Picosure for Hyperpigmentation & Freckles

vada spa in NYC. but just beware. it’s a completely no frill place. no glitz no glam. Do your research before making an appointment so you’re s informed as possible because it’s a spa not a derm. I did my research and just needed someone who had the laser to do it! $299 each when you buy a 3 pack. NO WHERE in NY has that good if a deal for this treatment. Best of Luck!

look on the Cynosure website or try searching Picosure Focus near your area. this was done by an esthetician that I held my breath and hoped for the best with after doing a load of research. good luck!

Thanks! Did you get any information regarding the depth of your pigmentation? Epidermal is much easier to treat than dermal, which is what I have

i didnt get info from vada spa, but I know from derms and how my skin reacts to treatments that my issues are really on the top layers. i have only a few deeper pigmentation issues that I see more gradual improvement. my deep pigment has shown noticeable improvement after 3 treatments.

this has also helped my melasma around my mouth at 2 treatments I’d say...

I have a dermal post inflammatory hyperpigmentation under my right eye that I really want removed, but it's a very slight hue at this point and I'm scared of making it worse or more permanent. Epidermal pigmentation is much easier to get rid of than dermal, so that's why I'm asking. Unfortunately it's really hard to find anyone treated for the same condition as me.

i would totally do a consult with an experienced derm for your diagnosis then make the best decision based on safety and cost of where to do it. in my experience this will not make hyperpigmentation worse. ive done it a bunch of times so far. more aggressive treatments like fraxel can...i’ve made that mistake too! good luck!

vada spa

thx

thanks!! what a battle. Vada Spa. If you message me your email i can send you a coupon too!

Fraxel is NOT the right laser for melasma. Any expert on this would tell you that. It's a 20% chance of getting better and 80% chance of getting worse. I'd stay away from the clinic doing Fraxel for melasma. Picosure has a nice safety profile for melasma.

hey there, on my chin i have both PIH and dermal. i have been working on the dermal for so long that only I really notice it because it takes up a huge part of my chin. The dermal pigmentation I have was caused by ill-prep before fraxel. My derm did not understand my mediterranean skin and totally led me down a wrong path. Fraxel absolutely made a difference in my many types of hyperpigmentation, but I was so scarred for so long that I don’t think Icould ever consider something so strong again. one day I will post pics of that aftermath if I can find them. all in all I have a mix of both PIH and dermal. my chin is looking better each day that passes which I’m happy about. my skin is a bit dry from my last Pico which is helping the pigment gently flake away. I also use HQ pads only for 4 months in the winters to keep my melanin from over-producing which I can say helps so much when doing treatments like Pico or Fraxel. It’s like a booster...I know it’s controversial in Europe and some derms here are very against it, but I think when regulated it can really help my skin from taking a wrong turn. It’s all about experimenting, unfortunately and it has taken me a ton of trial and error esp since I am acne prone and have 5 different skin issues at once! i Hope you get some progress with your skin too! it’s a never-ending ride.

my chin PIH has been there about 2 months btw. my PIH usually lasts 2-4 months if I don’t roll or maintain it.

I've had my PIH for 2 years now. I've used hydroquinone for 3 months with zero improvement, which is how I know it is dermal.

For how long have you had your post-Fraxel dermal pigmentation?

Mine is barely visible (slight grey hue) but extremely bothersome because of its location, so I'm pretty terrified of laser only making it worse (even Picosure).

It sucks, but I'm kind of holding out for newer, better treatments. Not unless I can see someone with my condition cured with any laser. When you can't even find a satisfactory "before/after" of your problem, you know there's nothing there for you, I guess..

Has your dermal pigmentation improved over the years? I'm 2 years out and praying there's still fading left.

yes slowwww improvement, but yes it does improve at a glacial pace. have faith and look into some K Beauty treatments...I’m big in rolling with serums along with 4% hq every winter! weird but helps me.

Yep, except for that topical treatments simply do not work for dermal pigmentation.. They only inhibit melanin synthesis (production of new melanin) and increase epidermal exfoliation, they don't remove pigment from the dermis. As of today only lasers can do that, unfortunately..

So I'm left with this as my only hope, which is why I'm here doing some research. :)

So far I haven't seen anything convincing..

Are you treating the dermal pigment from Fraxel with the Picosure? Is it improving? Lasers like Picosure is supposedly the only way to get rid of dermal pigmentation.

And yes, I have that grey hue, except that it's a dark circle under my eye, and looks horrible. It's like a constant under-eye bag. I need to find some way to get rid of this...

I just got an offer from AnteAGE by Celesse. They're mailing me $275 worth of products in exchange for before and after pictures if it works. It involves using two serums and microneedling, which they are also sending me. I'm a bit sceptical about the microneedling, as I'm scared of making it worse, but it's only 0,2mm and should be safe, I'm just very scared of worsening it.

I was surprised that they were willing to just give me $275 worth of products, but it seems like they believe in their product since they're doing this. I'm just not sure why they're not doing real clinical trials, as my own before/after photos won't be very scientific.

Oh, well, I don't feel like I have much to lose trying. I don't have high hopes, though.

hi there! I try to use Alla when she’s available. I think she is more professional than the others as well. but remember...no frill place and super pushy on sales. I am totally comfortable with her after 4 treatments and with my type of complexion. best of luck!!

Do you tip at Vada? If so, may I ask how much is appropriate ? Thank you

so here’s my issue with them...where on earth do you tip for a laser session? i pay $800 for a package in full and they do expect a tip also! i think that’s a major flaw from Vada Spa. it’s not a facial where you sit and relax for 40 minutes!! anyway, i will give her at most $5. everyone might judge me, but i don’t care. they are overly aggressive with their tipping policy. i think once I gave $7. But IMO they need help in their customer service/marketing training. the promos are always not able to be combined and they expect you to be absolutely on time in NYC or they will cancel you when they have made me wait 1.5 hrs, and the forced tipping. i’m sorry. i will tip my usual facialist 18-20%, but not for this type of service. it doesn’t seem right to me.

holyyyy cow! :O

Hi I’ve done more research and realized there’s a much newer Pico laser out there! It’s called piqo4 and it’s a lot cheaper then picosure . Supposedly less downtime too, less sessions and has ability to go deeper . Trifecta spa has an offer this month for $225/session . Unfortunately I’m not going to b in ny for awhile . I’m curious to know how it compares to Pico sure. FYI I had 4 sessions of picosure w Dr anna Avaliani in ny and it was great but didn’t pick up all my pigment so looking for something else . And it was f ing $$$. Pico sure is probably the oldest Pico laser. Pico way is newer and piqo4 newest.

oh wow i need to look into that! i’ve heard a bit. yea she is so expensive! i wanted to go to her also. i will totally check that out!

There's going to be a new player in town next year, the femtosecond laser. It's undoubtedly going to be very expensive but from what I've learned it has an unprecedented safety profile and efficiancy and uses an entirely different technological mechanism than the pico lasers - it's supposedly not chromophore (therefore colour blind) so it should theoretically respond much better to pigmentation issues. But there's always a ton of hype for these devices, so how well it does remains to be seen.

i will def keep my eye on that one too. thanks for sharing! i think at this point all I can afford is 300 or less per treatment. i hope all the new tech is somewhat affordable. :/

Lmk how that goes,. Normally they charge $300/session but they have a sale going on. Trifecta has great reviews . Ellen marmur my derm and well known In the industry offers it for $350 last time I checked and she operates the laser herself . Dr’s offices also don’t expect tips. Anyone who reads this exchange , let us know why happens if u go for the piqo4!

I just got in contact with trifecta. They seem super nice. Unfortunately where they have the laser is super out-of-the-way for me but I think once I get back from vacation I might try their new laser. The 225 per session price is only for April, unfortunately. It might be worth the drive though! Especially because they do custom mise pricing for spot treatment which I really need on some other areas of my body and I hate paying full price for that type of treatment. I will keep you posted and please if any of you try that new laser please keep me posted!

Ask if they can honor the promo price for when u get back. The receptionist offered to do this for me if I was out of town for short period . By unfortunately won’t b Back in ny for awhile

I forgot to mention that I did find a well reviewed dr who has experience w piqo4 here in Miami . But the laser was performed by med asst after dr looked at my skin . only $150 /session but Im Asian and there’s like no Asians here and they were cautious w my skin type . They did a test on me , little redness for 10 minutes . But No flaking like Pico sure. Not sure if different doctors have different methods . Trifecta tells me there is supposed to b flaking but other offices say not necessarily so I’m confused . I haven’t noticed any change in the test area :( I just know w the picosure , best results is when the area frosts immediately from laser and u get those coffee grinds and they flake off. Also want to mention that numbing cream is usually not used w piqo4 . The heat from the laser freaks me out. I’m ok w pain but heat and burning sensation scares me a bit. Perhaps she didn’t give me enuf passes cuz I was shrinking away from the heat . Will let you know if I proceed . Wish I were in ny cuz I would defo go to marmur since she performs the laser herself and knows how skin should react

that’s a great deal. i don’t actually “peel or flake” after pico. i just look pink and have The most subtle dead skin come off within the next 3 to 4 days. i am pink up to 3 hrs after. my spots got super dark then faded and only got better as time went on with each treatment. i don’t use numbing cream and i think its just at that tolerable point. vada charges more for numbing (ugh) so I opt out haha. hang in there for at least 2 treatments to see the difference!! trifecta didnt have the best explanation for me on how piqo4 differs from the earlier model that I use. i was expecting a more knowledgable comparison to make me switch. please keep us updates on your progress - so curious how the new laser works for you!

Wow, you recover a lot different then me. My skin has to turn pink , then slightly brown, and that dead skin falls off. By week 2, I look amazing , but by week 4, some spots come back . (I wear large sunglasses, sunhat , 2 sunscreens on my face PA++++ . in the winter! ) Each session I do notice gradual improvement . I had my last picosure in March and the piqo4 this last week so I assumed I would see some difference since I’ve already went though the pigment layers w the last 4 Pico sure sessions. That’s too bad that trifecta couldn’t explain the difference between piqo4 and others . It’s about the wider range of energy levels that piqo4 has which target different pigments at different depths resulting in less treatment sessions. The laser pulses are shorter too so that means less risk of damage to skin and therefore less downtime. I will try to post a review soon :)

ahh I see! yes we heal differently! i noticed when I do the sessions closer together at exactly 2.5 weeks I see a really good improvement. please post soon! i may try trifecta if I can get parking around there!