BBL or MOXI — which procedure suits which skin concern?

Two questions for the skin: colour or texture?

When people are unhappy with their facial skin, they usually mean one of two things. Either the colour bothers them: brown spots after summers by the sea, red small veins on the nose and cheeks, a diffuse redness that lingers for hours after exercise. Or the texture bothers them: a surface that looks uneven under make-up, enlarged pores, fine crinkle lines, a complexion that simply lacks freshness. Many have both, but usually one predominates.

It is precisely along this line that the two procedures differ. BBL HERO is broadband light, a further development of the familiar IPL technology. It works with light that is absorbed by colour — by brown pigment and by red blood pigment. MOXI is a gentle fractional laser with a wavelength of 1927 nanometres. It works not with colour but with water in the uppermost layer of skin, where it creates tiny zones of renewal.

What BBL HERO achieves

The broadband light precisely reaches the places where colour sits. A brown age spot absorbs the energy, heats up briefly and is broken down by the body over the following days: the spot first darkens, looks like a speck of coffee for a few days and then flakes off finely. Red small veins react similarly, except that here the blood in the vessel absorbs the energy and the vessel closes. Depending on the programme, we use it to treat pigment spots, couperose and redness; with Forever Young both together including a stimulation of skin renewal; with Forever Clear acne bacteria via blue light; and with SkinTyte the collagen in the deeper layers via infrared heat. This is described in detail on the page BBL HERO in Wiesbaden.

What BBL cannot do: it barely changes the surface. Pores remain pores, fine lines remain fine lines. So anyone expecting smoother skin after the treatment has chosen the wrong tool.

What MOXI does

MOXI places thousands of microscopic treatment points in the uppermost layer of the skin and leaves healthy skin standing in between. These bridges ensure that the surface renews itself within a few days without a wound forming. The result is a finer texture, pores that appear smaller, softer fine lines and the radiance many describe as “glow”. Superficial, widespread pigmentation is renewed along the way, because it lies in precisely this layer of skin. More under MOXI laser skin resurfacing.

What MOXI cannot do: a red small vein or a deeper-seated pigment spot hardly responds to the laser, because it does not target colour. Here BBL would be the right device.

Decision guide by skin concern

• Brown age spots on the face, hands, décolleté — BBL HERO (pigment programme). For widespread, superficial blotchiness, additionally MOXI.
• Red small veins, couperose, redness on the nose and cheeks — BBL HERO (vascular programme). See also couperose and rosacea in Wiesbaden.
• Cherry angiomas — BBL HERO, spot treatment.
• Coarse pores, rough texture, tired complexion — MOXI.
• Fine lines around the eyes and mouth, “paper-thin skin” — MOXI, supplemented by SkinTyte where there is pronounced loss of elasticity.
• Sun-damaged skin with spots, redness and unevenness — BBL HERO + MOXI in one appointment.
• Prevention, few visible signs yet — Forever Young as a series, later MOXI as needed.
• Inflammatory acne — Forever Clear; for the scars afterwards, rather MOXI or microneedling.

The combination: colour and texture in a single appointment

For many faces that show both spots and an uneven surface, the combination is our recommendation. First BBL HERO works on the colour, and directly afterwards MOXI renews the surface. The two devices complement each other without interfering: the broadband light targets the colour deeper down, the laser the layer above it. Two to three combined sessions are usually enough to achieve a complexion that feels calmer and more even. The downtime is no longer than after MOXI alone.

How many sessions?

That depends on the goal. Individual pigment spots or small veins generally need one to three sessions. We plan Forever Young as a series of three appointments about four weeks apart, followed by one to two refreshes per year. MOXI develops its effect over three to four sessions, likewise at four-week intervals. The combination comes to two to three appointments. First effects are visible after days; collagen building after SkinTyte or MOXI takes weeks.

Downtime and sensation

BBL feels like a brief, warm snap of a rubber band. Afterwards the skin is slightly reddened; treated spots darken and flake off within a week. Most people are presentable immediately, with spots for a few days. MOXI tingles with noticeable warmth; we cool the skin and offer a numbing cream. Afterwards the skin is reddened for two to three days and has a sandpaper-like feel; make-up is usually possible again after one to two days. What you should bear in mind in the days afterwards is set out in the aftercare after BBL and MOXI.

Skin type and suitability

Not every skin is equally suitable. Broadband light seeks out colour — in very dark skin types it finds it everywhere, not just in the spot, and the risk of burns and pigment shifts rises. We therefore use BBL HERO on fair to medium skin types and choose filters and energy after a skin-type assessment in the pre-consultation. MOXI is more flexible here: because the laser targets water rather than melanin, it can also be used in darker skin types with careful dosing. With melasma, the hormonally driven diffuse pigmentation, we are cautious with both devices and start with low energy, because heat can intensify melasma. And with active rosacea with inflammatory flares, we calm the skin first before treating vessels.

How an appointment works

Before the first session there is a consultation in which we look at your skin under magnification and in daylight, ask about sun, medications and skin history, and decide on the programme. On the day of treatment, you come without make-up; the skin is cleansed and, for MOXI, prepared with numbing cream about 30 minutes beforehand. You wear protective goggles, the skin is cooled, and then the handpiece works zone by zone across the face — a few minutes for BBL, somewhat longer for MOXI. Afterwards we cool the skin, apply soothing skincare and sun protection, and give you the aftercare instructions to take home. Altogether, you should allow about an hour for a combination session.

The right season

Neither procedure likes tanned skin. Tanned skin contains more pigment, which the broadband light would heat as well, and after the laser the skin is sensitive to the sun. That is why the season runs from October to April. After every session, sun protection factor 50 is mandatory for several weeks — even under an overcast sky. If you are planning a winter holiday in the sun, mention this in the preliminary consultation.

Costs for orientation

Billing is per session, including 19% VAT, according to the GOÄ. A pigment treatment of the face costs €440, fine small veins on the face €290, Forever Young face €450, MOXI face €390 and the combination BBL HERO + MOXI on the face €690. Individual spots or small veins locally from €120. If you book three sessions as a package, you receive a 15% discount. The full price list can be found on BBL & MOXI in Wiesbaden, and the background in the article What do BBL and MOXI cost?

When neither is the right choice

A pigmented mole that has changed, has irregular borders, appears multicoloured or itches does not belong under a light device but in a dermatology practice for assessment. We treat exclusively benign spots that have been medically classified — and when in doubt, we would rather ask once more for a diagnosis. We also hold off in the case of acute skin infections, during pregnancy and breastfeeding, or under photosensitising medication. We discuss these and individual risks in detail before every treatment.

Frequently asked questions