What is a pico laser?
A pico laser fires pulses of about a trillionth of a second. That is roughly a thousand times shorter than the nanosecond pulse of a Q-switched laser. At this speed, pigment breaks apart mainly through pressure, with heat playing a smaller part.
Dr Sin Yong uses the DEKA TORO for a protocol called T2 Frax Radiance. The first job is to work out what the mark actually is. A laser plan follows only when the diagnosis is clear. You receive that plan in writing, with time to decide.
Which wavelength suits which pigment?
This wavelength sits between the two below.
Melanin absorbs it strongly and it stays near the surface. It is chosen for superficial sun spots and freckles.
It travels deeper and epidermal melanin takes up less of it. That makes it the more conservative choice for darker skin and deeper pigment.
Three ways the laser is used
Higher energy goes onto one discrete mark. The mark darkens and forms a fine crust.
Low-energy passes cover the face for diffuse, uneven tone.
The beam divides into many points to work on texture around the pores.
Is PicoSure the same as pico laser?
No. Pico is a unit of time, and PicoSure is one maker's picosecond laser. Several companies build these lasers, and they differ mainly in wavelength and optics. Dr Sin Yong uses the DEKA TORO. The names below are listed to help you read a clinic menu, not to rank them. For pulse length, see pico vs Q switched laser.
| Name you may see | What it refers to | At this clinic |
|---|---|---|
| Pico laser | Any laser that fires picosecond pulses | T2 Frax Radiance on the DEKA TORO |
| PicoSure | A Cynosure laser built around 755 nm | Not used here |
| PicoWay | A Candela laser built around 1064 nm and 532 nm | Not used here |
| Pico toning | Low-energy passes across the face for diffuse tone | Toning mode, with a planned stopping point |
Who is suited to pico laser treatment in Singapore
Well-defined marks like these are the most direct use of this laser.
These can be treated once the cause, such as acne, is under control.
Melasma and Hori's naevus may be included at conservative settings, within a longer plan.
The laser can be used in all skin types, with settings chosen for each person. Types III to V are the most common here, and darker skin is planned at a longer wavelength and lower fluence, often after a test patch.
Which areas can pico laser treat?
The area follows the pigment, not a fixed list. Most of this page describes the face. Suitable pigment elsewhere, such as sun spots on the hands or chest, may also be considered, with settings chosen for thinner or more reactive skin.
Most body pigment is linked to sun or past inflammation, so it is identified first. For underarms, a picosecond laser is used only where creams have plateaued, as dark underarms treatment explains. Dr Sin Yong confirms what suits you at examination.
Who should wait
Please wait if you have a recent tan, active infection or inflammation, or a medicine that makes skin light-sensitive. A keloid tendency also needs a pause and a discussion. Elective laser is generally postponed in pregnancy, so tell us if you are pregnant, planning to conceive or breastfeeding. Any new, changing, bleeding or unusual mark is examined first. Where needed, it goes to a dermatologist before any laser.
Where pico laser fits and what it cannot do
A quick guide to where pico fits, and where another method is usually discussed.
| Concern | Where pico fits | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Freckles and sun spots | A common use of the pigment settings | Pico for freckles |
| Melasma | Only within a managed plan, as heat can darken it | Pico for melasma |
| Marks after inflammation | Planned conservatively, as heat can add to darkening | Pico for dark marks |
| Acne scars | Limited. Tethered and deep scars need other methods | Pico for acne scars |
| Pores | It does not shrink them | Pore treatment |
| Loose skin | It does not tighten or lift | HIFU |
It does not treat laxity or sagging.
Haemoglobin is not its target, so vessel redness is not treated.
Active acne needs a different plan, and pore size is not changed.
Fractional CO2 suits deeper scars.
These are hormonal, vascular and ultraviolet. A laser does not alter them.
Sun, rubbing and inherited tendency can bring marks back.
Can pico laser treat fine lines and early ageing?
Pico laser is not a wrinkle treatment. It targets pigment and, in fractional mode, surface texture around the pores. Movement lines come from muscle, and etched lines sit in the dermis, so neither is a pigment problem. Where early ageing shows as sun spots or uneven tone, those marks can be assessed as pigment. Lines and loosening need a different plan: see what pico laser cannot do.
Pico laser or HIFU: what does each one target?
Pico laser and HIFU do different jobs, so one does not replace the other. Pico laser targets pigment. HIFU targets laxity, using focused ultrasound at set depths. A face can have both concerns, and each is assessed on its own. The table compares these tools by mechanism and layer, not by rank.
| Treatment | How the energy acts | Where it acts | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pico laser | Very short pulses break up pigment, mainly through pressure | Near the surface or deeper, by wavelength | Discrete pigment, uneven tone, texture around pores |
| HIFU | Focused ultrasound heats tissue, without incisions | Chosen depths from 1.5 mm to 4.5 mm | Early to moderate laxity of the jawline, under the chin and neck |
| Fractional CO2 | An ablative laser that works in columns | Skin surface and dermis, reaching deeper than fractional pico | Scars and texture |
| R2 Glow | Long-pulsed 755 nm and 1064 nm, non-ablative | Low-grade inflammation, not deposited pigment | Dull, uneven skin that darkens easily |
What is pico laser combined with?
Pico laser is combined with another laser only where the diagnosis calls for it. Where pigment sits alongside ongoing inflammation, Dr Sin Yong weighs T2 Frax Radiance against R2 Glow, which is aimed at the inflammation and not at the deposit.
Where pigment and scars share a face, pico is sequenced with fractional CO2. Which goes first depends on which problem dominates and on pigment risk. In Fitzpatrick III to V skin the two are not stacked on one area in one visit, and spacing is set at review once the skin has healed. CO2 vs pico laser explains the staging.
What have studies of pico laser measured?
Whether pico laser suits you depends on the pigment, the device and the settings, so these studies are described without a verdict. A 2021 systematic review of 77 studies graded the evidence as level I for tattoo removal, level I to IV for benign pigmented lesions and level II for melasma [6]. That review pooled many picosecond devices, and the studies below may have used other devices or set-ups. None of them predicts your result. Results vary.
| Study | What it measured | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 randomised trial, 30 Asian patients [7] | Paired sun spots, treated once with 532 nm picosecond or 532 nm nanosecond laser. Pigment clearance did not differ significantly. | Upper limbs, not faces. 28 patients finished. Follow-up ran to 12 weeks. |
| 2024 pilot, 15 women, Fitzpatrick II to IV [8] | Facial pigmented lesions, five weekly sessions of 785 nm picosecond laser with a lens array. The melanin index fell, and no serious adverse effects were seen. | Small. The abstract gives no figures and does not name the device. |
| 2023 randomised split-face pilot, 31 Asian patients [9] | Atrophic acne scars. Scar scores fell 39.11% with fractional 1064 nm picosecond laser and 43.73% with Er:YAG. Pigmentation was reported on 1 versus 8 sides. | Pilot study. Another wavelength, with a micro-lens array. |
What are the disadvantages of pico laser?
The main ones are its narrow job, the risk of darkening and the time a careful plan takes.
It does not address why the skin made the pigment, so sun, rubbing and inherited tendency can bring marks back.
Post-inflammatory darkening is the risk that matters most in Asian skin, and it can appear after skin has first looked calm.
Frequent toning of one area has been linked to pale, mottled spots. A 2022 review of low-fluence Q-switched laser, a longer pulse than pico, reported that this mottling occasionally persisted [2].
Visits are staged, and strict sun protection is part of treatment.
It does not tighten skin, treat vessel redness or release deep scars.
What are the side effects of pico laser?
Expect redness, warmth and mild swelling. Treated spots may darken for a while and crust. Possible risks include post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and blistering or pinpoint bleeding at higher energies or fractional settings. Frequent repeated toning has been linked to pale or mottled spots. Aggressive treatment can cause melasma to rebound. Darkening is more likely if energy is too high, a repeat comes too soon, fresh skin meets ultraviolet light, or melasma is mistaken for a sun spot.
How does Dr Sin Yong limit the risk of darkening?
He works on the usual causes: energy, timing, sun and diagnosis. This aims to limit the risk. It cannot bring it to zero.
| Usual cause | What is done about it |
|---|---|
| Energy too high for the skin | Settings are matched to your skin, not to the darkest spot on it |
| A repeat that comes too soon | Each response is read at review before the next step, and toning is not open-ended |
| Ultraviolet on fresh skin | A recent tan means treatment waits. Sunscreen and shade continue around every visit |
| Melasma mistaken for a sun spot | The pigment is named in person first, with a dermatoscope where needed |
| An uncertain skin reaction | A test patch is read after the delay in which darkening shows, not the next morning |
How Dr Sin Yong approaches pico laser
Dr Sin Yong works out what the mark is before he thinks about the laser.
Your history, then the pigment itself, in suitable light and with a dermatoscope where needed. He names it as a sun spot, freckle, post-inflammatory mark, melasma or deeper pigment before choosing a mode.
A recent tan, active infection or inflammation, a light-sensitising medicine, a keloid tendency or pregnancy means delay or a rethink.
A mark that is changing, bleeding or irregular is examined before any laser, and referred where needed.
Creams, sun protection or no laser at all. You are not expected to have treatment on the day.
No more energy is added. The skin is kept out of the sun, and the pigment is reassessed.
“Melasma responds badly to heat and aggression. Turning the energy up feels like progress and often triggers rebound, darker than the starting point. That's why I'm conservative here and take it slowly.”
What happens at your visit
What is the downtime after pico laser?
Recovery depends on the mode. Toning leaves warmth and redness that settle. A treated spot forms a crust that flakes away, so please leave it alone. Fractional mode leaves pinpoint redness, mild swelling and a rough feel, and has the longest aftercare. Cleanse gently, use a plain moisturiser, and rely on sunscreen and shade. Hold back scrubs, acids and retinoids until advised. Keep away from saunas and very hot places. Call the clinic about blisters, thick, yellow or oozing crusts, bleeding that does not stop, spreading redness, or pain, swelling or warmth that worsens.
What does recovery look like, stage by stage?
Recovery moves in stages, at a pace that differs between people, so no fixed days are given. Daily care for each mode is on pico laser aftercare.
| Stage | What is usual | What needs a call |
|---|---|---|
| On the day | Redness, warmth and mild swelling. Treated spots may look darker | Blistering, bleeding that does not stop with gentle pressure, or rising pain |
| While crusts form | A fine crust over darkened spots. Fractional mode can feel rough | Thick, yellow or oozing crusts, or a cold sore near the area |
| As skin settles | Pink new skin where crusts have lifted | New dark patches, or a spot healing darker or paler than the skin around it |
| At review | Healing and response are checked before anything further | Anything that has worried you since the visit |
| At any stage | Changes should ease, not build | Fever, spreading redness, pus or a red hot lump: a doctor the same day, or A&E if none can see you. Change in vision or eye pain after treatment near the eye: call 995 |
How many pico laser sessions will I need?
We do not quote a set number of sessions. It depends on the pigment, its depth and how your skin responds. Thicker or widespread sun spots tend to need more, and a spot that does not respond is looked at again. Deep pigment needs gentle visits spaced further apart. Fees are not published. They depend on the diagnosis, area, wavelengths and mode, staging and review, and any pairing with R2 Glow. You receive an itemised written quote after consultation.
How much does pico laser cost in Singapore?
The fee is given after assessment, because it follows a plan, and the plan cannot be set until the pigment has been examined. No figure is published, and a number given before then would not describe your skin. You receive an itemised written quote, with time to decide.
| What affects the fee | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| The diagnosis | Sun spots, freckles, post-inflammatory marks, Hori's naevus and melasma need different plans |
| The area | A few spots, one cheek and a full face are different pieces of work |
| Wavelengths and mode | One wavelength or several, and spot, toning or fractional delivery |
| Staging and review | Response is checked before each next step |
| Pairing | Whether R2 Glow forms part of the plan |