Sun spots and freckles
Surface pigment that topical regimes can't reach. Pico fragments melanin in short pulses, and the body clears it over four to six weeks. SPF habits affect how long the response holds.
2 to 4 sessions · 4 weeks apart
PIGMENT MAPPED FIRST, THEN THE LASER
Pigment-mapped Pico laser for melasma, sun spots, and acne marks on Asian skin.
Pico Discovery is a pigment-precision laser, not a one-size-fits-all toning device. Dr Samantha maps your pigmentation first, then picks wavelength and energy. Downtime and response vary by pigment depth, skin tone, and settings.
From SGD 99
TREATMENT MENUSGD 99SGD 280SGD 400SGD 580SGD 480SGD 600SGD 240SGD 240SGD 580
Pricing for every variant.
First time
Single-session laser starter; full-face mapping included
Pico Glow
Pico Resurfacing
Pico Complete
Pico Back Half
Pico Back Full
Pico Eye / Pico Neck
Pico Underarm
Pico Whitening Intimate Area
How Discovery Pico works, why melasma needs a slower hand, and what it can address.
What Pico Laser can address at Nexus
Why a wrong Pico setting can make melasma worse, and how this is prevented
Pico laser in Singapore fires energy in pulses one trillionth of a second long. Pigment shatters into fragments the body clears, while surrounding skin reads the energy as a vibration rather than heat. That difference matters most on Asian skin, where older nanosecond lasers often drove post-inflammatory darkening on the very pigment they tried to clear.
Three changes happen at once during a session at Nexus:
- Surface and dermal pigment fragments. Sun spots, freckles, post-inflammatory marks, tattoo ink.
- A small wound-healing response thickens collagen.
- Pore size and acne-scar texture refine as a secondary effect.
Early brightness shows in two weeks, but real change shows in same-light photographs over three to six sessions. Outcomes vary by depth, skin tone, sun exposure, and aftercare.
How three wavelengths (532, 694, 1064nm) target pigment at depth-specific layers
Discovery Pico is the picosecond platform Dr Samantha uses at Nexus. It is FDA-cleared, has three wavelengths, and runs short enough pulses to lift pigment without scorching surrounding tissue.
The three wavelengths matter because pigment sits at different depths. Surface freckles respond to 532 nm. Dermal melasma sits deeper and needs 1064 nm. The 694 nm wavelength reaches a mid-brown range that 532 nm misses on Asian skin. The spot size range lets Dr Samantha treat fine pigment around the eye area at 1 mm and broader cheek areas at 8 mm in the same session.
Why pigment mapping comes first and the laser second
Melasma is the patient question Dr Samantha hears most often. The honest answer: Pico can help stable melasma, but Pico on active melasma can worsen pigmentation. Most “got darker after Pico” cases describe active melasma lasered too early or at fluence too high for the skin tone.
First appointment starts with a Wood's lamp assessment before treatment is considered. Flaring melasma settles with Rejuran S or Profhilo first; then Pico Toning at low fluence once stable. Stable melasma may improve over four to eight sessions, but response varies and relapse is common without daily sun protection.
Why Pico Glow is designed for low interruption and minimal peeling
Pico response depends on whether pigment depth, skin tone, and inflammation risk are assessed before energy is delivered. Two clinics running the same picosecond device can produce different responses depending on how the protocol is set up.
Three steps Dr Samantha walks through at the first appointment:
- Map the pigment first. Surface, dermal, vascular, or mixed. Each layer responds to a different wavelength.
- Choose the right Pico mode. Pico Toning for sensitive or melasma-prone skin. Standard Pico for surface pigment. Combination for mixed cases.
- Pace the course around the patient's skin repair cycle, not a fixed weekly schedule.
This is why the first appointment at Nexus is a 20-minute consultation, not an automatic treatment visit. Dr Samantha will tell you if Pico is right for your skin, or if the right next step is a different protocol entirely.
Why Pico laser combined with microneedling beats microneedling alone for acne scars
Pico is a strong tool for the right pigment, but it is not a fit for every concern. An honest filter:
Suitable for
Suitable for
- Sun spots, age spots, and freckles on the face, neck, hands
- Stable melasma that has not flared in the last three months
- Acne scars in the rolling and boxcar categories, in combination with other modalities
- Tattoo removal across most colours, with multiple sessions
- General skin clarity and pore refinement on Asian skin
Take care
Not the right fit for
- Active inflammatory acne. Treat the acne first.
- Melasma currently flaring. Rejuran S or Profhilo first.
- Vascular dark circles where the brown is haemoglobin, not melanin.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- Patients on photosensitising medication.
If we tell you Pico is not the right next step, we will tell you what is.
How one device treats eye area, neck, underarm, and intimate zones
A standard session runs 30 to 45 minutes including the consultation refresh, prep, treatment, and immediate aftercare.
- 0 to 5 min
Cleanse and pre-treatment photo
Skin is degreased; a photo is taken under standardised lighting for tracking.
- 5 to 10 min
Numbing cream (optional)
Applied if sensitivity is a concern. Often skipped when sensitivity is low.
- 10 to 25 min
Treatment
The handpiece passes over the area in measured sweeps. Some patients describe it as a series of warm rubber-band snaps.
- 25 to 35 min
Cooling mask and sunscreen
Plus post-treatment guidance for the recovery window.
- 35 to 45 min
Post-treatment photo
Photo under the same lighting; next session booking if part of a course.
Total chair time runs about 30 minutes for the face. Tattoo and full-neck treatments run longer.
Pico Toning uses a different handpiece pass pattern at lower fluence. It is usually less intense than standard Pico, which is the answer to the common Pico Toning question about discomfort.
Pigmentation concerns this picosecond laser can address
Five concerns drive most queries. Realistic per-condition expectation map below. Individual response varies by pigment depth, skin tone, sun exposure history, and how closely the post-treatment protocol is followed.
Pico laser sessions, intervals, and how long pigmentation response can last
Treatment pacing reference
| Concern | Typical sessions | Interval | Duration of response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun spots and freckles | 2 to 4 | 4 weeks apart | 12 to 24 months with sun protection |
| Stable melasma | 4 to 8 | 4 to 6 weeks apart | 6 to 12 months, maintenance every 3 months |
| Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation | 3 to 5 | 4 weeks apart | 12 months with strict sun protection |
| Acne scars | 5 to 8 (combined) | 4 to 6 weeks apart | Years, with no new active acne |
| Skin tone | 4 to 6 | 4 weeks apart | Maintenance every 3 to 4 months |
| Tattoo removal | 6 to 12 | 8 weeks apart | Long-lasting on cleared ink |
Individual response varies. Sun protection is the single biggest factor in how long any pigmentation response holds.
Pico laser side effects and what to expect after a session
Pico side effects can be mild on appropriate fluence settings. Redness after Pico laser is the most common reaction, often fading within 30 to 60 minutes. The honest split:
Worth knowing
Common (about 95% of patients)
- Pinkness for 30 to 60 minutes after the session
- Mild tingling that fades within an hour
- Slight skin warmth, similar to mild sunburn, for a few hours
- Tiny dark flecks on treated pigment that flake off over 5 to 10 days
Take care
Rare (less than 5%)
- Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, especially on darker Asian skin if fluence is too high
- Temporary hypopigmentation that usually resolves over months
- Cold sore reactivation in patients with a history of HSV
- Bruising on thin skin that resolves within a week
When to call us: persistent darker patches more than 4 weeks post-session, blistering or crusting beyond day 7, any signs of infection. Dr Samantha sees Pico complications within 24 hours.
Asian skin warrants tighter fluence calibration. The same energy that produces a clean response on European skin can produce post-inflammatory darkening on Singaporean skin. Nexus calibrates fluence to skin tone using a Fitzpatrick assessment at consultation.
Aftercare and what to apply after a picosecond session
Aftercare for pico laser patients influences whether pigmentation settles or rebounds. The right moisturiser after Pico Laser keeps the barrier intact. Cool, hydrate, protect. The first 48 hours matter for the redness response; weeks one and two matter for daily sun protection and consistent care.
- Day 0 to 2
Cleanse and moisturize gently
Non-foaming cleanser at night, warm water, no scrubbing. A gentle moisturizer after Pico laser keeps the barrier intact and helps the redness response settle. Mild itching after pico laser in the first 24 hours is common. Skip retinol, AHAs, BHAs, vitamin C, and niacinamide for 72 hours. They can return on day 3 if your skin tolerates them.
- Day 0 to 7
SPF 50+ and hydration daily
Reapply every two hours outdoors. A gentle moisturiser plus tinted mineral sunscreen is usually the safer post-Pico combination on Asian skin. Hyaluronic acid serums layer comfortably under the moisturiser.
- Week 1 onward
Keep the routine going
Pico-treated skin is still resealing the barrier. Daily care and aftercare matter more than any single product. If face itchy after pico laser persists past 48 hours, gets worse, or shows itchy bumps, message Dr Samantha.
Patient-specific instructions are covered at your post-session review.
Benefits of Pico Laser for Asian Skin
The benefits of pico laser patients ask about come down to one trade-off: shatter pigment without overheating skin. Six pico laser benefits stand out clinically when the protocol is right for your skin tone.
- Faster pigment clearance than older Q-switched lasers. Picosecond pulses fragment melanin into smaller particles the body clears more efficiently.
- Lower thermal injury risk. The photoacoustic mechanism reduces post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation risk on Fitzpatrick III to V skin.
- Acne scar texture refinement as a secondary benefit. Pico Toning at low fluence triggers controlled remodelling that thickens collagen.
- Tattoo removal across multiple ink colours. Discovery Pico runs three wavelengths (532, 694, 1064 nm) versus PicoSure's primary 755 nm; the difference is wavelength range, not generation.
- Skin tone refinement and pore-size reduction. Subtle benefits across a course, more visible at month three than session one.
- Lower downtime than ablative resurfacing. Many return to normal activity after the visit with sunscreen, moisturiser after Pico laser, and barrier care.
Combined with proper aftercare, these pico laser benefits compound across a course of three to six sessions.
Common questions before booking
YOUR CONSULTATION
One assessment with Dr Samantha.
Twenty minutes with Dr Samantha to read your skin, map your pigment, and tell you whether Pico laser singapore is right for your concern. Or whether something else is.
111 Somerset Road, #03-19, TripleOne Somerset, Singapore 238164
Mon to Fri 10am to 8pm · Sat 10am to 5pm · Sun closed