Pico Laser in Korea
Picosecond lasers deliver their energy in pulses short enough to shatter pigment largely by mechanical shock rather than heat. That matters most in skin that responds to heat by making more pigment, which is why these devices are so widely used here.
How it works
Pigment sits in the skin as particles. A laser pulse that lasts only picoseconds delivers its energy faster than the particle can shed heat into the tissue around it, so the particle fractures. The fragments are then carried away by the body over the following weeks.
The alternative approach — longer pulses in the nanosecond range — works partly through heat. Heat is the reason pigment problems sometimes come back worse after treatment, because inflamed skin in this part of the world frequently responds by producing more melanin. Shorter pulses are a way of doing less of that.
What it is used for
| Notes | |
|---|---|
| Freckles, sun spots | Often the most satisfying use, on clearly defined marks |
| Uneven tone, dullness | Low-energy passes across the whole face, over a series |
| Melasma | Treated cautiously as part of a longer plan, alongside sun protection and topicals |
| Tattoo ink | Series of sessions; outcome depends on colour and depth |
| Texture, fine scarring | Using a fractional handpiece that concentrates energy into small points |
The fractional handpiece is a different mode of the same machine. Instead of treating pigment across the surface, it focuses energy into an array of tiny points within the skin to prompt remodelling, which is why the same device appears under both pigment and texture headings on clinic menus.
Who it suits
People with discrete pigmented marks, or with overall unevenness they have been unable to shift with skincare. It also suits anyone who wants pigment treated with as little heat as the job allows.
Who it does not suit
Anyone with active inflammation, a recent tan, or an unhealed wound in the area should wait. Pigment that has not been diagnosed should be looked at before it is treated — some marks are raised lesions rather than pigment, and a few need assessment rather than a laser.
It does not treat redness or vessels, it does not lift, and it will not stop new pigment forming. Marks that come from an ongoing process, melasma above all, return when the process continues. If your pigment is patchy, symmetrical and worse in summer, read the melasma page before booking anything.
The session
Numbing cream for pigment work is often unnecessary, though it is used for tattoos and for fractional passes. Eyes are shielded, and the operator either treats spots individually or covers the whole face in passes. Ten to twenty minutes is usual.
The sensation is a fine snapping, sometimes described as hot grains of sand. Fractional passes feel warmer and more prickly.
Afterwards
Redness and slight swelling for a few hours. Treated spots typically darken, then flake off over roughly five to ten days; whole-face toning passes usually leave nothing visible by the next day. Keep the skin bland and moisturised, do not pick at crusts, and pause acids and retinoids for several days.
What decides the result
Sun protection, more than the device or the settings. Pigment is largely a response to ultraviolet light, and a course of treatment followed by unprotected sun will end roughly where it started. Daily sunscreen, reapplied, plus a hat during the hours that matter, is not an afterthought to this treatment — it is the part that holds the result.
What to ask
- What exactly are you treating, and is any of it something that should be examined first?
- Will you treat spots individually, in whole-face passes, or both, and over how many visits?
- What will my skin look like for the week after, and what should I stop using beforehand?
FAQ
Will the spots look worse before they look better?
Treated spots commonly darken and crust slightly within a day or two, then flake away over about a week. This is expected, not a complication, but plan around it if you have something to attend.
How many sessions will I need?
Discrete sun spots sometimes clear in one or two. Uneven overall tone and melasma are treated gently over a longer series, and melasma is managed rather than cured.
Is it safe for skin that pigments easily?
It is generally chosen for exactly that reason, because less heat means less provocation. It is not risk-free — post-inflammatory darkening can still happen, and a cautious first session is a reasonable request.
Can it remove tattoos?
It is commonly used for tattoo work, usually over a series of sessions spaced weeks apart. Results vary a great deal by ink colour, depth and age, and complete clearance cannot be promised.