative laser front-loads everything — the result and the recovery — into one hard week. A non-ablative series spreads the result out and removes the recovery altogether. Here is what a typical full-face series looks like.

For contrast: an ablative CO2 course of two sessions spends 14–28 days in open-wound recovery and up to two months pink; an ablative erbium series of three spends nine to twenty-one days peeling. A non-ablative series of six spends a total of perhaps a week lightly flushed, spread across four months, with no day you would have to cancel.

What side effects are normal, and which ones belong only to ablative lasers?

Every laser causes some redness and swelling — that is the sign the dermis is responding. The difference is scale. After a non-ablative session, expect one to three days of pinkness and mild puffiness, occasionally a faint bronze tone or dryness for a few days, and that is essentially the whole list. The heavier complications below belong to ablative resurfacing, and they are the reason the gentle route is the default rather than the compromise.

The honest summary: the ablative lasers’ longer list is the price of a faster single-session change. If you do not need that speed — and most people do not — you can decline the price entirely.

Is non-ablative fractional safe for darker skin — and who should still avoid lasers?

Yes, and this is one of its clearest advantages. On skin types IV to VI, the danger from any resurfacing laser is heat-driven pigment change, and it scales with how much heat reaches the surface. Ablative CO2 puts the most there; ablative erbium less; non-ablative fractional treatment, with the surface untouched and heat confined to columns in the dermis, the least by a wide margin. Conservative density, a test patch and daily SPF still apply, but the treatment that would be declined as CO2 can usually go ahead as non-ablative. For persistent pigment disorders like melasma, resurfacing of any kind is often the wrong tool — our page on hyperpigmentation and melasma explains why heat can make it worse and what works instead.

A few situations still call for waiting or a different plan:

• Isotretinoin (Accutane) in the past six months — healing is unpredictable on retinoid-thinned skin; discuss timing at consultation.
• Active infection, active acne or eczema in the area, or a history of keloid scarring.
• A fresh tan or self-tanner — wait two weeks; four for ablative treatments.
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding — elective laser work is deferred as a precaution.
• Someone who wants a dramatic single-session correction of deep pitted scars or heavy laxity — that is the one profile where an ablative laser, in a physician-led setting, genuinely earns its downtime.

How does the lifting effect build, and how long do results last?

Lifting from a laser is not a pull; it is density. Each session lays down new collagen and elastin in the treated columns, and as the dermis thickens, the cheeks, jawline and under-eye area gain support from within. With an ablative laser that happens in one contraction-driven jump. With a non-ablative series it happens in increments of three to four weeks, which is why the change reads as “you look great lately” rather than a visible before-and-after moment. Three sessions usually give a clear improvement in texture and tone; four to six take you into visible firming.

Because the surface stays closed, non-ablative sessions can be combined in the same programme with RF microneedling for deeper laxity or PICO laser rejuvenation for pigment and pores — alternating modalities three to four weeks apart — which often reaches an ablative-level endpoint with no downtime at any point.

What about Fraxel, ProFractional and other brand names?

Brand names describe a manufacturer’s platform, not a category of laser, and they are a common source of confusion. “Fraxel” alone does not tell you the wavelength: one Fraxel platform is a non-ablative 1550/1927 nm fractional laser, another is a fractional CO2. “ProFractional” is one manufacturer’s ablative erbium. Clear + Brilliant is a low-power non-ablative system. When a clinic quotes a brand, the useful follow-up questions are: which wavelength, ablative or not, and what downtime do their own patients report at the settings they use? If the answer is “none”, you are being offered the same non-ablative category described here, whatever the badge on the machine says.

Which packages include non-ablative fractional laser at IPL Lab?

Non-ablative fractional laser sessions are booked through the Imperfections Deluxe Glass-Skin packages, which let you allocate each visit to fractional laser, RF microneedling or brightening treatments depending on what your skin needs that month — so a three- or six-session series, with RF or brightening sessions woven in, fits inside one package. Two other no-downtime options are listed alongside. Package pricing is current at the time of writing and confirmed at your free consultation; settings and session count are decided on your skin, not on a menu.

What makes a rejuvenation plan at IPL Lab different?

We start from the result you want to see in three months, not from a machine. The consultation and skin analysis are free, and they end with a recommendation that may be a fractional series, a combination with RF microneedling, a professional facial programme — or, for the rare concern that needs ablative depth, a frank pointer towards a physician-led clinic. Every plan includes a test patch, a written pre- and post-care sheet and a follow-up, and every session is designed to be something you can book on a lunch break and forget about by dinner.

Sources: Cleveland Clinic — Laser skin resurfacing: laser types, what to expect · Cleveland Clinic — Carbon dioxide laser resurfacing · American Academy of Dermatology — Cosmetic treatment safety

Medical disclaimer: this article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Laser treatments carry risks including infection, scarring and pigment change, and individual results vary. Consult a qualified professional to determine whether laser rejuvenation is appropriate for your skin, and see a dermatologist for any medical skin condition.