Laser treatment for melasma: how PicoWay Resolve works
Laser treatment for melasma at Neoderma in Anaheim uses PicoWay Resolve, a picosecond laser whose pressure waves break up pigment with minimal heat, because heat can make melasma darker. Each session lasts roughly 20–30 minutes, and downtime is minimal. Most of Neoderma's melasma patients choose a package of four sessions, several weeks apart.
- Tens of thousands of laser treatments performed
- 4.9 on Google (650+ reviews)
- Serving Anaheim since 2001
$50 consultation at Neoderma in Anaheim, CA, credited toward treatment if you proceed within two weeks · Open Mon–Sat
A licensed medical provider confirms whether PicoWay Resolve suits you, and you get a transparent estimate before any treatment.
Booking opens Neoderma's short request form (name, phone, email); their team contacts you to confirm the time and the $50 consultation.
PicoWay for melasma: before and after
Neoderma published this clip on its YouTube channel under the title “PicoWay Resolve for Melasma at Neoderma”. It follows one of the clinic's own patients from before treatment to after.
It shows one person's skin, and individual results vary. Yours is assessed in person, at a consultation, before anyone suggests a plan.
$50 consultation at Neoderma in Anaheim, CA, credited toward treatment if you proceed within two weeks · Open Mon–Sat
Can a laser make melasma worse?
Yes, it can, and if that worry has kept you from booking, it is a reasonable one. Melasma isn't loose pigment sitting in the skin waiting to be broken up. The cells that make the pigment are themselves overactive, and heat and inflammation provoke them into making more. High-heat treatments can set off exactly that, and the patches can end up darker than before you started. The risk of that rebound is greater on medium and darker skin.
Neoderma describes melasma as stubborn pigment that the wrong laser can easily make worse, and notes that a poor choice of laser or settings can push it deeper into the skin or leave extra pigment behind. So the real question isn't whether a laser is involved but which one, and how it is set.
Neoderma's answer has three parts: a picosecond laser built around minimal heat, settings matched to your skin type, and prep protocols for skin that pigments easily. The next two sections explain the laser. If your skin is brown or darker, melasma treatment for darker skin covers how that extra risk is handled.
How does PicoWay Resolve treat melasma?
In plain terms, PicoWay Resolve fires light in extremely short bursts, with pulses measured in trillionths of a second. A burst that brief creates a pressure wave inside the pigment and breaks it into fragments small enough for your body to carry away by itself.
The technical term is photoacoustic, not photothermal. A photothermal laser works through light and heat, and that heat is what raises the chance of burns and downtime, above all on darker skin. A photoacoustic laser pairs pulsed light with pressure waves, so PicoWay does its work with minimal heat.
Resolve is the handpiece. It divides the beam into 100 identical micro-beams spread in an even pattern, so the energy reaches pigment below the surface while the outer layer of skin is left whole. Small zones of untouched skin between the beams help the skin heal faster. The treatment also prompts new collagen and elastin, and Neoderma notes that treated skin tends to look brighter and smoother overall, rather than only lighter.
Which laser does Neoderma use for melasma?
PicoWay Resolve. Neoderma treats melasma with this picosecond (pico) laser. It breaks up pigment photoacoustically, with minimal heat, and that matters because melasma is sensitive to heat. If you want the reasoning, Neoderma's article explains why it chose a picosecond laser.
How many laser sessions does melasma take?
Some people see a change after their first session, but melasma does better over a series than in a single go, because it answers to steady treatment rather than one big push. Most of Neoderma's melasma patients choose a package of four sessions, spaced several weeks apart. Four is a choice, not a number melasma demands.
| Concern | Neoderma's typical plan |
|---|---|
| Isolated sun spots | Often one or two sessions; change can show after the first |
| Melasma | A package of four, the choice most of Neoderma's melasma patients make |
| After the series | Maintenance: daily SPF, home care, a touch-up session when needed |
Session counts are typical, not promised; your number is set at the consultation, once a provider has seen your skin. A sun spot and melasma are planned differently for a reason; melasma vs. sun spots explains it.
In the weeks between sessions, daily sunscreen and a home routine that keeps pigment in line matter as much as the laser itself.
On cost: Neoderma charges $200–$600 per PicoWay Resolve session, set by how large the treated area is, and the four-session package brings the per-session price down. Financing is available through Cherry and CareCredit, and you get a transparent estimate before any treatment. The consultation is $50, credited toward treatment if you proceed within two weeks of the consultation. The full breakdown is on the melasma laser treatment cost page.
Does PicoWay hurt, and is there downtime?
Tolerance differs from person to person, but with PicoWay Resolve most people feel mild discomfort or none at all. A session takes about 20–30 minutes.
The surface layer of the skin isn't broken, so downtime is minimal, and most people go straight back to their day with sunscreen on. Afterward the skin may look briefly red; a cold compress helps, and your provider may recommend an ointment.
“I've had four PicoWay Resolve treatments... relatively pain-free, quick and easy. The results I saw were my pores sized shrinked, brown spots faded, and a more youthful look.”
What aftercare does PicoWay Resolve need?
Neoderma's aftercare for PicoWay Resolve comes down to four instructions:
- Stay out of the sun, and keep away from tanning beds.
- Wear SPF 30 or higher on any skin the sun can reach.
- Cool the treated area with a cold compress whenever it needs soothing.
- Use a topical ointment if your provider recommends one.
The sun gets the most attention for a reason. Freshly treated skin reacts more strongly to light for a while, and Neoderma's laser-season guide names sun on newly treated skin as a leading cause of complications and of pigment coming back. Orange County gets usable UV all year, so SPF 30+ is a daily habit before, during and after the series, not only on treatment days.
Laser or chemical peel for melasma?
Can a peel treat melasma on its own? Usually not, according to Neoderma's chemical peel guide. Melasma reacts badly to heat, so it needs something gentler and more precise than a general resurfacing peel, and it is one of the kinds of pigment that typically call for a different tool. For melasma itself, Neoderma uses PicoWay Resolve.
That doesn't rule peels out. Neoderma includes chemical peels among its melasma options, to brighten the skin and even its tone while lifting excess pigment gradually. On its facials and peels menu, the Vi Peel tier for stubborn pigment is Precision Plus Peptides, at $425; how a peel fits a melasma budget is on the melasma laser treatment cost page.
Not sure whether your patches are melasma or another kind of pigment? That is a quick question at the consultation, and settling it first keeps a whole series from going after the wrong target.
Does melasma come back after laser?
It can. Melasma is chronic, and sun, heat or a change in hormones can bring it back after it has faded. What keeps a result in place is the routine that follows the series: SPF 30+ every day, pigment-regulating skincare between treatments, and a touch-up session when one is needed. It is managed, not cured.
Who treats you at Neoderma?
With melasma, the settings matter, not just the machine. PicoWay Resolve sessions at Neoderma are medically supervised and set to your skin type, with prep protocols for skin that pigments easily, and patients come from across Orange County for them.
Anaheim, CA 92805
(714) 533-4777
info@neodermacenter.com
$50 consultation at Neoderma in Anaheim, CA, credited toward treatment if you proceed within two weeks · Open Mon–Sat
- Mon, Wed, Fri
- 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Tue, Thu
- 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Saturday
- 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Sunday
- Closed
A physician-led medical spa under medical director Dr. Sal Nadkarni, DO. Each treatment is carried out by a licensed medical provider, under medical supervision.
Laser treatment for melasma: FAQ
Does laser treatment work for melasma?
Laser is how Neoderma treats melasma: a series of PicoWay Resolve sessions, backed by daily SPF and medical-grade home care. Some patients see a change after the first session, and most of Neoderma's melasma patients choose a package of four. Because melasma can return, the goal is to fade it and then keep it in check; melasma is managed, not cured.
Can PicoWay Resolve be used on darker skin?
Yes. Its minimal heat is why Neoderma can use it on lighter and darker skin; settings follow your skin type, and skin that is prone to hyperpigmentation may be prepped first.
When should a PicoWay Resolve session be done before an event?
Neoderma's event-timing guide says to have it finished three to four weeks ahead, and never in the final week, so nothing is still red by the day itself.
Does Neoderma use PicoSure?
No. Neoderma's picosecond system is PicoWay, and PicoWay Resolve is the version it uses for melasma.
Ask whether PicoWay Resolve suits your melasma
Bring your questions about heat, your skin type and the times your melasma has come back. Treatment starts with a consultation, and that is where they get answered, in person in Anaheim, before anything is done to your skin.
Tens of thousands of laser treatments performed · 4.9 on Google (650+ reviews) · Serving Anaheim since 2001
$50 consultation at Neoderma in Anaheim, CA, credited toward treatment if you proceed within two weeks · Open Mon–Sat
A licensed medical provider confirms whether PicoWay Resolve suits you, and you get a transparent estimate before any treatment.
Booking opens Neoderma's short request form (name, phone, email); their team contacts you to confirm the time and the $50 consultation.