Doctors, can someone tell me the difference between the two lasers in terms of result, number of tx required, collagen remodelling capability, etc? I understand that picosure has zero to minimal downtime and does not use heat energy. Are both lasers equal in terms of end result? Will lets say 3 pico is equally the same with 3 fractional co2? Or if one of the laser yeilds faster results in days/weeks/months?
October 12, 2016
Answer: Picosure vs fractional CO2 Hi- Acne scars can be treated with a variety of lasers. The degree of improvement you see will also depend on the type of acne scar you have and how severe the scarring is. For this reason it would be a good idea to have a consultation with someone who specializes in laser surgery and who has several devices. In general, CO2 lasers are the gold standard when it comes to treating scars, wrinkles and photorejuvenation; but there is more downtime associated with a fractional CO2 treatments (than a picosecond laser or nonablative laser). It typically can take weeks even months to see results and depending on how severe your scars are you may need to do a few treatments. Picosecond lasers have also been used to treat acne scars with some success. With these lasers there is no significant downtime. There are no published studies comparing both lasers. However, I've used both lasers and from my experience I've seen much more dramatic improvement with fractional CO2 resurfacing. If your acne scarring is more mild you may see improvement with a picosecond laser (but I would expect to do multiple treatments over the course of several months). If you're concerned about downtime with the fractional CO2 you may also want to consider microneedling, which can be a good treatment for acne scars. Best, Dr. Chwalek
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October 12, 2016
Answer: Picosure vs fractional CO2 Hi- Acne scars can be treated with a variety of lasers. The degree of improvement you see will also depend on the type of acne scar you have and how severe the scarring is. For this reason it would be a good idea to have a consultation with someone who specializes in laser surgery and who has several devices. In general, CO2 lasers are the gold standard when it comes to treating scars, wrinkles and photorejuvenation; but there is more downtime associated with a fractional CO2 treatments (than a picosecond laser or nonablative laser). It typically can take weeks even months to see results and depending on how severe your scars are you may need to do a few treatments. Picosecond lasers have also been used to treat acne scars with some success. With these lasers there is no significant downtime. There are no published studies comparing both lasers. However, I've used both lasers and from my experience I've seen much more dramatic improvement with fractional CO2 resurfacing. If your acne scarring is more mild you may see improvement with a picosecond laser (but I would expect to do multiple treatments over the course of several months). If you're concerned about downtime with the fractional CO2 you may also want to consider microneedling, which can be a good treatment for acne scars. Best, Dr. Chwalek
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December 1, 2020
Answer: Co2 vs Pico fractional devices for acne scarring Bottom line, Co2 works much better, however side effects in ethnic skin types are higher- namely PIH or skin darkening. I do use PICOSURE FOCUS for early scars, or dark scars in ethnic skin types. Video explains lasers and other methods to treat scars. All the best, Dr Davin Lim. Brisbane. Australia.
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December 1, 2020
Answer: Co2 vs Pico fractional devices for acne scarring Bottom line, Co2 works much better, however side effects in ethnic skin types are higher- namely PIH or skin darkening. I do use PICOSURE FOCUS for early scars, or dark scars in ethnic skin types. Video explains lasers and other methods to treat scars. All the best, Dr Davin Lim. Brisbane. Australia.
Helpful