Enlighten III PICO Laser
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The Enlighten III PICO laser is currently the best laser for tattoo and pigmented lesion removal. It is also able to lighten melasma and rejuvenate the skin, a treatment called PICO Genesis, with absolutely no downtime! The Enlighten laser does not use heat but uses ultra-short picosecond (one-trillionth of a second) laser pulses which bombard their target at very high pressure, basically shattering the pigment. This provides a much gentler yet more effective treatment. It’s even safe for dark skin types.
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Melasma/PICO Genesis treatment:
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Full face = ½ hour appointment every 2-4 weeks.
No need for numbing unless you want to.
After one full face Pico Genesis treatment
This usually requires several treatments. You may not see results until after the second treatment. With melasma treatment, you will also be getting PICO Genesis skin rejuvenation on the treated areas. You will notice that your skin looks more refined, even, and brighter! You may see mild redness and “welting” for 1-2 days, and we may have you apply ice immediately after the treatment, but generally there is no downtime or wound care. Sunscreen is also important, especially in the week post-treatment.
MELASMA CANNOT BE CURED and can be extremely stubborn to treat! Even if we are able to significantly lighten it, there are many factors including sunlight, heat, and hormones that can stimulate it again. Keeping melasma under control requires maintenance with topical therapy, avoidance of melasma triggers, copious sun protection, and periodic laser touch ups. The Enlighten laser is ideal for melasma because we are able to treat the pigment without over-heating the skin. This is a major issue with all other laser devices which have the potential to overheat the skin and stimulate melasma even more. It’s better to go “slow and steady” with melasma. Being too aggressive with any type of laser treatment may cause rebound hyperpigmentation.
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Pigmented Lesion/Tattoo Treatment
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May require topical numbing 30-60 minutes prior to treatment
No tan on day of treatment!
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Pigmented lesions such as aging spots and sun freckles are often significantly reduced after just one treatment but may require a touch up in a month. Aging spots tend to recur over time and may be impossible to completely clear.
After 1 treatment of seborrheic keratoses & lentigos
After 1 treatment of a lentigo (pigmented lesion).
Picosecond lasers are proven to clear tattoos and pigmented lesions more quickly, safely, and effectively than any other device. Tattoos may require several treatments every 2-3 months to remove. Fresh professional tattoos with multiple colors will be the most challenging to clear while simple black tattoos respond the fastest. The Enlighten III laser has 3 different wavelengths that make it capable of treating all ink colors. In addition to picosecond pulses, it also has nanosecond pulses (longer pulse duration) that are more effective when treating larger pigment particles.
After two treatments of tatoo removal
You must not be tan for this procedure. After lasering, the treated area may be crusty and occasionally there may be pinpoint bleeding. We will apply Aquaphor healing ointment over the treated area. Wound care includes keeping the area covered with Aquaphor for 7-10 days until it heals. It’s also important to protect the treated area from the sun.