Laser · Mississauga
PicoWay in Mississauga.
Pigment, tattoos and texture.
The short answer
PicoWay is a picosecond laser from Candela. Its pulses are measured in trillionths of a second, short enough to shatter pigment with pressure rather than heat. That is what makes it useful for sun spots, freckles and tattoo ink, with less heat to the surrounding skin than older nanosecond lasers. It is available at Skin Trek Laser Centre in Mississauga, by appointment.
What is PicoWay?
Most pigment lasers work by heating the pigment until it breaks apart. PicoWay delivers its energy in picoseconds, so the pigment particle fractures from a pressure wave before much heat has time to spread. The fragments are smaller, the body clears them more readily, and the skin around the target takes less thermal load.
Less heat matters most in skin that holds pigment easily. In Asian and darker skin types, heat is what drives post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, the darkening that can follow an aggressive laser treatment. A shorter pulse does not remove that risk, but it lowers it, and settings still have to be chosen carefully for each patient.
What it treats
Sun spots and freckles. Well-defined, benign brown spots are the clearest indication. Many respond in one to three sessions.
Tattoo removal. PicoWay is built for breaking up tattoo ink. Black and dark blue respond best. Removal takes a series of sessions spaced several weeks apart, and the number depends on the ink, its depth and its age.
Tone and texture. With a fractionated handpiece, PicoWay can be used at low energy to improve overall tone and fine texture with very little downtime.
What it is not first choice for. Melasma behaves differently from sun spots and is easily made worse by the wrong approach. For melasma we usually start with Hollywood Spectra at Richmond Hill, which carries an FDA clearance for it. We explain the difference in melasma and pigmentation in Asian skin.
What to expect
We begin with a consultation and a VISIA skin analysis, which maps pigment below what the eye can see and gives us a baseline. Not every brown mark should be lasered, and any spot that looks atypical is referred for assessment first.
Treatment itself is quick. Each pulse feels like a snap against the skin. Treated spots usually darken and flake away over about a week. Strict sun protection before and after treatment is part of the plan, not an afterthought.
Where you can have this
Skin Trek Laser Centre, Mississauga
Inside BYT Beauty and Health, Golden Square Centre
1177 Central Parkway West, Unit 80
Mississauga, ON L5C 4P3
By appointment only. Email concierge@skin-trek.com or text (289) 552-7789 to request a time.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between PicoWay and other pigment lasers?
Pulse length. PicoWay fires in picoseconds rather than nanoseconds, so it breaks pigment mainly with pressure rather than heat. That tends to mean smaller fragments, fewer sessions for some indications, and less heat to the surrounding skin.
Is PicoWay safe for Asian skin?
It can be used in Asian skin, with care. The short pulse lowers the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation compared with heat-based lasers, but settings, spacing and sun protection still decide the outcome.
Does PicoWay treat melasma?
Melasma is not the same as sun spots and can worsen with the wrong laser approach. We usually start melasma with Hollywood Spectra at our Richmond Hill clinic, and discuss PicoWay only where it fits.
How many sessions will I need?
Simple sun spots often respond in one to three sessions. Tattoos take a longer series, spaced several weeks apart. You get a realistic estimate at consultation.
Where can I have PicoWay?
At Skin Trek Laser Centre, 1177 Central Parkway West, Unit 80, Mississauga, by appointment only. Email concierge@skin-trek.com or text (289) 552-7789 to request a time.
PicoWay starts with a consultation and VISIA skin analysis. Tell us what you would like treated and a few times that suit you.
Request an appointment Text (289) 552-7789Related at Skin Trek
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