About PicoWay

PicoWay is an FDA-cleared picosecond laser that treats acne scars, wrinkles, benign pigmented lesions (dark spots) and tattoo removal. PicoWay first became known for its tattoo and pigment removal capabilities, but it is now growing in use for acne scars and wrinkles.

PicoWay uses different handpieces and laser wavelengths for treatment of these conditions. The PicoWay Zoom handpieces treat tattoo removal and dark spots. And the PicoWay Resolve handpieces treat acne scars and wrinkles.

PicoWay has the shortest pulse durations* of any available picosecond laser for aesthetic use. PicoWay offers effective treatments with low to no downtime following treatment. Learn more about how PicoWay can help you transform your skin.

How PicoWay Works

All PicoWay treatments use a picosecond laser with high power and the shortest laser pulses available. A picosecond is a trillionth of a second! The ultra-short pulses with PicoWay are important because they lead to a “photoacoustic” effect that avoids heating the skin rather than a photothermal (or heat) approach that heats the skin and can lead to side effects, such as downtime and scarring.

Because PicoWay uses ultra-short laser pulses, the result is a laser that has low to no downtime after treatment. Users can resume normal activities and even apply makeup over acne scar or wrinkle treated skin within a day of treatment.

The PicoWay laser reaches under the skin for its impact, leaving the outer layer of the skin intact. The ultra-short pulses vaporize their targets before the skin has the chance to overheat. Targets can be pigment from a tattoo, melanin in the skin that causes dark spots, or areas in the dermis (a layer under the outer skin) where tiny spaces can be created to allow room for new collagen and elastin growth in the treatment of acne scars and wrinkles.

PicoWay and PicoWay Resolve work in two ways:

PicoWay Zoom

The Zoom handpieces of PicoWay target pigment in the skin. Pigment can naturally formed, caused by too much melanin in the skin. This appears as dark spots on the skin that can either be seen at birth or form over time from sun damage (sometimes called sun spots), aging, or even be a result of medical conditions (such as melasma). Pigment can also be added to the skin, in the form of ink in a tattoo. In either case, the PicoWay laser targets the pigment and shatters it into tiny particles that are no longer seen through the skin.

PicoWay Resolve

The laser beam in PicoWay Resolve is formed from the same beam-type used in the PicoWay Zoom handpieces, but it is split into over 100 identical beams, or beamlets. These beamlets reach below the skin’s surface in areas that are spaced evenly apart. Because the laser is so fast and powerful, it leads to tiny areas under the skin vaporizing using a non-thermal (not heating) effect, called a “photoacoustic” effect. Tiny open spaces are created under the skin that are then filled in over time with the growth of new collagen and elastin. PicoWay literally works from the inside out. The treatment does not cause the outer layers of the skin to break, so patients enjoy low to no downtime after treatment.