IPL Photofacial and Pigmentation Correction (M22 IPL, PicoWay Resolve)

Pigmentation correction and skin tone improvement at UnionDerm using M22 IPL (intense pulsed light for redness, vascular lesions, and pigment), PicoWay Resolve (picosecond fractional laser for stubborn pigmentation and skin rejuvenation), and Alex TriVantage (Q-switched Nd:YAG/Alexandrite for pigmented lesions). Treats sun damage, age spots, melasma, rosacea, and vascular irregularities. Performed by board-certified dermatologists at 19 Union Square West.

Pigmentation correction and photofacial treatments at Union Square Laser Dermatology utilize a multi-device approach that enables the treating board-certified dermatologist to select the optimal technology based on the specific pigmentary concern, skin type, and depth of the target chromophore. The M22 IPL (Lumenis) is a multi-application intense pulsed light platform delivering broad-spectrum filtered light (515–1200 nm) selectively targeting oxyhemoglobin in vascular lesions (telangiectasias, rosacea, diffuse redness, port wine stains, spider veins) and melanin in pigmented lesions (solar lentigines, ephelides, and superficial pigmentation), using interchangeable filters to tune the spectral output to the target chromophore. The photofacial protocol — also called OPT (optimal pulse technology) — delivers precise, controlled light pulses that selectively heat target structures while leaving surrounding tissue unharmed, resulting in the characteristic darkening and crusting of pigmented lesions followed by exfoliation within one to two weeks. PicoWay Resolve is a fractional picosecond laser handpiece that creates microscopic laser-induced optical breakdown (LIOB) within the dermis without ablating the epidermis, stimulating collagen remodeling and addressing deeper pigmentation including melasma and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation that does not respond reliably to IPL. The Alex TriVantage (Cynosure) Q-switched Nd:YAG/Alexandrite system provides selective photothermolysis for benign pigmented lesions and can also serve as a complementary tattoo removal modality. Melasma management at UnionDerm combines laser and light-based treatments with medical-grade topical protocols and sun protection regimens developed by the physician team — acknowledging that melasma is a chronic condition requiring maintenance management rather than a single-session cure. Sessions run approximately 20–30 minutes. Topical numbing is applied for PicoWay treatments; IPL typically requires no numbing. New patient consultations at $400 are required.