Compared to traditional non-ablative resurfacing lasers for pigmentation, PicoSure is less painful during the treatment and has less associated downtime. Generally, the skin will feel slightly warm and appear pink or red for several hours following your treatment, which usually dissipates by the next day. When pigment absorbs photoenergy, it often changes colour. After PicoSure, your pigmentation may appear darker, sometimes grey or black-brown. This will happen right away, and will usually continue to darken over the coming days. Over the next 1-2 weeks, some of the pigment will be pushed up to the surface of the skin and eventually flake off. It is important to avoid picking or scrubbing during this time. You may resume your normal activities straight after treatment, ensuring gentle skin products and no intensive exercise for the following 24 hours. It is absolutely crucial to keep the skin away from sunlight, to keep it hydrated, and to avoid exfoliating agents for 5-7 days following treatment.