Which Laser Is Right for Me?

The short answer: BBL® HERO™ is usually the choice for pigmentation and redness, with minimal downtime. MOXI® is a gentle resurfacer for early signs of ageing, tone and texture, with a few days of dry, rough skin. HALO® goes deeper for pores, fine lines and sun damage, with around 5 to 7 days of social downtime. ProFractional™ and Contour TRL™ are for scarring and deeper resurfacing. Full-face treatments start from £500, and every plan starts with a consultation at our clinic in MediaCityUK, Manchester.

A Guide to Sciton® Laser Treatments at NassifMD Medical Spa Manchester

Choosing the right laser treatment for your skin can feel overwhelming. With different technologies designed to target pigmentation, redness, fine lines, acne scars, pores and uneven skin texture, it isn’t always obvious which treatment you actually need.

At NassifMD Medical Spa in MediaCity, Manchester, we offer a carefully selected range of Sciton® laser and light treatments. Each technology can be customised according to your skin, your concerns, the results you want to achieve and the amount of downtime that works for you.

Whether you want to improve pigmentation and redness, resurface acne scarring, reduce visible signs of ageing or simply improve the overall quality of your skin, our team will assess your skin and recommend the most appropriate treatment or combination of treatments.

Why Choose Sciton® Laser Treatments?

Sciton® is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of medical laser and light technology.

Rather than using one type of laser for every skin concern, the Sciton® platform gives practitioners access to different wavelengths and treatment depths. This allows treatment to be tailored according to the concern being treated and the level of resurfacing required.

Our laser experts were the first in the North of England to work with Sciton® technology and have more than 15 years’ experience using the platform. That experience matters. Knowing how to select the right technology, settings and treatment depth for each individual patient can mean better results, better care and better value from every treatment.

At NassifMD Medical Spa Manchester, our Sciton® treatments range from lower-downtime options for pigmentation, redness and early signs of ageing through to advanced laser resurfacing for scars, wrinkles and significant textural concerns.

The right treatment isn’t necessarily the strongest laser. It is the technology, depth and treatment plan best suited to your individual skin.

Which Sciton® Laser Is Right for You?

At a glance

Prices are starting prices. Your exact plan and price are confirmed at your consultation. See our full price list.

BBL® HERO™ BroadBand Light

Best for: Pigmentation, redness, sun damage and overall skin clarity

BBL® HERO™ uses BroadBand Light rather than a traditional laser wavelength and is one of our most versatile treatments for improving uneven skin tone.

It delivers controlled pulses of light into the skin to target unwanted pigment and visible redness while also improving the overall appearance and clarity of the complexion.

BBL® HERO™ may be recommended for:

• Sun damage and pigmentation
• Freckles and brown spots
• Facial redness
• Uneven skin tone
• Dull or lacklustre skin
• Overall skin rejuvenation

BBL® can also form part of a longer-term skin maintenance programme for patients who want to maintain clearer, more even-looking skin.

Downtime: Generally minimal. Depending on the treatment, you may experience temporary redness and pigmented areas can temporarily appear darker before fading.

MOXI® Laser

Best for: Gentle resurfacing, early signs of ageing, pigmentation and skin maintenance

MOXI® is a non-ablative fractional laser designed to refresh the skin with relatively little downtime.

Using a 1927 nm wavelength, MOXI® delivers fractionated laser energy into the skin without ablating the surface. It is particularly suited to patients looking for a lighter resurfacing treatment, those beginning to notice early changes in their skin, or those wanting to maintain the results of more intensive laser treatments.

MOXI® may be recommended for:

• Early signs of ageing
• Mild sun damage
• Uneven pigmentation
• Uneven skin tone
• Texture refinement
• Dull skin
• Preventative skin maintenance

Because the intensity can be adjusted, MOXI® can form part of a personalised programme rather than being a one-size-fits-all treatment.

Downtime: Usually relatively light. Skin can feel dry or rough for several days as it renews.

HALO® Laser

Best for: Comprehensive skin rejuvenation, pigmentation, pores, fine lines and texture

HALO® is Sciton’s advanced fractional resurfacing laser and combines two wavelengths within a single treatment.

It simultaneously delivers an ablative 2940 nm wavelength and a non-ablative 1470 nm wavelength to microscopic treatment zones in the skin. This allows HALO® to work at different depths, addressing both surface-level concerns and deeper signs of sun damage and ageing.

HALO® may be recommended for:

• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Enlarged pores
• Sun damage
• Pigmentation and discolouration
• Uneven skin texture
• Dullness
• Overall skin rejuvenation
• Certain types of acne scarring

The depth and intensity of treatment can be customised according to your skin and the results you are trying to achieve.

Downtime: Typically several days. Redness, warmth, swelling, bronzing and a rough texture can occur while the skin renews.

We have written about HALO and laser resurfacing recovery day by day if you want to know what each day looks like.

ProFractional™ Laser

Best for: Acne scars, deeper resurfacing and collagen remodelling

ProFractional™ is a fractional erbium laser treatment designed for more targeted skin resurfacing.

Instead of treating the entire surface of the skin, the laser creates microscopic channels at controlled depths while leaving areas of surrounding skin untreated. This fractional approach stimulates the skin’s natural repair response and collagen remodelling.

Because treatment depth and density can be adjusted, ProFractional™ can be customised considerably according to the severity of the concern.

ProFractional™ may be recommended for:

• Acne scarring
• Surgical or traumatic scars
• Deeper lines and wrinkles
• Uneven or rough skin texture
• Visible signs of skin ageing
• More significant textural concerns

For some patients, ProFractional™ may also be incorporated into a combination laser treatment when different concerns need to be addressed at different depths.

Downtime: Depends on the depth and intensity of treatment. More advanced resurfacing requires greater recovery time than lighter fractional treatments.

Contour TRL™ Erbium Laser Resurfacing

Best for: Intensive resurfacing, deeper wrinkles, significant sun damage and advanced texture concerns

Contour TRL™ is Sciton’s tunable erbium laser resurfacing technology and allows us to precisely control the depth of skin resurfacing.

Unlike lighter laser treatments, deeper resurfacing removes damaged outer layers of skin to stimulate regeneration and reveal fresher skin beneath.

The ability to adjust treatment depth means Contour TRL™ can be tailored from more superficial resurfacing through to significantly deeper treatments, depending on the concern being treated.

Contour TRL™ may be recommended for:

• Deeper lines and wrinkles
• Significant sun damage
• Advanced skin ageing
• Uneven or damaged skin texture
• Areas requiring more intensive resurfacing

This is a more intensive treatment and is generally considered when a patient is prepared to accept greater downtime in return for a more substantial resurfacing treatment.

Downtime: Varies significantly according to treatment depth. Deeper resurfacing requires dedicated recovery and aftercare.

MOXI® vs HALO®: Which Should You Choose?

This is the question we're asked most. The simplest way to think about it: MOXI® is prevention and maintenance, HALO® is correction.

Choose MOXI® if you're starting to notice early changes, such as a duller tone, early pigmentation or very fine lines, or you want to keep good skin looking good. MOXI® is non-ablative, so it doesn't remove the surface of the skin. Most people have a few days of redness and tiny dark specks, sometimes called the "sandpaper" phase, before fresher skin shows through. It's usually comfortable without numbing cream. Many patients have a series of three treatments a year.

Choose HALO® if you want a bigger change in fewer sessions: more established sun damage, uneven pigmentation, enlarged pores, fine lines or rough texture. HALO® combines an ablative 2940 nm wavelength with a non-ablative 1470 nm wavelength, so it works at two depths in one treatment. Numbing cream is applied first, and you may feel mild to moderate heat. Plan for around 5 to 7 days of social downtime, with redness, swelling and peeling as the skin renews. For mild to moderate sun damage, one HALO® a year is often enough.

It doesn't have to be one or the other. Some patients start with HALO® to deal with years of sun damage, then keep the results with MOXI®. Others start with MOXI® in their twenties or thirties and may not need HALO® until much later. The two can also be stacked in the same session. If they are, plan for HALO®'s recovery time of around 5 to 7 days.

If you're also planning dermal filler, we recommend leaving two weeks either side of a laser treatment.

BBL® vs HALO®

BBL® HERO™ is light, not a laser. It targets colour in the skin, such as brown spots and redness, with very little downtime. HALO® is a resurfacing laser that also improves texture, pores and fine lines, with more recovery. If your main concern is colour, BBL® is often the starting point. If colour comes with texture, HALO® or BBL® and HALO® together may suit you better.

Sciton® BBL® vs IPL

Both use broad-spectrum light, so they're often confused. Sciton® BBL® uses filters to narrow the light to the range needed for each concern, which gives your practitioner more control over the treatment. Standard IPL devices offer less fine-tuning. The device matters, but so does the skill of the person using it and how well your skin was assessed first.

Combining Laser Treatments

Sometimes one technology isn’t the best way to address everything you can see in the skin.

Pigmentation, redness, enlarged pores, wrinkles, scarring and textural damage occur at different levels of the skin. This is why we may recommend combining treatments rather than trying to make one laser do everything.

For example, BBL® HERO™ can be used to target visible pigmentation and redness, while HALO® can address pigmentation alongside texture, pores and signs of ageing at different depths.

Other patients may benefit from combining resurfacing technologies or incorporating injectable and regenerative skin treatments into a longer-term treatment plan.

The combination we recommend will depend entirely on your skin. More treatment does not automatically mean better treatment, and combinations should only be used when they are appropriate for your individual concerns.

How Do I Know Which Laser Treatment I Need?

The best laser for you depends on four main things:

• What you want to improve: pigmentation, redness, pores, fine lines, acne scars, texture or general skin quality
• Your skin type and tone: not every treatment or setting is appropriate for every skin
• How much downtime you can accommodate: treatments range from relatively low downtime to intensive resurfacing
• The result you want to achieve: some concerns may respond to a lighter course of treatments, while others require deeper correction

You don’t need to know which laser to book before coming to see us.

During your consultation at NassifMD Medical Spa, we assess your skin, discuss what is bothering you and what you would like to achieve, and consider the level of downtime you are comfortable with.

From there, we can recommend the most appropriate treatment, treatment intensity or combination for your skin.

Which Laser Is Best for Pigmentation?

There isn’t one answer for every type of pigmentation.

For visible sun damage, freckles and uneven pigmentation, BBL® HERO™ may be recommended. MOXI® can be used for lighter fractional resurfacing and uneven tone, while HALO® may be considered when pigmentation occurs alongside concerns such as enlarged pores, fine lines and uneven texture.

The cause and type of pigmentation should be assessed before laser treatment, as not all pigmentation should be treated in the same way.

Which Laser Is Best for Acne Scars?

For acne scarring and more significant textural irregularities, ProFractional™ may be recommended because treatment depth and density can be customised to create controlled fractional channels in the skin and stimulate remodelling.

Depending on the type and severity of scarring, HALO® or a combination treatment may also form part of the treatment plan.

Acne scars vary considerably, so an assessment is important before deciding which laser is most appropriate.

Which Laser Has the Least Downtime?

If downtime is one of your main considerations, BBL® HERO™ and lighter MOXI® treatments are generally among the lower-downtime options within our Sciton® treatment range.

HALO®, ProFractional™ and deeper Contour TRL™ resurfacing involve progressively greater skin renewal and therefore require more recovery.

However, downtime varies according to the treatment settings used and your individual skin response.

Laser Treatment FAQs

How much does laser skin treatment cost in Manchester?

At NassifMD, full-face BBL® HERO™ starts from £500, MOXI® from £700 and HALO® from £1,500. Courses reduce the cost per session. Your exact price is confirmed at your consultation.

How many sessions will I need?

It depends on the treatment and your skin. BBL® is often done as a course of three. MOXI® works well as three treatments a year. One HALO® a year is often enough for mild to moderate sun damage. Deeper resurfacing is planned individually.

When is the best time of year for laser?

Autumn and winter, when there's less sun and aftercare is easier. You can have laser at other times of year with careful sun protection. Read can I have laser treatment if I have a tan?

Can I combine MOXI® and HALO®?

Yes. They can be stacked in the same session, and BBL® can be added on the same day. If HALO® is included, plan for around 5 to 7 days of social downtime.

Do I need to know which laser to book?

No. Book a consultation and we'll assess your skin, talk about what you'd like to change and how much downtime you can manage, then recommend the right treatment, or tell you if you don't need one.

The NassifMD Medical Spa Approach

At NassifMD Medical Spa, we don’t believe in choosing treatments simply because they are popular or using the same protocol for every patient.

Our approach is based on understanding your skin first.

Our Manchester medical aesthetics clinic was founded by world-renowned facial plastic surgeon Dr Paul Nassif, and our treatment philosophy centres on natural-looking results, patient safety and carefully considered treatment plans.

Our Sciton® laser treatments are delivered by trained laser and skin professionals using treatment protocols selected for your individual skin concerns.

Whether you need a single technology or a carefully planned combination, the aim is the same: to choose the right treatment for your skin rather than simply the strongest treatment available.

Book a Laser Consultation in Manchester

If you’re still wondering “Which laser treatment is right for me?”, you don’t have to work it out yourself.

Book a consultation with the team at NassifMD Medical Spa in MediaCity, Manchester. We’ll assess your skin, listen to what you would like to improve and recommend a personalised treatment plan based on your skin, your goals and the downtime that works for you.

You may be recommended BBL® HERO™, MOXI®, HALO®, ProFractional™, Contour TRL™ or a combination of treatments depending on your individual needs.

NassifMD Medical Spa UK
MediaCity, Salford Quays, Manchester

Call 0161 877 8444 to speak to our team or book your consultation online.

Find the right laser treatment for your skin with NassifMD Medical Spa Manchester.