Treatment
Pigmentation
Pigmentation treatment starts with identifying the type, depth, and distribution of excess melanin. Pro 1 Pico handles targeted picosecond correction, while DPL Elite supports broader tone and photodamage treatment.
Relevant technologies
Pro 1 Laser devices
Overview
Pigment correction should match the pattern
Pigmentation is one of the broadest aesthetic treatment categories because not all brown pigment behaves the same way.
A patient with a handful of discrete lentigines needs a different strategy from someone with diffuse sun damage, uneven tone, or a recurrence-prone condition such as melasma. That is where platform choice becomes important.
Pro 1 Pico for targeted pigment work
Pro 1 Pico gives clinics a picosecond pathway for targeted pigment correction using 1064 nm and 532 nm delivery, with wavelength choice based on pigment colour, depth, skin type, and treatment objective.
This is the precision side of the pigment menu: individual lesions, concentrated areas of unwanted pigment, PMU-related pigment, and broader toning strategies where picosecond delivery is appropriate.
DPL Elite for broader tone and photodamage
DPL Elite approaches pigment from the large-field side. Its filtered-light architecture is designed for broader treatment of sun damage, uneven tone, photodamage, and mixed pigment presentations across areas such as the face, neck, chest, and hands.
That gives practices two complementary ways to build a pigment service line instead of forcing every patient into a spot-treatment model.
Where melasma fits
Melasma deserves its own treatment logic. It is recurrence-prone, can be reactive, and should not be marketed as if it behaves like a simple sun spot.
For that reason, melasma-supportive treatment on Pro 1 Pico is positioned around wavelength selection, conservative provider-guided protocols, and long-term pigment management rather than a one-treatment clearance promise. The dedicated melasma treatment page explains why 1064 nm matters, how darker skin changes the wavelength discussion, and where the Pro 1 Pico’s multi-mode architecture fits.
From correction to maintenance
Pigment treatment is often the entry point. Once visible spots and tone concerns improve, patients can move naturally into skin-quality maintenance through PulseStack™ 750, PicoMatrix™, DPL rejuvenation, or other appropriate programs.
Results vary, and treatment planning is based on pigment type, skin type, and provider assessment.
FAQs
Which Pro 1 Laser platforms support pigmentation treatment?
Pro 1 Pico provides picosecond pigment treatment, while DPL Elite provides narrowband light treatment for broader pigmentation and photodamage.
What pigmentation concerns can be treated?
Common treatment categories include sun spots, lentigines, freckling, uneven tone, and selected pigment concerns assessed by the provider. Melasma is approached separately because it can be recurrent and reactive.
Why use 1064 nm on darker or pigment-prone skin?
1064 nm is commonly selected because of its deeper penetration and lower relative absorption by epidermal melanin, with conservative parameters chosen by a trained provider.
Go deeper on pigmentation
Clinical education
- 1064 nm vs 532 nm Picosecond: Two Wavelengths, Two Jobs — What 1064 nm and 532 nm each do in a picosecond platform — depth, melanin interaction, and why a dual-wavelength system covers work a single line cannot.
- 500 ps vs 750 ps Picosecond Laser — Why picosecond pulse width matters: how a 500 ps pulse compares with a 750 ps pulse for peak power and pigment fragmentation when comparing platforms.
- Melasma in Darker Skin: Why 1064 nm Matters — Why wavelength matters in Fitzpatrick IV–VI melasma, how 755 nm and 1064 nm differ in epidermal melanin interaction, and what the evidence supports.
- Carbon Laser Peel, Explained for Clinic Buyers — What a carbon laser peel is, how carbon lotion and the 1064 nm laser work together, what the service needs from a platform, and where Pro 1 Pico fits.
- DPL for Pigmentation and Sun Damage — How narrowband DPL is used for selected pigmentation and sun-damage concerns — chromophore targeting, skin-type considerations, and the melasma caution.
- Melasma Treatment: Why Wavelength and Strategy Matter — A clinical and commercial guide to melasma: why 1064 nm matters, the evidence on 755 vs 1064 nm, and how multi-mode treatment planning fits.
- Choosing Laser and Light Technology for Melasma — Evaluate melasma technology by wavelength, epidermal melanin interaction, pulse behavior, and flexibility — not broad device-category claims.
- The Vascular Component of Melasma — What histology shows about vascularity in melasma, why it changes clinical thinking, and where long-pulse 1064 nm may fit in selected plans.
- Pico Laser for Dark Lips and PIH — How gentle 1064 nm picosecond protocols may help dark lips and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation in darker skin — with strict PIH-risk management.
- Pro 1 Pico for Melasma: 1064 nm First — Why the melasma case for Pro 1 Pico starts with 1064 nm — then expands through picosecond, PTP dual-pulse, long-pulse 1064 nm, and a broader treatment menu.
- Why Heat Can Trigger Rebound Pigmentation — Heat and inflammation can stimulate more pigment in predisposed skin — why thermal treatments can rebound, and how melanin-sparing approaches reduce risk.
- What Is Laser Toning? The Low-Fluence 1064 nm Approach Explained — Laser toning for clinic buyers: the low-fluence 1064 nm approach, which concerns it is used for, why pulse duration matters, and where Pro 1 Pico fits.
- Why IPL Can Worsen Melasma — IPL helps many pigment concerns but can worsen melasma in some patients. Why broad-spectrum light and heat can trigger rebound — and what to consider instead.
- Why Melasma Requires a Conservative Energy Strategy — Melasma punishes aggressive treatment: why PIH and rebound shape strategy, and how a multi-session, 1064 nm-anchored approach manages the condition.
Operator training
- Why 532 nm Requires Caution on Darker Skin Types — Why 532 nm needs caution on darker skin — epidermal melanin absorption, PIH and melasma risk, red/orange ink trade-offs, and when 1064 nm is more conservative.
- Why PMU Removal Is Not the Same as Tattoo Removal — Why permanent makeup removal isn't tattoo removal on the face — PMU pigment chemistry, oxidation and colour-shift risk, and conservative pico protocols.
- Pico Laser Training: Tattoo Colour and Wavelength Selection — How tattoo colour drives pico wavelength selection — why black, red, orange, green, blue, and cosmetic inks respond differently across skin types.
- Pico Laser Training: Why Pulse Duration Matters — Why pulse duration matters in pico lasers — picosecond vs nanosecond Q-switched pulses, and why shorter pulses support pigment, tattoo, and melasma work.
Treatment protocols
- Melasma Treatment Protocol for Clinics — A claim-safe, conservative melasma framework for clinics — patient selection, test spots, melanin-sparing settings, photoprotection, and maintenance.
Comparing approaches
- Pico Laser vs Chemical Peels for Melasma — How picosecond laser and chemical peels compare for melasma — inflammation and rebound risk, depth control, and why gentle, conservative approaches win.
- Pico Laser vs IPL for Melasma — How 1064 nm picosecond compares with IPL for melasma — heat vs photomechanical action, rebound risk, and why melanin-sparing approaches are preferred.
- Pico Laser vs Q-Switched Nd:YAG for Melasma — For melasma toning, how 1064 nm picosecond compares with Q-switched Nd:YAG — pulse duration, heat, and rebound risk in a heat-sensitive condition.
- Picosecond vs CO₂ Laser: Which Indications Belong to Which — A buyer's guide to picosecond vs fractional CO₂ lasers: which indications belong to each technology, where they overlap, and which to add first.
- Picosecond vs Nanosecond: What Pulse Duration Changes — What changes when a pigment laser's pulse gets a thousand times shorter: photoacoustic vs photothermal balance, and why clinics upgrade from Q-switched.
- Picosecond vs Q-Switched Laser — How picosecond and Q-switched (nanosecond) lasers differ for tattoo and pigment work — pulse duration, fragmentation, and which a clinic should buy.
Choosing a platform
- Choosing a Laser for Melasma: A Buying Guide — A commercial buying guide for melasma-capable lasers: 1064 nm wavelength logic first, then treatment breadth, utilization, training, service, and ROI.
- New vs Used Picosecond Laser: A Clinic Buyer's Guide — What clinics should weigh before buying a used picosecond laser — recertification, consumables, service access, repair exposure, and cost of ownership.
- Don't Buy a Pico Laser Until You Ask These 7 Questions — Ask these 7 questions before buying a pico laser — pulse duration, wavelengths, remodeling capability, tattoo and melasma applications, service, and ROI.
- Pro 1 Pico Buying Guide — A product-specific buyer's guide to the Pro 1 Pico multi-regime picosecond platform: its four treatment engines, skin-type range, and the clinic revenue case.
- Why Pro 1 Pico Is More Than a Tattoo Removal Laser — Pro 1 Pico is more than a tattoo removal laser — a picosecond platform for pigment, PMU removal, melasma protocols, and PicoMatrix™ remodeling.