Seeking a more youthful complexion? You’re not alone. Skin-enhancing med spa treatments are more popular than ever — which means there are also more treatment options than ever.
Among the aesthetic services to choose from, you may have come across Clear + Brilliant and microneedling during your research. While both administer controlled skin injuries to stimulate your skin’s natural collagen production, they rely on different technologies to do so.
In this guide, we will overview Clear + Brilliant and microneedling individually and then compare the two so that you can make an informed decision regarding which treatment best suits your skincare goals.
(Spoiler alert: You don’t have to choose one or the other.)
What is Clear + Brilliant?
Clear + Brilliant® is an innovative laser treatment that employs a specialized fractional laser system to improve targeted areas of your skin. By focusing on where treatment is needed most, this cutting-edge technology provides precise results while maintaining safety and comfort.
How Clear + Brilliant Works
The treatment utilizes state-of-the-art laser technology to create millions of microscopic treatment zones in your skin’s upper layers. The sensation triggers your skin’s natural healing response, accelerating cell turnover and stimulating collagen production. The result is a comprehensive rejuvenation process where damaged skin is gradually replaced with healthier, younger-looking tissue.
Clear + Brilliant Benefits
What makes Clear + Brilliant® particularly remarkable is its ability to deliver professional-grade results with a gentle touch. The system’s fractional approach creates microscopic dots in your skin that are invisible to the naked eye, yet powerful enough to activate your body’s natural healing properties. The result is smoother, glowing skin that continues to improve after each treatment.
What Clear + Brilliant is Used For
Clear + Brilliant® helps restore collagen to plump and smooth skin for those looking to correct inconsistencies in skin tone or texture or reduce the appearance of enlarged pores and acne.
What is Microneedling?
Microneedling, also known as collagen induction therapy, is a sophisticated skincare treatment that harnesses ultra-fine needles to create controlled micro-injuries in the skin. The result? Rejuvenated skin powered by your body’s natural healing abilities.
While traditional microneedling devices feature roller wheels with fine needles, modern technologies like SkinPen — the first FDA-cleared microneedling device — offer a more precise and controlled application method.
How Microneedling Works
During the microneedling procedure, a device creates thousands of microscopic punctures in the skin. While superficial, these punctures are effective enough to trigger your body’s wound-healing response, stimulating the production of collagen and elastin. These proteins are essential for maintaining skin firmness, elasticity, and an overall youthful appearance. Microneedling can be supercharged by using PRP — platelet-rich plasma — drawn from the client’s blood and applied topically during treatment to boost the body’s natural healing response.
Microneedling Benefits
Microneedling is as versatile as it is gentle. By stimulating new collagen and elastin production, microneedling helps break down old scar tissue and promote the growth of fresh, healthy skin cells. This process results in improved skin texture and a more refined, rejuvenated appearance over time.
What Microneedling is Used For
Microneedling addresses various skin concerns but is particularly beneficial for those interested in reducing the appearance of acne scars, improving uneven texture, and minimizing fine lines.
Microneedling vs Laser
While both microneedling and Clear + Brilliant laser treatments are fixtures of modern skin care, understanding their similarities and differences can help you make an informed decision about which treatment is right for you.
Clear + Brilliant vs Microneedling — Key Similarities
- Clear + Brilliant and microneedling share a fundamental approach to skin rejuvenation: controlled stimulation of the skin’s natural healing response. This biological process triggers increased production of collagen and elastin, the critical proteins responsible for maintaining skin firmness and elasticity.
- Both treatments excel at addressing common skin concerns such as acne scars, enlarged pores, fine lines, and uneven texture. Their gentle nature means you can usually return to your daily activities shortly after treatment, with only minor redness or swelling that typically subsides within a few days.
- Clear + Brilliant and microneedling are also extremely versatile. While most commonly used on the face, both procedures can effectively treat skin concerns in other parts of the body — including the neck, chest, and hands.
Clear + Brilliant vs Microneedling — Notable Differences
- The primary distinction between these treatments lies in their technological approach. Microneedling employs fine needles to create controlled micro-punctures in the skin, while Clear + Brilliant utilizes laser technology to create microscopic treatment zones in the skin’s upper layers.
- The post-treatment process also differs between the two treatments. After microneedling, you may experience skin redness similar to a mild sunburn for a few days. In contrast, Clear + Brillianttreatments often result in a temporary sandpaper-like texture as your skin undergoes its natural exfoliation process, typically lasting about a week before revealing a brighter, more youthful complexion.
Combining Clear + Brilliant and Microneedling
For those seeking comprehensive skin rejuvenation, combining Clear + Brilliant and microneedling treatments leverages the unique strengths of each. That’s right — in the debate of Clear + Brilliant vs microneedling, both are winners.
Here’s how it works:
The Process
The key to successful combination treatment is planning and timing. Your provider will develop a customized plan that may alternate between microneedling and Clear + Brilliant sessions, ensuring an adequate healing window between each. Proper spacing maximizes the benefits of both treatments while maintaining your skin’s health and comfort.
Post-Treatment
Post-treatment care is particularly important when combining Clear + Brilliant and microneedling. Your provider will outline specific aftercare instructions, which typically include using gentle skin care products, avoiding direct sun exposure, and maintaining proper hydration.
What to Expect
Under your provider’s supervision, this combination approach can deliver impressive results — including significant improvements in skin texture and reduced appearance of scars, fine lines, and sun damage. The synergistic effect of both treatments often leads to more comprehensive skin rejuvenation than either treatment could achieve alone.
Request a Consultation with Bodylase
Experience the safe and restorative benefits of Clear + Brilliant and microneedling treatments from BodyLase. Request a consultation today and one of our certified providers will help you determine which service is best suited for you and your skin. They may suggest individual treatment, combined treatment, or one of our many other med spa services — including Morpheus8 or Microneedling with PRP.
Prepare for personalized, natural-looking results with Clear + Brilliant and microneedling from BodyLase. We can’t wait for you to see us in one of our state-of-the-art med spa locations.
