Pico Laser Singapore

Pico laser fires pulses lasting trillionths of a second, breaking pigment or tattoo ink into fine particles mainly by pressure rather than heat. It treats sun spots, freckles, post-acne marks, some melasma, tattoos and dull, uneven tone. Many sun spots need one to three sessions; melasma and tattoos need longer courses. Dr Sin Yong types your pigment first.

What can pico laser treat?

Pico laser describes a pulse length, not a single treatment. The same platform is set up differently for a sharp-edged sun spot, a patch of melasma or a black tattoo, so the first question at IN Eternity Clinic is always what the pigment is and how deep it sits.

Pico laser is less useful for raised growths such as seborrhoeic keratoses, which sit on top of the skin and often respond better to superficial resurfacing; for redness and broken vessels, which need vascular light; and for deep acne scars, where it plays a supporting part at most (see pico laser for acne scars). A brown spot that is new, changing or irregular is examined with a dermatoscope before any laser is considered.

How is pico laser different from Q-switched laser?

A picosecond is a trillionth of a second. When laser energy arrives that fast, a pigment granule absorbs it before heat has time to spread into the surrounding skin, and the granule breaks apart under a pressure wave. Older Q-switched lasers pulse in nanoseconds, a thousand times longer; they also fragment pigment, but with more heat. In Fitzpatrick skin types III to V, common in Singapore, less heat means less stimulus for post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, although it does not remove that risk.

Wavelength decides depth. 532 nm is absorbed strongly by melanin near the surface and suits crisp epidermal spots. 785 nm and 1064 nm pass deeper with less effect on the surface and are used for dermal pigment, toning and dark tattoo ink. IN Eternity Clinic uses two picosecond platforms. The DEKA TORO combines 785 nm picosecond output with 532 nm and 1064 nm Q-switched output, and runs T2 Frax Radiance, which pairs pigment pulses with a thermal pulse aimed at collagen. The Fotona StarWalker PQX offers picosecond and Q-switched Nd:YAG pulses and runs the R2 Glow brightening protocol. Laser toning uses low-fluence Q-switched 1064 nm for diffuse uneven tone.

Which platform and wavelength are used is decided after examination, not by the name of a protocol. Many plans use more than one over a course, for example spot treatment for sun spots first and gentle toning afterwards for the background unevenness that remains. The pigment-by-pigment approach is set out on pico laser for pigmentation, and ink is covered on tattoo removal.

Does pico laser hurt? Comfort and numbing

Most people describe each pulse as a quick snap, like a rubber band flicked against the skin, followed by brief warmth. Low-energy toning passes feel like light, rapid tapping and rarely need numbing. Spot treatment of sun spots stings more sharply for a moment at each spot. Tattoo removal is the most uncomfortable use, particularly over bone and with dense black ink.

Numbing cream is applied for 20 to 40 minutes before spot treatment and tattoo work where it helps, and cold air or a cool compress is used during and after. Protective eyewear is worn throughout. Energy can be adjusted during the session if an area is more sensitive, and you can ask to pause at any time.

What to expect: day by day

Day 0. Toning: mild redness that usually settles within a few hours; make-up is usually fine the next day. Spot treatment: each spot turns briefly white-grey, then darker, with slight swelling around it. Tattoo: whitening, sometimes pinpoint bleeding, and sunburn-like warmth.

Days 1–3. Treated spots darken and can look like fine coffee grounds as micro-crusts form. Keep the area clean, use a bland moisturiser and sunscreen, and do not scrub or pick. Tattoos can blister; leave blisters intact and message the clinic if they are large.

Week 1. Micro-crusts on the face usually lift between days five and ten, revealing pink new skin. Spots on the hands and body, and tattoos, heal more slowly. Hold off retinoids, acids and exfoliating products until the skin has settled.

Weeks 2–4. Pinkness fades. This is the window in which post-inflammatory darkening can appear, especially in darker or tanned skin; it is usually temporary and is treated early rather than left. Daily sunscreen and shade matter most now.

Review. Treated areas are reviewed at about four to eight weeks, once the skin has finished clearing fragments, and any further sessions are planned then. A fuller timeline is in pico laser downtime, day by day.

How many sessions, and who should wait?

Sessions depend on the pigment, its depth and your skin type. Many sun spots and freckles lighten in one to three sessions spaced four to eight weeks apart. Melasma is treated with low-energy sessions over a longer course and then maintenance, because it is a chronic condition that returns with sun, heat and hormonal change. Dermal pigment and tattoos need more sessions, further apart. The estimate given at assessment is revised as you respond.

Treatment is usually deferred if you have a fresh tan, active eczema, an infection or cold sore in the area, are pregnant, or have recently taken isotretinoin, a prescription medicine for acne. A history of keloid scarring, light-sensitive conditions or pigment marks after previous treatment is discussed first, and a test spot may be done. The consultation fee is waived with any medical treatment.

Common myths, answered

• Myth: Pico laser whitens the skin.
  Fact: It fragments excess pigment so the body can clear it. It does not change your natural skin colour; the aim is an even tone.
• Myth: One session clears all pigmentation.
  Fact: Some sun spots clear in a session or two, but melasma, dermal pigment and tattoos need a course, and new pigment can form with sun exposure.
• Myth: Pico always outperforms Q-switched laser.
  Fact: Pulse length is one variable among several. Q-switched laser still has a place, for example in low-fluence toning, and the choice follows the pigment.
• Myth: Stronger settings work faster.
  Fact: Excess energy raises the risk of rebound darkening and pale patches, particularly in melasma and darker skin.