Picosecond vs Super Picosecond: What's Different?

Nova offers two distinct picosecond laser platforms, and a clinic evaluating between them deserves a clear, direct answer about what actually separates them — not just similar-sounding names. Both share the core picosecond mechanism, but their wavelength configurations, treatment modes, and hardware differ in ways that matter for which platform fits a given clinic's service menu.

This article compares the Nova Picosecond Laser and the Super Picosecond Laser Machine directly — what each offers, where they differ, and how to think about which one fits your clinic.

The Two Platforms at a Glance

1. What They Share: The Core Picosecond Mechanism

Both platforms are built on the same fundamental principle — pulses delivered in trillionths of a second, producing a photoacoustic effect that fragments tattoo ink or dermal pigment through mechanical pressure waves rather than sustained heat. This shared mechanism is why both platforms address tattoo removal and pigmentation as core applications, and why both offer a more favourable thermal side-effect profile than older nanosecond Q-switched technology.

2. Where the Wavelength Configurations Differ

The Picosecond Laser's four-wavelength set includes 1320nm — a wavelength targeting water absorption in the upper dermis, specifically suited to broad dermal collagen stimulation and skin rejuvenation. This makes it the platform of choice when skin rejuvenation and acne scar improvement, alongside pigmentation and tattoo work, are priorities for the clinic's service menu.

The Super Picosecond Laser Machine's standard wavelengths (1064nm, 755nm, 532nm) don't include 1320nm, but its optional 585nm and 640nm wavelengths extend coverage specifically into red and green/purple tattoo pigment colours — chromophores the Picosecond Laser's standard set doesn't directly target. This makes the Super Picosecond the stronger choice for clinics whose tattoo removal work regularly involves multi-coloured tattoos with red, green, or purple ink.

3. Treatment Modes and Applications

The Super Picosecond Laser Machine offers five distinct named treatment modes (SP, FRP, LP, DLH, PTP), giving practitioners explicit mode selection for pigment fragmentation, fractional skin resurfacing, and long-pulse vascular and hair removal applications from a single device. This mode range extends the Super Picosecond's application scope to include vascular treatment and hair removal alongside its pigment and resurfacing work — applications the standard Picosecond Laser's four-wavelength platform does not list among its core indications.

For clinics whose service menu needs to span vascular concerns and hair removal alongside tattoo and pigmentation work, the Super Picosecond's mode range provides that additional breadth from one platform.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line

Nova's two picosecond platforms share the core photoacoustic mechanism but are configured around different clinical priorities. The Picosecond Laser's 1320nm wavelength makes it the stronger choice when skin rejuvenation is part of the service mix. The Super Picosecond's optional wavelengths and five treatment modes make it the stronger choice for broad-spectrum tattoo removal and an expanded application range including vascular and hair removal work. Understanding this distinction is what lets a clinic choose confidently — or decide that both belong in the same treatment room.