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Why a short pulse works differently
All lasers deliver energy to the tissue. What happens to it next depends on the time over which it was delivered. With pulses measured in milliseconds, the energy turns into heat and spreads sideways. With picosecond pulses, there is no time for that.
Instead of heating, a photoacoustic effect occurs: a sudden change in pressure at the point where the energy is absorbed. This is a mechanical phenomenon, not a thermal one, and it is what drives this treatment. The tissue receives a stimulus for remodelling without a rise in temperature that would then require healing.
The same physics is used for breaking down tattoo pigment, only with different parameters and a different tip. We describe the photoacoustic mechanism in more detail on the picosecond laser page, and the relationship between the effect and pulse duration on the Nd:YAG laser page.
Microlens array
A short pulse alone is not enough. A tip is also needed to focus the energy into points, instead of spreading it evenly across the surface. This role is performed by the microlens array.
1
The beam enters the array
The tip contains a grid of microscopic lenses. Each one focuses part of the beam into a separate point.
2
A grid of high-energy-density points is formed
The energy is not spread evenly across the surface, but concentrated in regularly spaced microareas.
3
The points lie beneath the epidermis
The focusing takes place in a deeper layer, so the stimulus arises where the remodelling is meant to happen, while the surface stays closed.
4
The tissue between the points remains untouched
It supplies the cells for rebuilding, which is why the treatment requires no recovery time. The same principle as with fractional treatments, only without ablation.
It is worth noting the difference from ablative fractional treatments. There, the grid of points is formed by vaporising the epidermis and is visible as scabs. Here, the points of action lie beneath the epidermis, and the surface stays closed.
Three variants in the price list and how they differ
In the price list you will find three separate groups of treatments performed with this laser. They differ in aim, intensity and number of passes, not just in the area of the body.
Non-invasive skin lifting
A variant focused on tightening and firmness. It covers the face, neck, decolletage, eye area and abdomen. Most often chosen first at the initial signs of losing elasticity.
Tightening
Rejuvenation and skin conditioning
A more intensive variant with a broader aim: skin tone, texture, quality and fine lines all at once. It also covers the hands and the mobile eyelid.
Skin quality
Scar reduction
Separate parameters and separate areas: cheeks, forehead, face, back, chest, arms, neck, buttocks and caesarean section scars. It requires a course of treatment and the most thorough qualification.
Scar structure
The distinction between lifting and conditioning is established at the consultation, because it depends on the initial condition of the skin, not on preference. For scars, the choice of parameters is different again, and this is the most demanding of the three groups.
Indications
Loss of firmness and tightness
The first signs of skin slackness, when there are not yet indications for ablative methods or for surgical treatments.
Fine lines
This includes the eye area, where the skin is thin and requires more cautious parameters. Established wrinkles respond less well.
Uneven texture and enlarged pores
Work on the surface without disrupting it. The effect builds up over a course, not after a single session.
Atrophic and post-acne scars
A variant with separate parameters. In a split face study, the effectiveness was comparable to an ablative fractional laser, with a milder course.
A caesarean scar
A separate item in the price list. We describe the procedure and the right time to start on a dedicated page.
Tired and grey skin
A distributed aim, not a targeted one: overall condition and skin tone. Here the conditioning variant works best.
The areas covered by the price list are the face, neck, decolletage, eye area including the mobile eyelid, hands and abdomen. The eye area requires separate parameters, because the skin of the eyelid there is much thinner.
How the treatment goes
1
Assessment
Skin assessment, medical history and exclusion of contraindications. At this stage we determine the treatment variant, the areas and the number of sessions in the series.
2
Preparation
Thorough skin cleansing and protective goggles. We do not usually use anaesthesia, because the treatment is well tolerated.
3
Treatment
The handpiece is passed over the treatment area, in a set number of passes. The sensations are described as slight stinging and warmth.
4
After the treatment
Skin protection and a discussion of aftercare. The absence of scabs means there is no healing phase requiring protection.
After the treatment the skin may be slightly red and warm, usually for a few hours. No scabs or open skin form, so makeup and a return to activities are usually possible on the same day. Photoprotection applies for the whole duration of the series.
The course and when the effect is visible
This is a treatment that requires a series by design, not because of weakness. A single pulse provides a stimulus, not a change; the change is the sum of many stimuli and the work of fibroblasts over the following months.
Number of treatments
Studies used four sessions. The price list provides for packages of three and five treatments, and we determine the number in the series after assessing the skin.
Intervals
In the literature, four weeks between sessions.
First changes
Improvement in hydration and skin tone may be visible earlier, but this is not yet the remodelling effect.
Full effect
After the series is completed, together with the production of new collagen, which continues for months.
Maintenance
Top-up treatments after an assessment of the effect, arranged individually.
What this treatment will not do
It will not replace surgical treatment where there is pronounced skin laxity and excess tissue.
It will not remove established wrinkles or deep furrows. For these, a different method or a combination of methods is needed.
It will not give a result after a single session. This is a treatment with a cumulative effect.
It will not stop skin ageing. The effect requires maintenance, and the process continues.
What the research says
For atrophic scars, effectiveness was comparable to a fractional ablative laser, with a milder course.
A randomised, split-face study in 31 people, four sessions at four-week intervals. Scar reduction on the ECCA scale was 39.11 percent for the picosecond laser with a micro-lens array and 43.73 percent for the fractional ablative laser, with no statistically significant difference. The picosecond method, however, produced less pain, a shorter time of scabbing and swelling, and fewer cases of post-inflammatory pigmentation. The assessment also covered pores and skin texture in image analysis.
Type of examination
Randomised, split-face study, 31 people, 20 weeks
What does not follow from it
A pilot study, on Asian skin and with mild to moderate scars. It does not answer the question of deep scars or the durability of the effect over a longer time.
Split-face, picosecond with micro-lens array versus fractional ablative
Rebuilding in the microzones is fast, but collagen remodelling takes months.
The literature on fractional lasers describes that the treatment zones are repopulated by keratinocytes from the intact tissue around them within the first hours to a day, while new collagen forms in them over the following three to six months. This explains the difference between the short time to return to activities and the long time for the effect to mature.
Type of examination
Description of the mechanism in review literature
What does not follow from it
This concerns the principle of action of fractional treatments as a group, not a measurement made in a specific patient or with specific parameters.
Compared with ablative methods
This is the most common question about this treatment, so we answer with data, not reassurance. In a split-face study for atrophic scars, this method performed as effectively as a fractional ablative laser, with less pain, shorter swelling and fewer cases of post-inflammatory pigmentation.
When we choose the picosecond method
You cannot afford a few days of visible skin healing.
You have a darker skin phototype, for which ablative methods carry a higher risk of pigmentation.
You care about a milder course and accept that the effect will appear later.
The goal is skin quality and tightening, not removing an established lesion.
When we choose the ablative method
The scars are deep, and the changes are established and require a stronger stimulus.
Remodelling of the skin surface is needed, not only the layers beneath it.
You have time for several days of healing and prefer a faster effect in fewer sessions.
Previous non-ablative treatments did not bring the expected improvement.
We describe ablative methods separately: Er:YAG 2940 nm laser with the shortest healing time among them, fractional CO2 laser for deeper remodelling, and hybrid laser, when an adjustable ratio between ablation and coagulation is needed.
Contraindications
The 1064 nm range is poorly absorbed by melanin, which is why this treatment is one of the safer options for darker skin phototypes. This does not remove the need for caution or photoprotection, but it widens the group of people who can be treated with it.
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NL Clinic, Katowice
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Last updated
14 August 2026
This material is informational in nature and does not replace a consultation or qualification.
The questions we are asked most often
Is this a treatment without a recovery period?
In practice, yes. The epidermis remains intact, so no scabs or open skin form. The skin may be slightly red and warm, usually for a few hours, and a return to daily activities and makeup are usually possible on the same day. This is the main reason patients choose this treatment instead of ablative methods.
How does this differ from a fractional ablative treatment?
By the place where the stimulus is generated, and by whether the surface is disrupted. With ablative methods, a grid of points is created by vaporising the epidermis and is visible as scabs. Here, the points of action lie beneath the epidermis, and its continuity is preserved. The effect can be comparable, but it is spread over a greater number of sessions.
How many sessions will be needed?
This is a treatment with a cumulative effect, so a series is a condition, not an option. Studies used four sessions at four-week intervals, and the price list offers packages of three and five treatments. We set the number for a specific case after assessing the skin, as it depends on the indication and the starting condition.
When will I see the result?
Improvement in hydration and skin tone can be visible sooner, but that is not yet the remodelling effect. New collagen forms over three to six months, so we assess the full result after the series is complete, not after a single session. This treatment suits people who take a longer view.
Does the treatment hurt?
The sensations are described as slight pinpricks and warmth, well tolerated, so we usually do not use anaesthesia. In a comparative study, the pain level was significantly lower than with an ablative fractional laser. Around the eye area and at higher intensity, the approach is set individually.
Will this replace a surgical facelift?
No, and we do not present this treatment as an alternative to surgery. With pronounced skin laxity and excess tissue, non-invasive methods will not give a comparable effect. This treatment makes sense at the first signs of lost firmness and when working on skin quality.
I have a darker skin tone, can I have this treatment?
Yes, and that is one of the advantages of this method. The 1064 nm wavelength is poorly absorbed by melanin, so the epidermis does not capture the energy along the way. In a comparative study, post-inflammatory pigmentation occurred less often than with the ablative method. Care in setting parameters and photoprotection still apply.
What is the difference between lifting and conditioning in the price list?
By purpose and intensity. The lifting variant is aimed at tightening and firmness, while the conditioning variant has a broader purpose: tone, texture and skin quality at the same time, at higher intensity and a higher price. The distinction is set at the consultation, as it depends on the starting condition of the skin, not on preference.
Can it be combined with other treatments?
Yes, after qualification. With complex skin problems, this treatment can be one stage of a plan, alongside mesotherapy, autologous blood preparations or micro-needling radiofrequency. The order and intervals are set by the person leading the therapy; we describe the principle of staged planning under combined therapies.
Is the result permanent?
Changes achieved in the tissue persist, but the skin ageing process continues, so we speak of maintaining, not stopping it. We plan maintenance treatments after assessing the effect, individually, not on a fixed schedule.
Sources
Comparison of 1064-nm Nd:YAG picosecond laser using fractional micro-lens array vs. ablative fractional 2940-nm Er:YAG laser for the treatment of atrophic acne scar in Asians: a 20-week prospective, randomized, split-face, controlled pilot study.
Efficacy and safety comparison between 1927 nm thulium laser and 2940 nm Er:YAG laser in the treatment of facial atrophic acne scarring. Source of the description of the fractional treatment mechanism: repopulation of the treatment zone by keratinocytes from intact tissue and the formation of new collagen over three to six months.
Anderson RR, Parrish JA. Selective photothermolysis: precise microsurgery by selective absorption of pulsed radiation. Science, 1983;220(4596):524 to 527. Basis for the relationship between the effect and the pulse duration.
The content is for information. It does not replace a consultation, an examination or an individual assessment.