UltraClear vs CO2 laser
Both lasers remove columns of skin to rebuild collagen. The difference is how much heat each leaves behind.
UltraClear Laser London compares the two fractional resurfacing lasers most people weigh up, UltraClear at 2910 nm and the CO2 laser at 10,600 nm, so you can see how heat, downtime, skin type and cost differ before your assessment at UNTIL Marylebone.
The short answer
UltraClear or CO2: the short answer
At a comparable depth, UltraClear usually heals faster and carries a lower risk of colour change in darker skin, because its light is absorbed almost entirely in each treated column and leaves little heat around it. A CO2 laser heats a wider margin of skin, which tightens tissue strongly and can do more in one session for heavy sun damage and laxity, at the cost of a longer recovery. Neither is the right answer for everyone.
The practitioner at UNTIL Marylebone gives UltraClear; no practitioner at an UNTIL club publishes CO2 treatment. UltraClear laser treatment in London covers the UltraClear settings in full, and UltraClear laser prices lists what each costs.
UltraClear and CO2 side by side
- WavelengthUltraClear 2910 nm, CO2 10,600 nm
- UltraClear downtime1 to 10 days, by depth
- CO2 downtimeAround 1 to 4 weeks to heal
- Full face, LondonUltraClear from £850, CO2 from £1,050
What a CO2 laser does
The CO2 laser has been the reference resurfacing laser since the 1990s. Its infrared light at 10,600 nm is absorbed by water in the skin like UltraClear's, but less completely, so more energy spreads into the surrounding tissue as heat. That heat contracts collagen, which is why CO2 tightens skin so visibly, and it is also why redness and recovery last longer.
Fractional and fully ablative CO2
A fully ablative CO2 treatment removes the whole surface of the treated area, while fractional CO2 treats a grid of columns and leaves bridges of untouched skin that speed healing. Most London clinics now offer the fractional form. DermNet NZ, a dermatology reference, puts complete healing after ablative resurfacing at usually two weeks, within a range of one to four weeks depending on depth, and lists redness, colour change, infection, cold sore flares and scarring among the recognised side effects.
How UltraClear and CO2 compare
Heat around each column
UltraClear's 2910 nm light sits close to the peak at which water absorbs infrared light, so each pulse clears its column with little heat left at the edges. CO2 leaves a wider heated zone. More heat means more tightening, and also more inflammation for the skin to settle.
Downtime
After UltraClear, recovery runs from one to three days of pinkness at the lightest settings to around seven to ten days after deep resurfacing or coring. Fractional CO2 is usually five to ten days of visible recovery at London clinics, with redness that can fade over weeks after that.
Skin type
Any heat-based laser raises the risk of temporary darkening in medium and dark skin. The UltraClear manufacturer states that its superficial and moderate settings suit all skin types and that its advanced settings are designed for skin types I to III. CO2 is generally approached more cautiously in darker skin.
CO2 laser before and after, set against UltraClear
A deep CO2 treatment can produce a large change in one session, especially in fair, heavily sun-damaged skin with loose texture, and that is what most dramatic CO2 before-and-after photographs show. The price of that change is a long, visible recovery. UltraClear usually reaches a similar end point in lines and acne scars over a series of shorter recoveries, and its lightest settings produce a brighter surface within a week or two. In a published UltraClear study, 13 people with acne scars rated 47% better on average by blinded reviewers three months after three sessions. When you compare photographs, check how many sessions they show and how long after treatment they were taken. Laser treatment for acne scars covers scar results in more detail, and sun damage treatment covers the sun-aged skin a CO2 laser is often chosen for.
CO2 laser and UltraClear under the eyes
The skin under and around the eyes is thin and shows crepiness early. Both lasers are used there, at lower energy than on the cheeks. The appeal of UltraClear for the area is the short recovery of its light settings and the option of coring on the upper eyelid for selected people; the practitioner at UNTIL Marylebone publishes the area around the eyes from £650. Hollows and puffiness are a different problem that neither laser changes.
CO2 laser cost in London compared with UltraClear
London clinics that publish CO2 prices list a full-face session from about £1,050 to £1,550, checked on 13 October 2026. The practitioner UltraClear Laser London connects you with publishes a full-face UltraClear session at £850 in the lightest settings, £1,750 in Ultra mode and £4,250 for coring. So a light UltraClear course can cost less than one CO2 session, while the deepest UltraClear work costs more. UltraClear prices by setting and area has every published figure.
Which resurfacing laser suits your skin
- You have medium or dark skin: UltraClear's lighter and moderate settings are the usual starting point, with skin preparation first.
- You cannot take more than a few days off: UltraClear in a light or Clear setting, repeated in a short series.
- You have acne scars: either can work; UltraClear is usually given as three or four sessions.
- You have fair, heavily sun-damaged, loose skin and can take two weeks off: a deep CO2 treatment is worth asking about elsewhere.
The skin assessment is where this is decided, and the doctor at UNTIL Marylebone will tell you if another laser would serve you better. Send an UltraClear enquiry to arrange it.
UltraClear resurfacing in Marylebone, central London
The resurfacing laser given at an UNTIL club is UltraClear, at UNTIL Marylebone, 1 Orchard Street, W1H 6HJ. By TfL walking times it sits 4 minutes from Marble Arch station and 7 from Bond Street, and from Paddington the Elizabeth line reaches Bond Street in about 2 minutes. UltraClear at UNTIL Marylebone has directions, clinic days and what happens on the day.
FAQ
UltraClear vs CO2
common comparisons
Is UltraClear a type of CO2 laser?
No. UltraClear is an erbium-doped fibre laser working at 2910 nm, while a CO2 laser works at 10,600 nm. Both are fractional resurfacing lasers, but they put different amounts of heat into the skin. UltraClear Laser London explains the difference so you can ask the right questions at your assessment.
Does UltraClear work as well as CO2 resurfacing?
For acne scars, lines and texture it can reach similar results over more sessions with shorter recovery, and a dermatology reference rates the conventional erbium laser broadly comparable to pulsed CO2. Deep CO2 still tightens loose skin more in one go. UltraClear Laser London connects you with a doctor who tells you which suits your skin.
Can I have CO2 laser at an UNTIL club?
No practitioner at an UNTIL club publishes CO2 laser treatment. UltraClear is the resurfacing laser given at UNTIL Marylebone. If the doctor there thinks CO2 would suit your skin better, they will say so. UltraClear Laser London forwards your enquiry to UNTIL Health Concierge to set up the UltraClear assessment.
Why does CO2 laser take longer to heal?
Because it leaves a wider zone of heated skin around every column it treats, so there is more inflammation to settle. A dermatology reference puts full healing after ablative resurfacing at usually two weeks. UltraClear Laser London lists UltraClear recovery as one to ten days, depending on the setting chosen.
How much does a CO2 laser cost in London?
London clinics that publish CO2 prices list a full-face session from about £1,050 to £1,550, checked on 13 October 2026, before any time-limited offers. UltraClear Laser London compares that with the published UltraClear range of £850 to £4,250 for the full face, depending on the setting chosen.
Which laser suits acne scars, UltraClear or CO2?
Both can soften rolling and boxcar scars. UltraClear usually takes three or four sessions with shorter recoveries, while a deep CO2 treatment may do more at once with a longer recovery. Skin type often decides it. UltraClear Laser London connects you with a doctor who weighs both against your scars.
Related Treatments
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UltraClear Laser London • UNTIL Marylebone, 1 Orchard Street, London W1H 6HJ
Ask About UltraClearUNTIL Health Concierge gets back to you to set up a skin assessment at UNTIL Marylebone. The practitioner confirms the setting, the downtime and the price before any session is booked.