Picosecond Laser — Pigmentation

Targeted pigmentation removal using the Discovery Pico or Fotona StarWalker picosecond laser systems. Ultra-short picosecond pulses shatter melanin granules into sub-particles small enough for rapid lymphatic clearance, treating sunspots, melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and superficial pigmented lesions with minimal thermal damage to surrounding tissue.

Picosecond laser treatment at VESUNA MED uses ultra-short laser pulses — measured in picoseconds (trillionths of a second) rather than the nanoseconds of older Q-switched systems — to treat pigmentation through a predominantly photomechanical rather than photothermal mechanism. The distinction is clinically significant: conventional nanosecond pulses heat melanin granules until they rupture; picosecond pulses deliver energy so rapidly that the granules fracture through pressure waves generated by the near-instantaneous energy transfer, creating smaller melanin particles with less collateral thermal spread to the surrounding tissue. Smaller, thermally-disrupted melanin particles are more efficiently phagocytosed and cleared by the lymphatic system. This faster clearance translates into two clinical advantages: fewer sessions required for full pigmentation resolution, and a lower risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) — the rebound darkening that sometimes follows aggressive treatment of pigmented lesions on darker Fitzpatrick skin types. VESUNA MED physicians assess pigmentation lesions before treatment to distinguish superficial epidermal pigmentation (sunspots, lentigines) from deeper dermal deposits (certain melasma subtypes, post-inflammatory lesions) and from vascular lesions that do not respond to pigment-targeting wavelengths. Epidermal lesions are treated with the 532nm or 694nm wavelengths; deeper deposits require the 1064nm Nd:YAG mode. The choice of system (Discovery Pico vs Fotona StarWalker) depends on the lesion characteristics and the energy profile most appropriate for the patient's skin tone. Sunspots and isolated lentigines typically clear in 1 to 3 sessions. Melasma requires a staged approach — often 4 to 6 sessions at conservative fluences — due to its deeper and more complex origin. Between sessions, strict sun avoidance and medical-grade SPF are mandatory to prevent reactivation. VESUNA can complement picosecond treatment with the clinic's chemical peel or microneedling options to address any textural irregularities that co-exist with the pigmentation.