Pico laser in Singapore:
pigment, pores and the risk of darkening

What does picosecond mean, and what does a pico laser do to pigment?

Pico is a unit of time, not a brand or a protocol. A picosecond laser delivers energy in pulses of around a trillionth of a second, roughly a thousand times shorter than the nanosecond pulse of a Q-switched laser. The pigment particle absorbing the pulse has no time to pass heat to the skin around it, so it is shattered mainly by a pressure wave rather than heated, and the body then clears the fragments.

That difference matters in Fitzpatrick III to V skin, the range that covers most patients in Singapore. There is more melanin in the epidermis to absorb stray energy, and inflammation is what drives post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, the darkening that follows injury. Less heat spreading outward means less of that inflammation. It is a difference in how energy is delivered, not a promise about what will happen to a particular face, and the wavelength and energy still have to be chosen for the skin in front of the doctor.

How does Dr Sin Yong use pico laser, and which wavelengths are involved?

Pico laser here is delivered as the T2 Frax Radiance protocol on the DEKA TORO platform. Its picosecond emission is at 785 nm, used for pigment and tone, and the same system carries 532 nm and 1064 nm nanosecond emissions and a longer thermal pulse. The T2 Frax Radiance page describes the two halves of the name, tone and tighten, and what the platform specifies.

Wavelength follows where the pigment sits. 532 nm is absorbed strongly by melanin and does not travel far, so it is directed at superficial pigment such as sun spots and freckles. 1064 nm penetrates further and is absorbed less by epidermal melanin, which makes it the more conservative choice in darker skin and for deeper pigment. 785 nm sits between them. Three modes are used: spot treatment of a discrete mark, low-energy toning across the face for diffuse tone, and fractional delivery for texture, in which a diffractive optic creates small zones of tissue breakdown with intact skin between them.

“A pico laser breaks up pigment that is already there. It does nothing about the reason your skin made it — which is why melasma comes back and a sun spot usually does not.”

Dr Sin YongOn what the technology does and does not reach

Which pigment problems does pico laser suit, and which does it not?

Pico laser suits discrete surface pigment most closely, and it is a poor fit for pigment whose cause continues. Sun spots and freckles are well-defined marks that accumulate with ultraviolet exposure, and they are the clearest match. Post-inflammatory marks fade on their own timeline and may be treated once the cause, such as acne, is controlled. Melasma is the exception: it is chronic, with hormonal, vascular and ultraviolet drivers that no laser touches, and it is provoked by heat.

Pico laser is also not a lifting or tightening treatment, and it does not treat redness from blood vessels or active acne. It does not shrink pores; in fractional mode it works on the texture around them, which is a narrower job than the phrase pore tightening suggests, and response varies between individuals. Asking for pico laser by name is reasonable. What it is being asked to do is the part worth checking, and that is settled by examination. The table sets out the main pigment types.

Why can pigment get darker after pico laser, and how is that risk managed?

Pigment can darken afterwards because skin that is injured makes more melanin, and Asian skin makes it readily. The usual causes are energy that is too high for the skin, treatment repeated too soon, ultraviolet exposure on freshly treated skin, and melasma treated as if it were a sun spot. The darkening is usually post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation; it tends to fade with time and sun protection, but that can take a long time, which is why prevention matters more than correction.

Management therefore starts before the laser is switched on. The pigment is identified, any lesion that is changing, bleeding or irregular is examined first and referred for dermatological assessment where needed, and wavelength and energy are chosen for Fitzpatrick III to V skin. Melasma is treated conservatively within a longer plan built around photoprotection and topical therapy, and toning is not run on an open-ended schedule, because frequent repeated toning of the same area has been linked to pale, mottled spots. Strict sun protection afterwards is part of the treatment, not an add-on. The page on pigmentation that gets worse after laser covers the sequence in more detail, and the post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation page explains the condition.

Who should wait, and who is referred on?

Treatment is deferred or reconsidered with a recent tan, active infection or inflammation in the area, photosensitising medication, a tendency to keloid scarring, and during pregnancy. Elective laser is generally postponed in pregnancy, and melasma in particular often settles on its own afterwards. Tell Dr Sin Yong if you are pregnant, planning pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Anything that is changing in size, shape or colour, bleeding or unlike the other marks is examined first and may be referred to a dermatologist before any laser is considered. If the problem is laxity, sagging or vessels, other approaches are assessed instead, because pico laser is not built for them. Where the honest answer is that laser is not the right tool, you are told so.

What happens at treatment, what are the risks, and when should you call?

The consultation comes first and every step is done personally by Dr Sin Yong. He takes the history, examines the skin in appropriate light, with a dermatoscope where needed, and works out what the pigment is. Options are explained, including topicals, photoprotection and no laser at all, and a plan is written with the mode, the wavelength and the review. Consent is taken with time to decide, and you are not expected to be treated on the day.

On the day, topical anaesthetic is applied where the area or setting calls for it, and the laser is delivered in spot, toning or fractional mode. Most people describe a rapid snapping sensation, though tolerance varies. Written aftercare is given for the mode used: redness and warmth settle quickly after toning, treated spots may darken and form a fine crust that flakes away on its own and should not be picked, and fractional treatment can leave pinpoint redness, mild swelling and a rough feel while the skin renews. Healing is checked at review before further treatment is planned.

The common effects are expected: redness, warmth, mild swelling, and temporary darkening and crusting over pigmented spots. The risks that matter are post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, pale or mottled spots from frequent repeated toning, blistering or pinpoint bleeding at higher energies or with fractional settings, and a rebound of melasma if it is treated aggressively. Each depends on dose, interval and diagnosis, which is why diagnosis carries more weight than the device name.

Contact the clinic on +65 8023 7170 during clinic hours if crusts become thick, yellow or oozing, if blisters appear, or if pain, swelling or warmth are increasing instead of settling. Dark marks that appear weeks later should be reviewed rather than treated over, and strict sun protection matters in the meantime. The complication care page lists the signs that need same-day attention.

What determines the fee for pico laser?

Singapore's rules prevent clinics from advertising prices, so this page gives no figures, and a number given before assessment would not describe your skin. Fees are written and itemised after the consultation. The factors are the area treated, what the assessment finds the pigment to be, whether one wavelength or several are used, whether fractional mode is added for texture, and how the plan is staged over time.

A single sun spot on one cheek and diffuse melasma across both sides of the face are not comparable pieces of work. The how fees are quoted page explains what a written quote contains, and why a lower figure elsewhere may describe a different device, a different plan or a different person performing the treatment.