There is a question that people who come for consultation about freckles ask the most.

“How many picotoning sessions will it take to get rid of it?”

One thing to note here is that freckles are not lesions that can be “eliminated by simply removing that spot” like spots. They are lesions that are prone to developing along with pigment (melanin). Skin base (dermal environment) Often the problems are intertwined.
Therefore, when it comes to treating freckles, the results may be shaky if you only “remove the color”, and conversely, if you only “reinforce the foundation,” you may feel that visible changes are slow.

The reason why freckles are difficult to treat is simple.
This is because we must simultaneously deal with both the visible ‘color’ (result) and the ‘environment’ (cause) that creates the color.

 

To put it simply, it's like this.
Freckles are similar to mold stains on a wall. If you just wipe the stains away, they will look clean for a while, but The inside of the wall is damp Then it will eventually come back up.
Likewise, if you repeat treatments that only remove the visible color, it is easy for a pattern of “lightening for a while and then darkening again” to occur.

It is important to wipe away stains, spray with anti-fungal medication, and improve the moisture conditions inside.

 

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Why can't I get rid of freckles all at once?

When you try to remove freckles “all at once,” your skin often reacts like this:

• Increased irritation/heat/inflammation

• The skin goes into defense mode

• As a result Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) or may lead to relapse/expansion

 

Why can't I remove it all at once with a 532 laser?

There are also many questions like, “Wouldn’t it be faster if you pull it out strongly at once with 532?”
But 532 in the picture Strong alone You have to be careful about how you push.

532nm is a characteristic Strong absorption of epidermal melanin Therefore, the skin surface is prone to significant irritation and inflammation. Freckles are particularly susceptible to inflammation, so if epidermal irritation becomes severe, the following problems can arise:

• It may look clear immediately after treatment, but

• ** as time goes by Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) ** or

• The stain may recur in a wider and messier way.

In summary, freckles are not lesions for which “fast erasing laser” is the answer. Lesions that stabilize slowly while managing stimulation no see.

Why can't I just 'cut it off' with a CO2 laser?

CO2 lasers are a powerful tool for surface cleaning.
However, freckles are not “pigmented lesions with distinct borders” like spots, but are often spread out widely depending on the skin’s reactivity (inflammation/heat/irritation).

Treatments that significantly affect the skin barrier, such as CO2:

• It can increase irritation and inflammation.

• In the case of the freckle type Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) Raise the risk

• In the long run, there is room for things to go in the direction of “getting better and then getting worse.”

If you try to remove freckles all at once, they may get worse. ❙ Source: Clipart Korea

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What is the role of picotoning and what are its shortcomings?

The Role of Pico Toning: Organizing “Visible Colors”

1064nm Nd:YAG picotoning is one of the important cards in the treatment of freckles.
Rather than the feeling of being “burned” by heat, it can be explained by emphasizing the nature of the **Photomechanical effect**, which manipulates pigments with short pulses.

So, picotoning is:

• Organize visible melanin (color)

• A treatment that helps to brighten the tone.

However, some people say, "I tried picotoning, but it didn't work," or "It faded and then came back." In most cases like this, the problem is that while the color was addressed, the underlying foundation (dermal environment) for the color to appear wasn't addressed.

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Treatment of freckles should be done with both 'blurring' and 'preventing recurrence.'

Freckles often don't end with just 'blurring'.
It is important to clean up the color that is visible on the surface, but also to prevent freckles from coming back. Stabilize the skin base And to make your skin stronger remodeling If you work together, the results will last a long time.

• Picotoning (Photomechanical effect) : Clean visible stains (color)

• Collagen Toning, Genesis (Photothermal effect) : Stabilize the environment (heat, sensitivity, texture) that easily causes stains

• MLA Toning (LIOB) : Induces skin regeneration by reinforcing the inner structure of the wall

In the end, treating freckles is not a “game that ends with one principle.”
A combination of organizing colors, laying the foundation, and reinforcing with play. This is the key.

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So why do we do 'dermal laser' together?

People who keep getting freckles again often have skin in this condition.

• Sensitive to stimulation

• If you have a fever/flushing sensation

• A type that easily develops PIH even with just a little bit of strong treatment

At this time, rather than the “color-only approach”, Approaches to stabilizing the dermal environment This increases the persistence of the treatment.
A representative example is that many parallel Genesis, Collagen Toning, MLA Toning It is the same “laser targeting the dermis layer.”

Genesis (1064 laser-based dermal heat transfer)

Genesis uses 1064 laser Delivers gentle heat to the dermis layer In this way, it can help smooth skin texture and stabilize the “skin base” in those with mild redness or loss of elasticity.
Rather than looking at freckles alone, it is easier to understand it as a role that catches the environment (heat, sensitivity, rough texture) that makes freckles appear.

Collagen toning (1064 laser-based dermal heat transfer)

Collagen toning also uses the 1064 laser. Accumulate heat in the dermis layer This can be explained by the concept of inducing collagen remodeling.
For those with thin and sensitive skin, the more treatments they repeat, the more sensitive their skin becomes. In this case, in addition to “treatment that only removes color,” Directions to make the skin itself firm If you do this, the longevity of the freckle treatment will often improve.

MLA Toning (LIOB)

MLA toning can be described as an approach that uses a Micro Lens Array to deliver microscopic energy to the skin, forming **LIOB (Laser-Induced Optical Breakdown)** to induce collagen formation.

It's easier to understand if you compare it like this.

• Pico toning = the process of removing superficial stains

• Genesis/Collagen Toning/MLA = Drying and reinforcing the environment inside the wall to reduce staining

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What makes Collagen Toning (Clarity 2) better than Genesis?

The core of the Genesis series of treatments is 1064 laser on the dermis It is about accumulating thermal stimulation without excessive epidermal irritation.
But even if the same 1064nm laser is used, “how much heat Safely and evenly The perceived results may vary depending on whether you “build it up” or not.

1) Real-time skin temperature measurement (temperature sensor)

In Clarity 2 A sensor that detects skin surface temperature in real time is built-in.

• meaning : You can perform the procedure while checking whether the target temperature has been reached.

• merit : Provides real-time temperature information The practitioner determines the safe endpoint I can help you do that.
  Reduce unnecessary overheating Reduce the risk of side effects , the required heat energy is Accurately accumulated It is advantageous to increase the effect.

2) Strong power and beam quality (uniform energy delivery)

Clarity 2 is different from the existing Clarity 1 or general domestic Genesis equipment (ATR, etc.).
Maximum power and beam uniformity This can be explained by this improved model.

• Key points : The energy at the center and periphery of the beam is constant. Flat-top profile Maintain

• merit : While reducing unnecessary irritation to the skin, Uniform and sufficient heat energy Pass it on
  Helps induce collagen remodeling (regeneration) more efficiently.

conclusion

Collagen toning using Clarity 2
“Safer, more uniformly, and with just the right amount of energy.” In that it can be conveyed
You can think of it as a concept that is one step more advanced than the general Genesis procedure.

 

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Why is it good to use Meladuce (Blemish Skin Booster) in parallel?

If laser is “a project that cleans up the skin environment from the outside,”
Skin booster is closer to “treatment that suppresses pigment root from within and increases durability.”

Meladuce contains the following ingredients, and their roles are briefly summarized as follows:

• Alpha-arbutin : Helps improve skin tone by inhibiting melanin production pathways

• Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) : Antioxidant action and melanin production inhibition assistance

• Tranexamic acid (TXA) : Helps reduce important stimulus/inflammation-based pigment signals in freckles

• Glutathione : Helps relieve oxidative stress that causes dullness through antioxidant action

• Niacinamide : Helps even out skin tone by inhibiting melanosome transport and assisting with barrier function

The key is one line.
Freckles are not a “one-time treatment” Treatment that blocks the ascending route is more important.

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Conclusion: Treatment of melasma is a “parallel treatment.”

When it comes to treating freckles, the answer is not just “picotoning.”
A design that captures the essence well usually resembles the following structure:

• Pico toning Organize the colors you see now with

• Collagen Toning/Genesis/MLA Toning Stabilize the skin base with

• Here, we press the pigment root with Meladuce to increase its staying power.

It is important to erase freckles, It's more important to keep it from coming up.
If you are not satisfied even after doing pico toning, it is mostly not because “pico toning is not enough”. If you miss the foundation that cannot be solved with pico toning alone There are many.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Melasma Treatment

Q1. How many sessions of picotoning are needed to get rid of freckles?

Freckles are not a treatment that can be “finished after a few sessions”. Managed care It's recommended to consistently perform picotoning treatments for at least 10 sessions. Typically, skin tone gradually brightens with multiple sessions, and maintenance treatments (with increasing intervals) are often necessary thereafter. Individual results vary significantly depending on skin type, depth of blemishes, presence of redness/heat, and lifestyle habits (UV rays, heat exposure).

Q2. My skin looks darker after pico toning. Why is that?

Temporarily after picotoning Redness, swelling, dryness, flaking This may cause the stain to appear more prominent or darker in color.
There is one more important point. With picotoning, The process of clearing and brightening the overall skin tone In , the surrounding normal skin is darker than the freckle area. If it brightens faster There is. So, in reality, the freckles have not become darker, An optical illusion in which the surroundings become brighter first, making the color appear darker. may occur.
In most cases, the “dark look” will diminish over time as the tone evens out.

Q3. Why can't I remove the freckles with 532 at once?

Freckles are lesions sensitive to inflammation, so 532 Strongly alone Using it can increase skin irritation and cause various problems. For freckles, the key is to "reduce irritation and stabilize" the spot, rather than "quickly erase it."

Q4. If I cut it with a CO2 laser, won't it disappear faster?

CO2 is effective at surface treatment, but freckles often lack distinct borders like moles, so increased irritation can be detrimental. Freckles are often not suitable for strong exfoliative treatments.

Q5. Is pico toning alone enough?

Pico toning is an important treatment in the treatment of freckles, It is recommended to use dermal lasers such as collagen toning/genesis/MLA toning in conjunction with Meladuce (freckle skin booster).

Q6. Do I need to do all three: Collagen Toning/Genesis/MLA Toning?

Not necessarily. Even if you only use one of the three, it is meaningful enough. It's more important to choose the card that best suits your skin's needs right now, based on factors like skin sensitivity, redness/heat, and lifestyle habits.

Q7. What lifestyle management (home care) is as important as medical treatment?

While treatment for freckles is important, lifestyle management plays a significant role in preventing recurrence. The following three are particularly essential.

• UV protection : Apply daily, in sufficient amounts, and frequently

• Reduce thermal irritation : Avoid saunas/steam baths, hot packs, and excessive friction/scrubbing.

• Skin barrier management : Maintain sufficient moisture without allowing dryness

 

 

👉 A closing line from an expert

Treatment of freckles is not about erasing them all at once. Complex treatment that slowly fades and maintains the skin tone for a long time by combining base treatment and maintenance treatment centered on picotoning. If you trust the process and follow it consistently, you can achieve a clear and bright skin tone.

 

※ This article provides general information about picotoning. It does not recommend any specific treatment or guarantee its effectiveness, and is not a substitute for consultation with a professional.

 

 

Maypure Clinic Hwaseong Byeongjeom Branch Director Kang Byeong-hun

Graduated from Chonbuk National University College of Medicine

· Regular member of the Korean Society of Filler

· Regular member of the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity and Aesthetics

· Regular member of the Korean Society of Laser Dermatology and Hair Loss

 

📌Brighten dull skin! Learn more about Pico Toning [Click]

 

 

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