It is broad-spectrum light.
IPL uses filtered pulses across a range of wavelengths, not a laser.
IPL vs Picosecond Laser
IPL: A broad-spectrum flashlamp, not a laser, used mainly for brown sun spots and facial redness. It is effective for those two problems on lighter skin, and it is not safe on deeper skin tones.
Picosecond Laser: A tattoo and pigment laser that fires in pulses lasting trillionths of a second. It works, and the marketing around the word “pico” has run well ahead of the evidence comparing it to the older quality-switched lasers.
Choose IPL if…
Choose for sun spots and facial redness on lighter skin — it is not safe on deeper skin tones.
- Lighter skin with brown sun spots
- Rosacea redness or small vessels
- You'll avoid tanning before and after
Choose Picosecond Laser if…
Choose for tattoo removal or sun spots — it works, but don't pay extra for the word "pico" alone.
- A tattoo you want faded or removed
- You can plan many sessions
- Colored ink that older lasers struggled with
Fine together
Can you have both?
They can share a plan: IPL for redness and broad spots, picosecond for stubborn pigment. Space them about 4 weeks apart.
Key differences
● IPL
● Picosecond Laser
DowntimeNone → 2+ weeks
1–2 days
3–7 days
PainMinimal → Needs anesthesia or sedation
Mild
Significant
Results showImmediately → 3+ months
1–4 weeks
1–3 months
How long it lastsWeeks → Years or permanent
6–12 months
Years or permanent
Visits neededOne → Every few months
A longer series (4–6+)
A longer series (4–6+)
Cost per visit$ → $$$$$
$$
$$
ReversibleYes, can be undone → No, permanent
No, fades slowly
No, permanent
What is it?
IPL
Picosecond Laser
What is it?
It has several uses.
It treats redness, benign pigmentation and unwanted hair.
Spots need a diagnosis first.
A brown spot should be assessed before fading.
Skin type affects risk.
Tanning, darker skin and medicines raise the risk of burns or pigment change.
It uses ultra-short pulses.
Picosecond lasers act on pigment or create fractional tissue effects.
It has several uses.
Tattoos, pigmentation and texture each need different settings.
Pigment needs a diagnosis.
Spots should be confirmed before fading.
Some pigments are tricky.
Cosmetic tattoos may darken; melasma needs careful selection.
What it treats
Evidence level
IPL
Picosecond Laser
Strong evidenceMost established uses
Rosacea
Reduces redness and vessels.
Sun Spots
Darkens spots that then flake off.
Unwanted Tattoos
Fades most ink colors.
Moderate evidenceSome supportive research
Spider Veins
Clears small facial vessels.
Post-Inflammatory Redness
Fades red marks.
Sun Spots
Clears spots.
Limited evidenceEarly or small studies
—
Acne Scarring
Focus lenses improve texture.
Not effective
Acne Scarring
Doesn't change texture.
Spider Veins
Doesn't target vessels.
Can make it worse
Melasma
Patches often rebound darker.
Melasma
Pigment can rebound.
Treatment areas
Treatment areas
Face, neck, chest and hands.
The tattoo or diagnosed pigment spot determines the treatment site; location varies.
Skin tones
Skin tone
● IPL
● Picosecond Laser
Lighter skin
Low risk
Spots darken then flake.
Low risk
Temporary whitening and swelling.
Medium skin
Some risk
Burns and dark marks possible; conservative settings.
Some risk
Temporary lightening or darkening.
Deeper skin
Higher risk
Not safe — high risk of burns and pigment change.
Some risk
Lightening of skin can occur; longer wavelengths and spacing help.
How it works
IPL
Picosecond Laser
How it works
Diagram explanation
Filtered light enters skin: A range of wavelengths is selected for the treatment target. Pigment or blood absorbs energy: Melanin or hemoglobin converts absorbed light into heat. Selected targets fade: Healing can reduce the treated brown spots or visible vessels.
Schematic illustration. Technique and response vary. This explains a mechanism and does not specify treatment settings.
Ultrashort pulses reach pigment: The wavelength and treatment mode are chosen for the target. Rapid energy delivery fragments pigment: Mechanical effects can break selected particles into smaller pieces. Clearance follows over time: The body clears some fragments; results depend on the pigment and skin.
Schematic illustration. Technique and response vary. This explains a mechanism and does not specify treatment settings.
Before your treatment
IPL
Picosecond Laser
2–4 weeks before
4 weeks before: Sun and tanning: No sun, sunbeds or self-tanner.
2 weeks before: Hair removal: No waxing, threading or hair removal cream.
4 weeks before: Sun and tanning: Avoid sun, sunbeds and self-tanner on the area.
4 weeks before: Sun and tanning: Tanned skin postpones a session — surface pigment competes for the light and raises the risk of burns and pigment loss.
Before you book: Numbing and history: Ask for numbing to be arranged in advance.
The week before
3 to 5 days before: Actives and clean skin: Stop retinoids and exfoliating acids.
3 to 5 days before: Actives and shaving: Stop retinoids and exfoliating acids.
3 to 5 days before: Actives and shaving: Shave the area.
Day of treatment
IPL
Picosecond Laser
Before you arrive
Not specified
Clean skin: Clean, product-free skin.
Arrival & prep
Skin tone: A good provider will ask, and will decline if IPL is wrong for your skin.
Skin tone: Be direct about your skin tone and how easily you tan.
Skin is cleaned and examined, and the provider checks your skin tone and recent sun.
The tattoo or pigment is examined, photographed, and its colors noted, since they decide the wavelengths.
Treatment
Opaque goggles go over your eyes and stay on; that is not optional.
The handpiece is pressed on the skin and fired in overlapping shots. You see a bright flash through closed eyelids. Each pulse feels like a hot rubber band snap, hottest over brown spots and hair, and stops as it ends. A full face takes about 20 minutes.
Everyone wears eye protection.
The provider fires overlapping pulses, with a snapping sound and a faint smell. Skin whitens at once — frosting — and fades within about 20 minutes. A small tattoo takes minutes; a large piece is split across appointments. It feels sharper than getting the tattoo but far quicker, and bony areas are worse.
Before you leave
Skin looks pink and feels warm, like mild sunburn.
The area is white and raised, then red and swollen as the frosting fades.
After your treatment
IPL
Picosecond Laser
First 24 hours
Days 1 to 2: Redness fades.
Days 1 to 3: Swelling peaks on day one or two and can be marked around the eyes, hands and ankles.
Days 2–7
Days 3 to 14: Treated spots darken into fine brown flecks like coffee grounds, then flake away, leaving more even skin.
Days 3 to 14: Scabs form and fall away on their own, taking some ink with them.
Weeks 2–4
Weeks 2 to 6: Vessels and background redness clear gradually, and keep improving over later sessions.
Weeks 2 to 8: Skin looks normal while the immune system clears ink fragments underneath.
Time to results
1–2 weeks per session
Fading over weeks after each session
How long results last
Months to years; new spots with sun
Removed ink is gone
Risks
Risks
- Dark patches
- Blistering or a burn
- Loss of skin color
- Melasma getting worse
- A cold sore outbreak
- Hair loss where you did not want it
- Loss of pigment
- Dark patches
- A tattoo that got darker
- Blisters that keep forming
- A raised or thickened area
- Itching, swelling or hives in the tattoo
Cost
Per session
In the US a full-face session usually runs about $300 to $600.
In the US, a picosecond session on a small to medium tattoo commonly runs $200 to $500, with larger pieces priced higher and often split into sections.
Insurance
Insurance does not cover cosmetic pigment or redness treatment.
Insurance does not cover tattoo removal or cosmetic pigment treatment.
Questions
IPL
Picosecond Laser
Individual Questions
Is IPL safe for deeper skin tones?
No. Broadband light is absorbed by all the pigment in its path, including the pigment that gives skin its color. On deeper skin tones that means burns and light or dark patches, and pale patches can be permanent. For pigment, ask about prescription creams and superficial peels. For hair, a 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser.
Can I use a home IPL hair removal device on deeper skin tones?
No. The skin tone chart supplied with home devices exists because the technology injures skin with more pigment, and most are labeled unsuitable for deeper skin tones and tanned skin. Many refuse to fire. The risk is the same as a clinic device, with nobody present to spot a problem early.
Does IPL help melasma?
Usually not, and it commonly makes melasma worse: better for a few weeks, then darker and wider. If you have brown patches on the cheeks, forehead or upper lip, get a diagnosis before any light-based treatment.
Why do my spots look darker afterward?
That is what is meant to happen. Treated sun spots darken into fine brown flecks over the first few days, then flake off over one to two weeks. Do not scrub or pick.
How many sessions will I need?
Usually three to five for the face, three to four weeks apart, then maintenance once or twice a year. Brown spots improve faster than redness. Hair reduction takes six to ten or more.
Does IPL work on wrinkles or acne scars?
No. IPL works on color: brown pigment and red vessels. Wrinkles, texture, pores and indented scars need a fractional laser or microneedling.
Is a picosecond laser better than an older Q-switched laser?
Not settled. Studies generally find picosecond devices perform at least as well, and some report clearance in fewer sessions, but the head-to-head trials are few, small and inconsistent. “Pico” is a marketing category, not a standard, so devices differ a lot. The provider's experience and the wavelengths available for your ink colors matter more than the category name.
How many sessions will my tattoo take?
Most professional tattoos need five to ten or more, six to eight weeks apart, so a year or longer. Amateur tattoos need fewer, cover-ups more. Nobody can give an accurate number at the first visit; how the first two sessions go is the best predictor available.
Will my tattoo disappear completely?
Sometimes, but heavily faded with a faint shadow is more common. Ink type, depth, color, age and location all matter, and none can be judged from the surface beforehand. Treat a guarantee of complete removal as a warning sign.
Which colors are hardest?
Black and dark blue clear most readily. Green and light blue are hardest and need specific wavelengths. Red, orange and yellow are unpredictable. White, flesh-toned and pastel cosmetic inks can turn dark instantly, which is why they get a test spot first.
Can it be used on deeper skin tones?
Yes, generally at 1064 nm, because surface pigment absorbs it least — the same reason the Nd:YAG laser is preferred there for hair and vessels. Multicolored tattoos are harder, because the wavelengths needed for some colors carry more risk of a light or dark patch. Conservative settings, test spots and longer gaps are standard.
Does it help melasma?
Sometimes, with mixed results. Melasma often improves during a course and then returns, and heat and light can provoke it. Most dermatologists lead with sun protection and pigment creams and add laser cautiously.
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