Successful Treatment of Pigmentary Disorders in Asians With a Novel 730‐nm Picosecond Laser

Background and Objective Until recently, quality‐switched nanosecond lasers have been the workhorse lasers in treating pigmented lesions. However, the recently commercialized picosecond lasers have provided physicians with a novel method to manage pigmented lesions. Most recently, the first picosecond laser with a 730‐nm wavelength was developed to specifically target melanin and melanocytes. Study Design/Materials and Methods We report on two Asian patients with freckles, lentigines, and melasma who were successfully treated with a novel 730‐nm Ti:Sapphire picosecond laser (Picoway®; Syneron Candela, Corp). The clinical outcome was measured by the global percent of clearance, which was evaluated by blinded observers by comparing the post‐treatment photographs with the baseline photographs. Results In both patients, a significant pigmentary reduction was achieved with only one treatment session. In both patients, the treatments were well tolerated with minimal discomfort even without topical anesthesia. No post‐inflammatory hyperpigmentation or repigmentation was observed until the 6‐week follow‐up. The pigmentary conditions treated included freckles, lentigines, and melasma. Both subjects showed clinical improvement, with the best results observed for the treatment of freckles such that 95% of the lesions achieved excellent response (75–94% lightening). Conclusion The results of this case report indicate that a novel 730‐nm Ti:Sapphire picosecond laser may be effective and safe in treating pigmentary disorders in darker‐skinned patients. Therefore, further well‐designed, prospective clinical trials are warranted to establish the potential of 730‐nm picosecond lasers and determine the optimal treatment parameters in comparison to existing laser and light modalities. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC