Published 10 October 2026 · Reviewed by Dr Sin Yong
R2T2 (also written R2 T2 or R2-T2, and searched as R2T2 laser) is Dr Sin Yong's combined laser protocol for pigmentation, redness and tone. R2 Glow (long-pulsed 755 nm alexandrite and 1064 nm Nd:YAG, non-ablative) is directed at the low-grade inflammation that keeps melanocytes producing pigment and leaves a background of redness; T2 Frax Radiance (DEKA TORO, 785 nm picosecond with a thermal mode) is directed at the pigment already deposited at the surface, with a thermal pass aimed at the dermis. It is planned for Fitzpatrick III–V skin. Melasma starts with R2 Glow alone or with no laser.
Key facts
R2 Glow
Long-pulsed 755 nm + 1064 nm, non-ablative; the driver
T2 Frax Radiance
DEKA TORO 785 nm picosecond + thermal mode; the deposit, then the thermal pass
Skin types
Fitzpatrick III–V
Melasma
R2 alone first, or no laser
Where R2T2 matters on this site
R2T2 is the name for running two of Dr Sin Yong's tone protocols as one plan, so it is referred to wherever pigment and redness are discussed together.
I do not fire a pigment laser at a brown patch until I know which brown it is; melasma, Hori's naevus and a sun spot each answer to a different wavelength.— Dr Sin Yong
Sun spots: the discrete epidermal spot that T2 is most often directed at.
The pico laser Singapore page explains how settings are chosen for Fitzpatrick III to V skin on the picosecond platform, which applies to the T2 half of every R2T2 plan.
Not to be confused with
R2T2 is often assumed to be a single device or a brightening session. It is neither, and these are the terms it is mixed up with.
Laser toning: single-pass, low-fluence 1064 nm brightening. R2T2 is two protocols with different targets, and neither is a toning pass.
Q-switched laser: nanosecond pulses. The T2 half uses a picosecond pulse; the R2 half is long-pulsed and non-ablative, which is a different physics again.
Picosecond laser: the class T2 Frax Radiance belongs to. A picosecond laser alone, without R2 Glow, is not R2T2.
IPL: broadband light, not a laser, used for diffuse redness and spots in some clinics. It is not part of R2T2.
FSX Laser: 1540 nm and 1927 nm for texture, pores and superficial pigment. It overlaps with R2T2 on pigment but is a different protocol with different targets.
For redness specifically, the vascular options are compared on yellow laser vs pico vs pulsed dye; R2 Glow is the long-pulsed approach on that page.
What decides whether R2T2 is right for you
Diagnosis comes first. The same brown can be melasma, a sun spot, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or Hori's naevus, and each answers to a different wavelength or to no laser at all.
Melasma starts with sun protection and medical treatment; if laser is used at all it begins with R2 Glow alone, because heat can flare it. See melasma treatment.
Hori's naevus sits in the dermis and is planned on its own with wavelengths that reach it, after melasma is excluded or controlled; see Hori's naevus.
A discrete sun spot or freckle is where T2 is directed; a changing or irregular spot is examined with a dermatoscope before any laser.
Background redness and post-acne redness point to the R2 half; the type of redness is named first, because rosacea needs its own management.
Skin type: the protocol is planned for Fitzpatrick III to V skin, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is the risk the settings are built around; see post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Several browns on one face are usual, and they are sorted at one examination with a Wood's lamp and a dermatoscope before a plan is written. Daily sun protection is part of every plan, not an afterthought.
Where it fits
Pigment and redness are one of the six concerns Dr Sin Yong treats day in, day out; R2T2 is the name for running his two tone protocols as one plan. Full page: R2T2 Laser Singapore; the two halves on R2 Glow and T2 Frax Radiance.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is planned for Fitzpatrick III to V skin, the skin types most often seen in Singapore. The risk that shapes every setting is post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, so fluences are chosen for the skin type, the thermal pass is set conservatively, and sun protection before and after is part of the plan rather than optional.
Not as the first step. Hori’s naevus is dermal pigment, and it is planned on its own with wavelengths that reach the dermis, delivered conservatively because darkening after laser is common. Where Hori’s coexists with melasma, the melasma is controlled first; R2T2 is the plan for surface tone and redness, not for the dermal spots.
Half of it is. T2 Frax Radiance uses a 785 nm picosecond pass on the DEKA TORO; R2 Glow is a long-pulsed, non-ablative protocol directed at inflammation.
Cautiously. Melasma starts with sun protection and medical treatment; if laser is used at all it begins with R2 Glow alone.
References
Torbeck RL, Schilling L, Khorasani H, Dover JS, Arndt KA, Saedi N. Evolution of the picosecond laser: a review of literature. Dermatol Surg. 2019;45(2):183-194. doi:10.1097/DSS.0000000000001697. source
Chan JC, Shek SY, Kono T, Yeung CK, Chan HH. A retrospective analysis on the management of pigmented lesions using a picosecond 755-nm alexandrite laser in Asians. Lasers Surg Med. 2016;48(1):23-29. doi:10.1002/lsm.22443. source
Mese Say E, Okan G, Gökdemir G. Treatment outcomes of long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser for two different subtypes of rosacea (n=66). J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2015;8(9):16-20. source
The effects of long-pulsed alexandrite laser therapy on facial redness and skin microbiota compositions in rosacea: a prospective study. PubMed, 2023. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Treatment of Solar Lentigines: A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials. PubMed Central, 2025. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
