Pigmentation of the skin can cause many people to feel insecure in their appearance. Luckily there are options in today’s beauty industry to help everyone feel more confident in their skin.
Discover how PicoSure laser and Elite IQ laser can target stubborn pigmentation like melasma and sun spots with minimal downtime. Find out if it’s the right solution for your skin! Picosure laser?
Key Takeaways
- Cause: Understanding the main causes of hyperpigmentation.
- Pigmentation Laser Effectiveness: Ideal for treating pigmentation issues like sun spots, melasma, and age spots with minimal downtime.
- How It Works: Picosure uses ultra-short pulses of energy to break down excess melanin, allowing the body to naturally clear pigmentation. Elite IQ can treat benign pigmented lesions, is suitable for lighter skin types and uses the 755nm Alexandrite wavelength to target pigmentation.
- Minimal Downtime: Most patients experience only mild redness that resolves within hours, with no significant recovery time required.
- Long-Term Results: With a few treatments, PicoSure and Elite IQ can provide noticeable and lasting improvements in pigmentation.
Causes of Pigmentation
Sun Exposure (UV Radiation)
Unprotected exposure to the sun causes damage to melanin found within the skin. Over time it can create age spots and freckles on the skin that can only be reversed with advance treatments.
Hormonal Changes
- Melasma: hormonal changes during puberty, pregnancy, Menopause can lead to dark patches of skin, particularly on the face.
- Oral Contraceptives: Birth control pills, which contain estrogen and progesterone, can also trigger melasma-like pigmentation changes.
- Hormonal Imbalances: Conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can cause hormonal shifts that affect pigmentation, often leading to skin darkening (especially around the neck, armpits, and inner thighs).
Inflammation or Skin Injury (Post-inflammatory Hyperpigmentation)
According to the National Library of Medicine, after an injury, burn, or acne outbreak, the skin may darken as it heals. It occurs when excess melanin is produced in response to inflammation or trauma to the skin.
Age Spots (Liver Spots)
These are small, flat, brown spots that appear as a result of sun exposure and aging. They are most commonly found on areas of the skin that have been exposed to the sun over the years, such as the face, hands, and shoulders.
Freckles
Some people develop freckles over time, particularly if they have fair skin. These are small brown spots that become darker with sun exposure.
Genetics
Some people are genetically predisposed to certain pigmentation patterns. Freckles, moles, and darker skin tones are inherited traits.
Medications
Certain medications can cause pigmentation changes as a side effect. Some Medications that cause changes to the skin are; chemotherapy, antibiotics or drugs used for hormonal treatments.
Nutritional Deficiencies
Deficiencies in certain vitamins and minerals may cause the skin to develop pigmentation.
Skin Care Products and Cosmetics
Overuse or misuse of certain products can irritate the skin, leading to pigmentation changes, particularly in darker skin tones.
Chronic Skin Conditions
Eczema, psoriasis, lupus can lead to changes in pigmentation, especially in the healing phases when skin regenerates after flare-ups or from rashes and other forms of pigmentation on the skin.
Diet and Lifestyle Factors
High sugar intake and other dietary factors can affect skin health and may influence pigmentation, as can smoking, which can lead to skin damage and a dull, uneven complexion.
Dehydration and poor skin care routines may exacerbate pigmentation issues, making them more noticeable.
Environmental Factors
Exposure to pollutants, chemicals, or certain metals (like nickel) can sometimes cause pigmentation changes in the skin.
What is Laser Pigmentation Removal?
Laser pigmentation removal uses laser technology to target Melanin in the skin to slowly break it down and cause the pigmentation to fade over time. Results are fact and precise as to cause minimal damage to the surrounding tissues.
Pico Laser
The Cynosure PicoSure laser is an excellent option for addressing pigmentation concerns, offering notable effectiveness with minimal downtime.
Its versatility allows it to treat a wide range of skin types and conditions, making it a highly reliable solution for improving skin tone and texture.
How It Works
Cynosure’s PicoSure laser is a picosecond laser designed to treat pigmentation issues like hyperpigmentation. It uses ultra-short pulses of energy (much faster than traditional lasers) to target melanin in the skin.
The laser breaks down excess melanin in areas affected by sun spots, age spots, or melasma into smaller fragments.
The body then naturally clears these fragments, leading to a reduction or lightening of the pigmented spots over time.
Is there downtime?
There is no downtime with PicoSure Focus™ facials. Patients may experience erythema that typically resolves within a few hours, but in some cases, may linger up to 24 hours.
PicoSure works in harmony with your skin to lighten pigmentation such as freckles, sun damage and more. It breaks up the tiny particles that make up these discolorations.
The particles are then absorbed into the skin.
Lip Pigmentation
Before and after 2 Treatments – Courtesy of Shiny Lotus Med Spa:
Elite IQ Laser
Cynosure Elite IQ laser uses alexandrite laser technology ( 755 wave length energy) to precisely target the over production of melanin within the skin. It is safe for skin types I-III( fair complections).
How it works
The Elite IQ alexandrite is pulsed into the skin to target melanocytes. The Melanocytes are then broken down and cleared out by the body’s natural systems such as the bloodstream and the lymphatic system.
Is there downtime?
Pigment may become darker for the first 3- 7 days post-treatment then will slowly fade to lighter colour. There may be some redness and swelling post-treatment.
Some people experience minor frosting ( white appearance) for 24-48 hours after treatment.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Cynosure’s PicoSure laser is a highly effective treatment for pigmentation concerns, offering fast results with minimal downtime. Its precision in targeting melanin makes it ideal for treating issues like sun spots, age spots, and melasma.
The laser’s ultra-short pulses break down excess pigment, allowing the body to naturally clear the fragments, leading to a noticeable reduction in pigmentation over time.
With little to no downtime, PicoSure provides a safe and efficient solution for improving skin tone and texture across a variety of skin types and conditions.
Ready to explore your options for glowing skin? Visit Shiny Lotus to learn more about our advanced skin treatments and how we can help you achieve your skincare goals. Your journey to confidence starts here!
We’d LOVE to hear from you!
- Have you ever struggled with hyperpigmentation? What treatments have worked best for you?
- Have you tried any laser treatments or chemical peels? Share your thoughts and results with us!
Leave a comment below or reach out if you have any questions about managing pigmentation!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is picosure better than chemical peel?
PicoSure is more precise and targets deeper pigmentation, making it ideal for stubborn issues like melasma with faster results and minimal downtime. Chemical peels, which work on the skin’s surface, are better for lighter pigmentation and uneven tone, but may require more sessions. PicoSure is generally better for deeper pigmentation, while chemical peels are effective for surface-level concerns.
How often should you do picosure?
PicoSure treatments are spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart, depending on skin type, pigmentation severity, and the treatment area, to allow for healing and natural pigment removal
How long does it take? What is the process?
Depending on the treated area, here is the timing for each treatment:
- Lips 30 – 40mins
- Underarms 40-50mins
- Inner thighs 50-60mins
- Full Face 60-75 mins
The treatment process depends on the area of the body. All areas treated are numbed for 20 minutes and then the laser treatment is performed using two different hand pieces to get the best results.
Post-treatment depending on the area, cooling and a serum is applied or a cooling and repairing mask is applied. Followed by sunscreen.
How does it feel, is it painful?
The treatment is a bit spicy, you may feel hot during the treatment, but we’ll numb you prior to treatment, then apply a cooling machine and calming serum afterward.
The redness is usually gone after 24 hours, there’s usually no pain and no swelling. We recommend avoiding swimming and hot saunas for 48 hours after treatment and avoiding active ingredients like retinol and vitamin C for a minimum of 3 days before and after treatment.
Does it have any side effects?
Side effects are temporary, some people experience redness on the skin for 3-6 hours post-treatment, and some people see their skin become darker before it becomes lighter.
On very rare occasions, if post-protocol is not followed (aftercare is given along with dos and don’ts for after-treatment) and sunscreen is not used, people experience darkening of the pigmentation or burns.
How far between 2 treatments?
4-6 weeks is recommended between treatments to give the skin time to heal.
Is it permanent, will it come back, and will any maintenance be needed in the future?
Most people continue to do Maintenance treatments once a year after a full round of sessions is completed. You can also use products with Vitamin C in them to help keep skin clear and bright and always wearing SPF will be the best prevention.
Because some pigmentation concerns can come and go through different changes in life ( pregnancy, menopause, hormonal changes), you may see pigmentation come back. However, with maintenance treatments and the right at-home care, it can be kept away.
I have very dark skin, is it safe for me to have a Picosure laser treatment?
Yes, Picosure is safe to use on all skin types, from the lightest to the darkest. People with darker skin types are advised to come in 3-4 days prior to their first treatment to have a patch test done to ensure safety.
I have very dark skin, is it safe for me to have an Elite IQ laser treatment?
No, Elite IQ only treats skin types that are fair clinically we say skin types 1 -3 which typically consists of people with heritage of Ireland, Scotland, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, German and other counties within that area.
