A picosecond laser fires its energy in trillionths of a second instead of billionths, and that single change in pulse duration is the whole difference between it and an older Q-switched device. Shorter pulses shatter pigment more mechanically and heat the surrounding skin less, which in practice means finer ink fragments, better odds on stubborn colours, and a gentler experience — not magic, and not a different treatment. Our pico laser Montreal programme uses it for tattoo ink, pigment and skin texture, and this article explains what the pulse duration actually buys you, where Q-switched still holds up, and what it costs.

“Pulse duration is the headline, but wavelength is what decides whether your ink or your pigment responds at all.”How we choose settings

What this article covers

What does “picosecond” actually mean?

It’s a unit of time, and the marketing rarely explains why it matters. A nanosecond is a billionth of a second; a picosecond is a trillionth — about a thousand times shorter. Both are far too fast to perceive, so the difference isn’t about speed in any everyday sense. It’s about how the energy is delivered.

When a pulse is long enough, absorbed energy has time to spread outward as heat, which is how older devices work: heat the pigment, damage it thermally, accept some collateral warming of the tissue around it. Shorten the pulse dramatically and the energy arrives faster than heat can diffuse, so the dominant effect becomes a pressure wave that fractures the pigment particle instead of cooking it.

Pico or Q-switched — which is better for what?

Honest answer: pico has real advantages, and it does not make Q-switched obsolete. A well-matched Q-switched wavelength on black ink still works extremely well, and a picosecond device used at the wrong wavelength will disappoint you regardless of its pulse width.

The practical takeaway is to ask a clinic which wavelength they’ll use on your specific ink or pigment, not just whether the device says “pico” on the side. That question tells you more about the outcome than the brand name does.

How does it break up tattoo ink — and which colours resist?

The laser doesn’t remove ink. It fragments it, and your own immune system carries the pieces away over the following weeks. That’s why sessions are spaced rather than stacked: the waiting is the clearance.

Colour response is physics, not effort, and it’s the single biggest determinant of how long your course runs. The FDA’s guidance on tattoo removal and the American Academy of Dermatology agree on the ranking.

Two things we will always say plainly: complete clearance is not guaranteed for every tattoo, and the FDA advises against at-home tattoo removal products, which can damage skin. If tattoo removal is your main interest, our tattoo removal questions page goes deeper on sizing and sessions.

Can it fade sun spots — and what about melasma?

For sun-induced pigment, yes, and this is one of the treatment’s better applications. Discrete, well-defined spots sitting in the upper skin — solar lentigines, age spots, freckles — respond well because the pigment is a clear target with good contrast.

Melasma deserves its own paragraph because this is where we most often talk people out of a treatment. It is relapse-prone by nature, it responds to heat as well as to light, and aggressive settings can rebound it worse than the starting point. A carbon peel is not a reliable melasma treatment and can make it worse — worth knowing, since carbon peels run on the same device.

Can it improve texture, pores and fine lines?

Modestly, and this is where honest framing matters most. Low-fluence picosecond passes create controlled micro-injury in the dermis, which prompts a collagen response over subsequent weeks. The effect is real but incremental — think refinement rather than resurfacing.

Is it safe on deeper skin tones?

Yes, with the right wavelength and conservative settings — and this is precisely where the shorter pulse earns its keep. Because less heat spreads into surrounding tissue, the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is lower than with a longer pulse at comparable energy.

How many sessions, and what’s the downtime?

It depends entirely on what you’re treating, and anyone quoting a fixed number before seeing your skin is guessing.

Daily broad-spectrum SPF is part of the treatment for every indication on this page, not optional aftercare. Treating pigment and then going out unprotected undoes the work you paid for.

What does it cost?

Current package prices below. Promotions change, so we confirm at your free consultation, and the full range is in our rejuvenation collection.

Curious about the carbon version specifically? Our carbon peel questions page covers that treatment on its own terms.

What makes a picosecond treatment at IPL Lab different?

Mostly that the wavelength and fluence are chosen for what’s actually in front of us, and that we’ll tell you when the answer is a different treatment altogether.

Medical disclaimer: this article is for general information only and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Complete tattoo clearance is not guaranteed and may not be achievable for every tattoo. Individual results vary. Speak with a qualified professional about your own skin, pigment and health history before beginning any treatment, and see a dermatologist for any medical skin condition.