Published 22 October 2026 · Reviewed by Dr Sin Yong
A yellow laser emits light at about 577 nm, close to a peak of absorption by oxygenated haemoglobin. The light heats blood inside small vessels until the vessel wall closes, which is why yellow lasers are used for redness, fine thread veins and red acne marks rather than brown pigment. This guide explains yellow lasers and the alternatives Dr Sin Yong uses instead.
Short answerA yellow laser is a vascular laser: it treats blood in vessels, not melanin, and suits fine superficial redness better than deeper blue vessels. For redness, in place of yellow or pulsed-dye lasers, Dr Sin Yong prefers R2 Glow, with the 675 nm laser or long-pulsed Nd:YAG where the examination points to them.
A yellow laser is a vascular laser that emits visible yellow light at about 577 nm. The principle behind it is selective photothermolysis: light of a wavelength that one target absorbs strongly heats that target while the tissue around it absorbs comparatively little. Oxygenated haemoglobin, the pigment in red blood cells, absorbs strongly around 577 nm. Light at that wavelength therefore heats the blood inside a small vessel, the heat injures the vessel wall, and the body then seals and clears the vessel.
Illustrative image — not a patient.
Yellow lasers are usually delivered as longer pulses that heat the vessel without rupturing it. That is why visible bruising is less often part of the picture than with some settings on a pulsed-dye laser. The shorter wavelength also travels less deeply into skin than near-infrared light. That suits fine, superficial red vessels and diffuse redness more than larger, deeper, blue-purple vessels.
The colour of the light is not the colour of the target. A yellow laser does not treat yellow skin or yellow marks. It treats red, because red is blood, and blood is what absorbs the light. A brown mark is melanin, and melanin needs a different wavelength and pulse.
Yellow lasers are sold under several names, including pro-yellow. The label matters less than four settings: the wavelength, the pulse duration, the spot size and the cooling. Those decide how much heat reaches the vessel, how much reaches the surrounding skin, and whether the result is a sealed vessel or a blister.
What a yellow laser treats, and what it does not
Yellow lasers are used where the problem is blood in small vessels near the surface. The most common reasons people search for a yellow laser in Singapore are facial redness and red marks after acne.
At this clinic, cherry angiomas are treated with R2 Glow after examination
Brown marks, melasma, freckles
No: melanin
Not a yellow laser problem; melanin also absorbs the light, which raises the risk of darkening
A simple test separates red from brown. Press a clear glass against the mark. If the red empties out, it is blood in vessels. If the colour stays, it is pigment in skin. Most acne-prone faces carry both, and each type is mapped to its own tool rather than treated with one device.
Some red spots are not simple vessels at all. A red lump that appeared quickly and bleeds easily, a spot that keeps growing, or a pink lesion with little visible pigment is examined before any laser is discussed, because destroying a lesion that has not been examined removes the chance to check what it was.
“A yellow laser treats blood, not pigment. I press on the mark before I choose a wavelength, because the diagnosis decides the laser.”
Dr Sin YongOn treating redness
Who yellow laser treatment may suit, and who should wait
A vessel-directed laser such as a yellow laser tends to suit fine superficial redness and red marks in skin that is calm, untanned and not actively breaking out. It is a poorer fit for larger blue or purple vessels, which sit deeper and are usually matched to a longer wavelength, and it does nothing useful for pigment.
Reasons to wait with any vascular laser
Active, uncontrolled acne, because new marks replace treated ones.
A recent tan or sunburn, or photosensitising medication.
Infection or a cold sore flare in the area, and pregnancy.
Steroid creams used on the face, which can create a redness of their own that rebounds when they stop.
Any red spot that is raised, growing or bleeding, which is examined first rather than treated as redness.
Asian skin
Epidermal melanin absorbs light at 577 nm too, less than haemoglobin does but enough to matter. In Fitzpatrick III to V skin, common in Singapore, the surface competes with the vessel for the energy. Too much energy can blister or crust, and darkening afterwards is the main risk. Settings, cooling, conservative pacing and sun protection are the safeguards, whichever vascular device is used.
Rosacea needs its own line. Flushing is a neurovascular event rather than a fixed vessel, and heat is itself a trigger. Laser sits inside a medical plan of trigger review, barrier-respecting skincare and prescribed anti-inflammatory treatment; it does not replace that plan.
Yellow laser vs pulsed-dye laser vs pico laser
These three are often compared, but they do different jobs. Yellow and pulsed-dye lasers share a target, blood, and differ in wavelength, pulse and bruising. A pico laser targets pigment and ink, not vessels.
Yellow laser: about 577 nm, usually longer pulses that heat the vessel without rupturing it, so bruising is less often expected. Suits fine superficial vessels and diffuse redness.
Pulsed-dye laser: 585 to 595 nm from a liquid dye. At shorter pulses it can rupture the vessel and leave purple bruising that clears; bruise-free settings exist with a trade-off in how decisively a vessel closes.
Pico laser: picosecond pulses at 532, 785 or 1064 nm that shatter pigment particles. A vessel is not a particle; closing it needs heat held in the wall for milliseconds, which a picosecond pulse does not deliver.
The evidence for yellow lasers is mostly case series. A 2019 series treated erythematotelangiectatic rosacea, facial erythema and facial telangiectasia with a 577 nm pro-yellow laser and reported improvement, without a control group. For red acne marks, the trial literature mainly supports pulsed-dye class lasers and intense pulsed light. A yellow laser works on the same principle at a neighbouring wavelength, but direct comparisons are limited, so claims that one vascular laser is clearly ahead of another should be read with care.
Pro yellow laser, dual yellow and other yellow laser names
A pro yellow laser is a 577 nm yellow laser sold under the Pro-Yellow name, and studies describe it as a vascular laser for redness, thread veins and small red lesions. Clinics in Singapore use several names for lasers in the yellow band, and the name tells you less than the wavelength and the pulse.
Name you may see
Wavelength
What it is
Main target
Pro-Yellow (pro yellow laser)
577 nm
A yellow laser named in many case series and small trials
Blood in small, superficial vessels
Other 577 nm yellow lasers
577 nm
Some are described in trials as high-power optically pumped semiconductor lasers
Blood in small, superficial vessels
Dual yellow (copper bromide)
578 nm yellow plus 511 nm green
A copper bromide laser that emits two wavelengths at once
Vessels with the yellow beam; pigment with the green
The evidence is still thin. A 2022 study of 74 patients treated with a 577 nm pro-yellow laser reported improvement across several vascular conditions, including rosacea, facial thread veins and cherry angiomas, without a control group. A 2026 systematic review of nine randomised trials in red acne marks (post-acne erythema) found that a 577 nm semiconductor laser showed an early benefit on instrument readings, but blinded assessors found no final difference between treated and untreated sides; the authors could not name a preferred treatment. For the copper bromide dual-wavelength laser, a 2014 study of 24 women with skin types III to V found it did not improve melasma.
None of these devices is used at this practice. For redness, Dr Sin Yong prefers R2 Glow, with the 675 nm laser or long-pulsed Nd:YAG where the examination points to them. The options are set side by side on yellow laser vs pico vs pulsed-dye.
What Dr Sin Yong uses for redness instead
Yellow lasers are described on this page as devices other clinics in Singapore use. Facial redness at this practice is assessed first for what kind of redness it is, then matched to one of the platforms Dr Sin Yong uses and performs personally.
What the examination finds
Considered here
Why
Page
Inflammatory redness, red acne marks once acne is controlled
R2 Glow
A long-pulsed 755 nm and 1064 nm protocol directed at inflammatory activity
Sending a red mark to a pigment laser, or a brown mark to a vascular one, is the commonest way these treatments disappoint. The choice of wavelength follows the diagnosis.
How redness is assessed here, and aftercare in broad terms
The assessment decides the plan, not the device. Dr Sin Yong examines the redness under good light, presses on it to see whether it blanches, looks at the pattern of vessels, and asks about flushing, triggers, skincare, steroid creams and any earlier laser. Active acne is controlled first. Raised, growing or bleeding red spots are examined before anything is treated.
What decides the plan:
Whether the colour is blood, pigment or both.
Vessel size, depth and colour: fine red, or larger blue-purple.
Skin type and any history of darkening after energy treatments.
Whether rosacea, acne or a barrier problem is driving the redness.
Recent treatments elsewhere, which change timing and settings.
After any vascular or redness laser, some warmth, redness and mild swelling are usual while the skin settles. Gentle cleansing, a plain moisturiser, no scrubs or acids until advised, and strict daily sun protection are the sensible baseline. Blistering, crusting, increasing pain or darkening that spreads should be reviewed by the treating doctor rather than watched at home. Fees follow the plan and are set out in writing after the consultation; how fees are quoted explains what the quote contains.
Your next step
1. MessageWhatsApp +65 8023 7170 with what is bothering you. A reply comes from the clinic, not a bot.
2. AssessmentDr Sin Yong examines you himself on Orchard Road, with ultrasound where earlier filler is involved.
3. A plan in writingWhat he would do, what he would not, the fee factors, and the option of no treatment.
Every treatment is performed by Dr Sin Yong personally. Singapore Medical Council registered · invited to share his clinical expertise internationally for CLASSYS, DEKA, Fotona, Hironic and Ilooda.
Book an assessment with Dr Sin Yong on Orchard Road. Bring a list of skincare and any creams used on the face. How consultations work.
How a 595 nm Vbeam laser compares with KTP, Nd:YAG and IPL for redness is set out in a separate guide.
Yellow laser: sessions, downtime and how long it lasts
Yellow laser Singapore at a glance
How many sessions
R2 Glow is used here instead. Where another clinic plans a yellow laser course, the number of visits depends on the vessels, the skin type and the response at review.
Downtime
Warmth and redness are usual after any vascular laser; how long they last varies with the settings and the skin.
How long it lasts
Vessel and redness improvement holds with maintenance every 3–6 months.
For redness, Dr Sin Yong uses R2 Glow, the 675 nm laser or long-pulsed Nd:YAG, and the plan for those is set after the assessment. Fees are given in writing after the assessment: see how we quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A yellow laser at about 577 nm is aimed at blood in small vessels, and brown pigment is melanin, which needs a pigment wavelength and pulse, such as a picosecond laser chosen for the depth of the mark. Melanin in the skin also absorbs some yellow light, so in Fitzpatrick III to V skin it adds a risk of darkening rather than clearing brown marks. Where redness and pigment sit together, each is matched to its own tool.
People treated with vascular lasers usually describe warmth with a snapping or stinging sensation, and cooling is part of the delivery. How much it is felt depends on the settings, the area and the skin. In place of yellow laser, for redness Dr Sin Yong uses R2 Glow, the 675 nm laser or long-pulsed Nd:YAG, and what each of those feels like is explained before any treatment.
Neither is better for every face. Both target blood: a yellow laser at about 577 nm, usually in longer pulses with less bruising, and Vbeam, a pulsed dye laser at 595 nm, which at shorter pulses can bruise but closes vessels decisively. Direct comparisons between them are limited. Vessel size and depth, skin type and how much bruising is acceptable decide the match. Neither is used here; the redness options Dr Sin Yong uses are set out on this page.
No number can be given before the redness is examined, and R2 Glow is used here instead of yellow laser. With any vascular laser, the count depends on whether the redness is fixed vessels, flushing or red acne marks, how deep the vessels sit, the skin type and how the skin responds at review. Rosacea flushing is managed medically alongside any laser. Dr Sin Yong plans redness treatment with R2 Glow, the 675 nm laser or long-pulsed Nd:YAG after an assessment.
A pro yellow laser is a 577 nm yellow laser sold under the Pro-Yellow name. Light at 577 nm is absorbed strongly by oxygenated haemoglobin, so a pro yellow laser is used for fine facial redness, thread veins, red acne marks and small red lesions rather than brown pigment. The published evidence is mostly case series and small trials. In its place, R2 Glow is preferred for redness here.
A yellow laser can be used for the fixed redness and fine vessels of rosacea, because 577 nm light is absorbed by blood in small vessels. It does not switch off flushing, which is a neurovascular tendency, and heat itself can trigger flares. Rosacea is managed first with a medical plan of trigger review, gentle skincare and prescribed treatment, with any laser kept conservative.
Its benefit is a mechanism rather than a result. Light at about 577 nm is absorbed strongly by oxygenated haemoglobin, so it can heat and close small superficial vessels, usually with longer pulses that do not rupture them, so bruising is less often expected. That is why it is used for fine redness, thread veins and red acne marks, not brown pigment. In its place, R2 Glow is used for redness here.
A yellow laser, at about 577 nm, is absorbed strongly by haemoglobin, so it heats and closes small superficial vessels. It is used for facial redness, fine thread veins, red acne marks and rosacea-related redness, not for brown pigment. In place of yellow lasers, redness here is assessed first, and R2 Glow is the preferred treatment, with the 675 nm laser or long-pulsed Nd:YAG where they fit better.
For facial redness and red acne marks Dr Sin Yong prefers R2 Glow instead of yellow or pulsed-dye lasers, with the 675 nm laser on the DEKA RedTouch Pro or long-pulsed Nd:YAG for deeper vessels where they fit better, chosen after Dr Sin Yong has examined what kind of redness it is.
It depends on the colour of the mark. Red marks that blanch on pressure are blood in dilated capillaries, and vessel-directed light suits them once acne is controlled. Brown marks are pigment, and a yellow laser is the wrong tool for them. Most faces have both, so each mark type is matched to its own treatment.
It can be used in Asian skin with care, but epidermal melanin also absorbs at 577 nm. In Fitzpatrick III to V skin, too much energy can blister, crust or leave darkening afterwards. Conservative settings, cooling, spacing treatments and strict sun protection are the safeguards, and darkening is reviewed rather than treated again blindly.
Melasma is a pigment condition with hormonal, ultraviolet and vascular drivers, and it is sensitive to heat. A yellow laser is not a treatment for the pigment, and aggressive heat can make melasma worse. Melasma is managed with a medical plan built on sun protection and topical treatment, with any energy treatment as a conservative supporting step.
No. A laser emits one wavelength, here about 577 nm, aimed at haemoglobin. Intense pulsed light emits a broad band of wavelengths filtered for the target, so it can address redness and some pigment at once, with less precision for either. Which suits depends on what the redness is, the skin type and whether pigment is present.
No. Both use yellow light aimed at haemoglobin in small vessels, but they are different devices. Pro Yellow is a 577 nm laser; Dual Yellow is a copper bromide laser that emits 578 nm yellow light and 511 nm green light, the green directed more at surface pigment. For the same redness and red-mark concerns, Dr Sin Yong uses R2 Glow, and R2T2 where brown pigment sits over redness.
Some clinics pair them, yellow for redness and pico for brown pigment. The same idea is applied here with different tools: R2T2 joins R2 Glow, aimed at redness and the inflammation behind it, with T2 Frax Radiance, a picosecond protocol on the DEKA TORO for deposited pigment. Whether they run in one visit or in sequence depends on how reactive the skin is, decided at consultation.
References
Treatment of erythematotelangiectatic rosacea, facial erythema, and facial telangiectasia with a 577-nm pro-yellow laser: a case series. Lasers in Medical Science, 2019. source
Evaluation of the efficacy of pro-yellow laser in the management of vascular skin disorders. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Post-acne erythema: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials on the comparative efficacy and safety of interventions across clinical, instrumental, and patient-reported outcomes. Cureus, 2026. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Therapeutic outcome of melasma treatment by dual-wavelength (511 and 578 nm) laser in patients with skin phototypes III-V. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2014. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
About this page: written and medically reviewed by Dr Sin Yong, MBBS (NUS), MRCS (Edinburgh) · Last reviewed 6 November 2026 · Illustrative images only, not patients · Editorial policy
