PicoStar® Pico laser
The picosecond laser delivers ultra-short light pulses and breaks down pigment predominantly through a pressure wave rather than heat. We use it for benign pigment spots and in tattoo removal.
Overview
The Pico laser, in our practice the PicoStar by Asclepion, works with light pulses in the picosecond range, that is, lasting trillionths of a second. Because the pulses are so short, it acts predominantly photoacoustically: the abrupt uptake of energy in the pigment creates a tiny pressure wave that breaks the colour particles up mechanically instead of primarily heating them. The fragments are then carried away by scavenger cells of the immune system or shed with the natural renewal of the epidermis. The surrounding tissue is subjected to comparatively little thermal strain.
Its main field of application is benign pigment changes: age and sun spots (lentigines) on the face, hands and décolleté, blotchy pigmentation as a result of sun damage, and freckles. We also use the device to refine the skin's appearance where pores have coarsened, the complexion looks uneven or fine crepey lines have formed; the benefit here is to be judged more cautiously than in pigment removal. In tattoo removal the Pico laser is our main device. Depending on the colour spectrum we combine it with the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser, because each colour absorbs light best in a particular spectral range; the even shorter Pico pulses can break up coloured pigments in particular more finely.
Every treatment begins with a dermatological assessment: only clearly benign pigment changes are eligible for the laser. Unclear pigmented lesions are clarified beforehand, where in doubt by examining the tissue under the microscope, because in rare cases an early form of melanoma (lentigo maligna) can hide behind what looks like an age spot. For age and sun spots the Q-switched ruby laser is available as an alternative; which system fits depends on the findings. Procedure, number of sessions, downtime and risks are described on the treatment pages on the Pico laser and on tattoo removal.
Areas of application
- Age and sun spots (lentigines) on the face, hands and décolleté
- Blotchy pigmentation due to sun damage and freckles, after dermatological assessment
- Benign superficial pigment changes such as individual café-au-lait spots, after medical examination on a case-by-case basis
- Tattoos, including multicoloured ones, in combination with the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser
- Refinement of the skin's appearance where pores have coarsened, the complexion is uneven or fine crepey lines have formed