Most pigment devices work by heating melanin until it breaks down. Pico shatters it mechanically instead. That single difference is why it's the first choice for melasma, the safer option across deeper skin tones, and why it comes with almost no downtime.
It treats pigment, not texture. Sun damage, melasma, post-acne marks, freckling, underarm darkening, tattoo ink.
Redness lasts hours. But treated spots darken before they fade, and that phase runs one to two weeks — allow three weeks before anything photographed.
$900 full face, or three for $2,025. Usually three to six sessions, four weeks apart.
IPL and most pigment lasers deliver heat. Melanin absorbs it, the pigment breaks down, and the surrounding tissue takes some of that heat too.
Pico delivers energy in picoseconds — trillionths of a second. The pulse is too fast to transfer meaningful heat, so pigment is shattered by a pressure wave instead of cooked.
That distinction isn't academic. Heat is what drives post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation in deeper skin, and heat is what makes melasma rebound darker. Removing most of the heat from the equation is the entire reason Pico is the device used here for both.
Cherry and CareCredit financing accepted. Full cost breakdown by concern.
The second exclusion catches people out. Pico is frequently sold as an all-purpose rejuvenation laser. It isn't. If the problem is texture, CO2 or erbium is the answer; if it's redness, IPL. Pico versus CO2 in detail.
Fragmented pigment migrates upward through the epidermis before shedding — and on the way up, it looks darker than it did before treatment.
This starts within a day or two and runs into the second week. It means the treatment worked.
Patients who aren't told this conclude the laser made their pigment worse, and a fair number abandon the series there. Which is the most common way a good outcome gets thrown away.
Redness is gone in a day. The darkening is not — and treating a week before a wedding lands the event squarely in the darkest part of the process.
If the event is sooner, waiting until afterward is the better call.
Melasma is treated at deliberately conservative settings, because it's heat-sensitive and rebounds darker after aggressive treatment.
The darkening and shedding will be gentler than what someone treated for sun spots sees. That's intended. A dramatic reaction on melasma would be a reason for concern.
It also means progress depends on sun avoidance and topical management alongside treatment, and that melasma is managed rather than cured. How melasma is approached here.
Active tan or recent sun exposure — treating tanned skin raises the risk of an uneven result. Pregnancy. Recent isotretinoin. Active infection or cold sore in the area.
And any mole, growth, or changing lesion is examined before anything is lasered. Anything atypical is referred rather than treated — removing a lesion with a laser destroys the tissue a pathologist would need.
Pico gets sold as a do-everything laser and it isn't one. It's the best pigment tool available and it does nothing for texture, which is why the assessment matters more than the device. The other thing worth saying plainly: pigment darkens before it fades, and I'd rather someone hear that at consultation than panic on day three and stop a series that was working. Every session performed personally — not handed to a laser technician.
What does Pico laser treat?
Pigment, primarily. Sun damage and age spots, melasma, post-inflammatory marks left behind by acne, freckling, underarm darkening, and tattoo ink. It is not a texture device — it will not resurface scarring or soften deep lines, and anyone selling it for those is overselling it.
How is Pico different from IPL or other lasers?
Most pigment devices work by heating melanin until it breaks down. Pico delivers energy in picoseconds, which shatters pigment mechanically through a pressure wave with far less heat. That matters because heat is what drives post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and what makes melasma rebound darker. Lower thermal load is the entire reason Pico is the first choice for melasma and the safer option across deeper skin tones.
How much does Pico laser cost in Newport Beach?
Full face is $900 per session, or three sessions for $2,025, a 25 percent saving. A single targeted spot is $400. Underarm lightening is $450, or four sessions for $1,500. Tattoo removal starts at $250 and is priced by size. Eyebrow pigment correction is $250. Cherry and CareCredit financing are accepted.
How many sessions will I need?
Typically three to six, spaced about four weeks apart, because Pico works cumulatively rather than in one dramatic session. Isolated sun spots sometimes clear in one or two. Melasma is ongoing management rather than a course with an end point. Tattoos take considerably more, depending on ink colour, density, and age.
What is the downtime?
Very little in terms of redness — a few hours of pinkness and warmth, and most patients go back to normal activity the same day. The part to plan around is different: treated pigment darkens for one to three days before flaking away over one to two weeks. Allow three weeks before anything photographed.
Why do my spots look darker after treatment?
Because it worked. Fragmented pigment migrates upward through the epidermis before shedding, and it looks darker on the way up. Patients who are not warned about this frequently assume the laser made things worse and abandon the series, which is the most common way a good outcome gets thrown away.
Is Pico laser safe for darker skin tones?
It carries lower risk than heat-based devices, because reduced thermal load means less of the inflammation that drives post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation in deeper skin. Lower risk is not no risk, and settings are adjusted accordingly, but for pigment in Fitzpatrick IV to VI skin it is generally the appropriate choice where IPL and ablative resurfacing are not.
Can Pico treat melasma?
It is the primary device used for melasma here, at deliberately conservative settings. Melasma is heat-sensitive and rebounds darker after aggressive treatment, so the visible response is milder and more gradual than what a sun spot produces. Progress also depends on sun avoidance and topical management alongside treatment, and melasma is managed rather than cured.
Does it hurt?
Most patients describe it as a rapid snapping sensation rather than heat. Topical numbing is applied where the area or the patient's tolerance calls for it. Tattoo removal is the most uncomfortable application and is where numbing matters most.
Assessment establishes what kind of pigment you have and how deep it sits — before anything is recommended. Sometimes the answer is a different laser, or topical management first.
4667 MacArthur Blvd, Suite 310 — Newport Beach, CA 92660
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