Limits · Right Tool · Pacific Plaza
Pico laser breaks up pigment already in the skin and, in fractional mode, refines surface texture; it does not control melasma, release deep or tethered scars, shrink pores, tighten loose skin or remove wrinkles. This page sets out each limit and what Dr Sin Yong assesses instead at Atelier.
A picosecond pulse shatters pigment and ink particles, mostly by pressure, and its fractional mode prompts collagen in shallow zones under the surface. Problems caused by something else, such as overactive pigment cells, scar bands, oil glands, loose tissue or muscle, need a different tool. Naming the cause first is what keeps a pico course from becoming a long series of sessions that change little.
Melasma And Scars
Melasma is driven by hormones, ultraviolet and visible light, blood-vessel factors and heat. Pico can lighten what is already there, but those drivers keep producing more, and a heating session can trigger rebound. At most it is a low-energy add-on; see pico laser for melasma.
Acne scars respond to fractional pico only at the surface. It cannot cut the band under a tethered scar or reach the base of a deep boxcar or ice-pick scar. Flat brown post-acne marks, by contrast, are pigment and can suit pico; see pico laser for acne scars.
Pores, Laxity, Lines
Pores. No treatment shrinks the pore itself. Fractional pico may soften the edges, with variable results; oily or inflamed pores are often better suited to the 675 nm Shaonu Guang laser or RF microneedling.
Loose skin. Picosecond pulses leave too little heat to contract collagen. T2 Frax Radiance adds a separate thermal step for mild laxity, but lifting is the work of HIFU, Ultherapy, VF Lift – Vertical Facelift or Time Freeze Laser LCLR. Heavy excess skin is referred to a plastic surgeon.
Wrinkles. Movement lines respond to BTX, etched lines to dermal remodelling, and folds to filler or lifting. Pico can even the tone around a line, not remove it.
| Concern | Why pico falls short | Assessed instead at Atelier |
|---|---|---|
| Melasma | Its drivers keep making pigment; heat can darken it | Diagnosis, sun protection, topicals; low-energy laser as an add-on |
| Tethered rolling scars | Cannot release a band from above | Subcision first, then resurfacing or RF microneedling |
| Deep boxcar and ice-pick scars | Does not reach the base | Fractional CO2 or TCA CROSS |
| Enlarged pores | A pore is a structure | 675 nm laser or RF microneedling |
| Loose skin and jowls | Too little heat to tighten | HIFU, Ultherapy, VF Lift, Time Freeze |
| Wrinkles | Muscle or dermis, not pigment | BTX, remodelling, filler or lifting |
At Atelier
Dr SY identifies the pigment, or the structural problem, before choosing a device. Pico treatment at Atelier uses the DEKA TORO, including the T2 Frax Radiance protocol, and is chosen only after the pigment has been named. Any mark that is changing or irregular is checked before a laser is used. If several pico rounds have left the same dents, the problem is almost always a scar rather than pigment, and the plan changes accordingly.
Dr Sin Yong holds a Key Opinion Leader appointment with DEKA.
Atelier Aesthetics · Owned by AYA
9 Scotts Road, Pacific Plaza #12-01A, Singapore 228210 · +65 8023 7170
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