Picosecond Laser Treatment Options:
- Pico toning
- Carbon laser facial
- Laser toning for pigmentation – skin whitening by reducing uneven pigmentation for melasma, age spots & freckles.
- Skin rejuvenation – skin tightening and treating facial lines and wrinkles with laser toning.
- Enlarged pores – minimising enlarged pores.
- Acne scar treatment – acne scarring in all skin types.
Pico Toning
Pico toning is a new treatment concept made possible because of the picosure laser. Unlike older laser technology, picosecond lasers produce laser-induced optical breakdown (LIOB) when focused on the skin. LIOBs are small areas of tissue damage (microvacuoles) surrounded by intact skin. These micro areas of injury result in an inflammatory response, triggering collagen repair and remodelling. Pico toning benefits include skin texture improvement, decreased facial wrinkles, pore size, and acne scars.
- During pico toning laser treatment, the skin remains intact.
- There is no anaesthesia. However, pico toning is well tolerated.
- Pico toning can rejuvenate “skin of colour safely.”
Carbon Laser Facial vs. Pico Toning
Pico laser facial can refer to three different treatment options. They vary depending on your skin type.
- In Asian skin types, a pico laser facial can refer to the pico toning procedure. Because darker skin types have more pigment, focusing a laser onto the skin attracts the laser beam. So when performing a pico laser facial, skin rejuvenation can occur, and pigmentation is lessened.
- In lighter skin types (where the skin is whiter), a carbon paste is massaged into the skin before laser treatment. The carbon paste, of course, then acts as the chromophore to attract the laser for a therapeutic effect. This pico laser facial is most commonly called the Carbon laser facial or china doll facial because, after treatment, your skin is porcelain smooth.
- Pico toning for pigmentation refers mainly to melasma pigment treatment and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, though other types of laser pigment treatment are possible.
Laser Toning for Pigmentation (Melasma)
With shorter pulses of the picosecond lasers and photo-acoustic breaking down of the pigment, pico lasers provide targeted and safer pigmentation treatment with less dermal heating than older laser technology. Less skin heating means pico laser treatment for pigmentation is significantly safer in darker skin types. However, Pico laser toning is most effective for melasma treatment.
Pico Laser vs. Laser Resurfacing
Picosecond laser rejuvenation is not the same as laser resurfacing, as the unique benefits of the new technology mean that regeneration can occur without breaching the surface of the skin through the creation of laser-induced optical breakdown.
Picosecond lasers were initially introduced for tattoo removal. It was only later that the rejuvenation qualities were realised. The photons of this ultrafast laser produce a laser-induced optical breakdown (LIOB) process, resulting in micro-injury zones present as dermal and epidermal vacuoles. The LIOB are responsible for the rejuvenating effect of picosecond laser.
On the other hand, laser resurfacing does rely on injury to part (fractional resurfacing) or all the the epidermis (CO2 laser resurfacing).
Pico Laser for Skin Rejuvenation
Picosecond lasers have become central for skin rejuvenation, acne scars, enlarged pores, fine lines and wrinkles.
- Pico laser skin rejuvenation is a no-downtime treatment, with mild redness for a day or so as the only after-effect.
- In addition, Pico laser skin rejuvenation treatment revolutionised skin texture treatment of Asian and darker skin colours.
- The skin texture improvements seen with picosecond lasers occur over one to three treatments (or more).
- Predominantly introduced as facial treatment, the Picosure laser is also used on the arms, hand, neck and decolletage.
Pico Laser Treatment for Acne Scars
Picosecond laser treatment for acne scars uses picosecond technology to target areas of acne scarring. The Pico treatment approach for acne scars depends on the skin colour. Darker skin tones having a natural pigment, a pico toning or a general rejuvenation approach can be taken. However, a technique called laser subscision is required in lighter skin colour.
Pico Laser Treatment for Pores
With darker skin types, pico laser facial with pico toning, whereas in lighter skin types, either a carbon laser facial or subcision for deep enlarged pores.
Book Online or call 07 3350 5447 for a free consultation with our laser Nurse, Christine.
Picosecond Laser | Pico Toning Laser | Pico Treatment | Picocare Laser | Pico Laser for Pigmentation