WHAT IS PICO LASER
Pico lasers got its name from the SI unit measurement, pico. The pico unit is rather unheard of as it is really so minute, unlike the mili, micro and nano units which are much more common. To give you an idea of how really tiny the unit measurement is, a picosecond is one trillionth the speed of a second! This definitely gives you an idea of how fast the laser is. Pico lasers deliver laser shots (“pulses”) that are short, fast and high-powered. When the pulses are short and fast, more laser shots can be delivered to the treatment area and hence, the skin problem can be resolved quicker.
On the other hand, traditional lasers uses nanosecond pulse widths. You may have come across the term “Q-Switched Nd:YAG Laser” or simply nanosecond lasers – these are the traditional lasers used in most aesthetic treatment centres today before the emergence of the pico laser. With a nanosecond being one billionth of a second, the laser shots in traditional lasers are also delivered in very high speeds but they are still 1,000 times slower than a pico laser.
However, it is not just the pulse length or speeds that matter when selecting a laser treatment. There are more factors that make pico lasers more effective – read more below.
The Advantage of Pico Laser over Traditional Laser
Pico lasers work more effectively than traditional lasers because
- pico laser pulses are shorter, faster and more powerful, resulting in fewer treatments as the skin becomes free of the problem quicker when it receives more laser shots
- pico lasers also have an additional third wavelength pulse, 755nm, that targets a specific problem compared to traditional lasers that have just two wavelengths
- pico lasers uses radiopulse technology to breaks up pigmentation, instead of traditional lasers that works by forcing the pigmentation to absorb light and heat energy to appear lighter yet still visible
Because the skin’s pigment absorbs heat from traditional lasers, customers have to wait longer between sessions to allow the skin to heal and lose redness before undergoing another session. There is also a risk of the heat damaging the surrounding tissues. On the contrary, there is no downtime for customers who undergo pico laser treatment – a session typically takes 15 minutes and customers can even apply makeup on the treated skin right after that without experiencing any effect or discomfort.
How Does Pico Laser Work?
Beverly Wilshire’s pico lasers, PicoWay, tackle various skin problems in two ways:
- PicoWay Zoom
Picoway’s pico laser pulses are delivered to the skin using Zoom hand-held devices. When these pico laser pulses hit the dark spots in the skin caused by accumulation of melanin, the dark pigments erupt into very small particles that will no longer be visible on the skin’s surface.
PicoWay Zoom laser pulses are ideal for removing pigmentation caused by long-term exposure to the sun, tattoos, birth spots or even medical conditions such as melasma that result in brown or gray patches on the skin.
- PicoWay Resolve
The PicoWay Resolve method emits the same PicoWay Zoom laser pulses broken into 100 identical pulses called beamlets. Because the laser pulses are ‘finer’ and evenly spaced out now, the beamlets penetrate and vaporize tiny areas beneath the skin using a non-heating (“photoacoustic”) effect. New open spaces are now created upon the vaporization, which the skin will self-heal and repair over time by generating collagen and elastin. The result – rejuvenated and supple skin that’s free of fine lines, open pores and wrinkles.
Traditional lasers can also remove pigmentation, tattoos and wrinkles BUT in a less effective and comfortable way.
What does Pico Laser Treat?
Pico laser is the best treatment if you have these skin imperfections that have been bothering you:
- Pigmentation
- Unwanted tattoos
- Large pores
- Scars
- Acne
- Wrinkles and fine lines
PicoWay Zoom will address pigmentation and tattoo removal, while PicoWay Resolve will regenerate the skin to treat large pores, scars, acne and wrinkles. Of all skin conditions mentioned, those who are seeking tattoo removal will benefit the most from pico lasers as the laser pulses are especially ideal for the removal of blue and green coloured pigments, which have always been a challenge to completely remove using traditional laser treatments.
What to Expect during a Pico Laser Treatment
A pico laser treatment is a safe and non-invasive treatment, so there is nothing that you really need to do to prepare. Your first step would be to search for a licensed and experienced aesthetic treatment clinic like us at Beverly Wilshire Medical Centre that offers pico laser treatments. The doctor will assess your skin issue and determine the method as well as the optimum wavelength to treat the problem. The treatment is done by the doctor himself in the same visit. A session is so quick at an average of 15 minutes each, with no visible side effects, that you could even schedule an appointment during your lunch break.
Make an appointment with our doctors at Beverly Wilshire Medical Centre today to find out how pico lasers can help you regain your confidence.
