Seoul
Chief MD, Gangnam
Duk-ha Kim
The trust our patients have placed in this clinic was built on conviction and principle. We intend to hold to both, unchanged, through the next hundred years.
Pigment-lesion laser category guide
Pigmentation Laser
Pigmentation laser is a menu category rather than a single device: Q-switched, picosecond, fractional and ablative systems sit under the same heading. What can actually be treated is decided by matching wavelength and pulse duration to the diagnosed lesion and its depth.
- Category, not one device
- Q-switched, picosecond, fractional and ablative systems listed together
- What selects the target
- Wavelength plus pulse duration, matched to lesion depth
- Melasma
- Meta-analysis of 52 studies: no significant overall MASI reduction
- Most reported complication
- Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, concentrated in Fitzpatrick IV-VI
What does a pigmentation laser menu actually include?
It includes several machines that work on different principles, not one device with one setting. Item names under this heading typically mix pigment-targeting lasers such as Q-switched and picosecond systems with fractional resurfacing systems and ablative CO2 or Er:YAG platforms. Pigment-targeting lasers rely on selective photothermolysis, concentrating energy in a specific absorbing structure, while fractional systems create an array of microscopic treatment zones — a different mechanism with different goals. So the useful question is not what the category is called, but which device and which wavelength is booked under the item you selected.
Sources: Anderson & Parrish, Science 1983;220(4596):524-7 — selective photothermolysisManstein et al., Lasers Surg Med 2004;34(5):426-38 — fractional photothermolysis
Why do wavelength and pulse duration decide what the laser hits?
Because the target is chosen by the combination of the two, not by how dark the mark looks. The 1983 work that established selective photothermolysis showed that a short enough pulse can damage one absorbing structure while sparing its surroundings, pairing 577 nm at 3 × 10⁻⁷ s for cutaneous vessels and 351 nm at 2 × 10⁻⁸ s for melanosomes. Wavelength determines what absorbs the energy and how deep it reaches; pulse duration determines whether the heat stays inside the target long enough to act without spreading.
Sources: Anderson & Parrish, Science 1983;220(4596):524-7 — selective photothermolysis
Are all brown marks the same target?
No. A 2026 narrative review states it directly: a solar lentigo, an ephelis, melasma, dermal melanocytosis and an exogenous tattoo deposit should not be treated as interchangeable brown targets. Wavelength selection follows the diagnosis and the depth of the lesion rather than the visible colour, with 1064 nm described as reaching deeper and darker pigment and 532 nm as addressing superficial pigment. This is a narrative review rather than a controlled comparison, so the level of evidence is low; it is cited here as a planning framework, not as proof that one wavelength outperforms another.
Sources: Bigge, Cureus 2026;18(3) — 785 nm picosecond narrative review
What has actually been measured for sun-induced spots?
The clearest design on this page is a split-face, randomised, single-blind trial in solar lentigines. Twenty women with Fitzpatrick skin types III to V received a single session, one side treated with a 532 nm picosecond laser and the other with a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser, with follow-up to 12 weeks. At 12 weeks the quartile improvement score was 2.95 on the picosecond side against 1.80 on the Q-switched side (p<0.05). At 4 weeks, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation was recorded in 5% (1/20) of picosecond-treated sides and 30% (6/20) of Q-switched sides, a difference that did not reach statistical significance (p=0.057). Twenty participants, one lesion type and one session support a choice for this lesion, not a general ranking of the two technologies.
Sources: 532 nm picosecond vs QS Nd:YAG for solar lentigines — split-face randomised trial
Why are nevus of Ota and Hori nevus handled as a separate group?
Because their pigment sits in the dermis, which is a different depth target from an epidermal spot. A retrospective review of 755 nm picosecond treatment in Fitzpatrick III-IV skin covered 18 cases of nevus of Ota and 11 of Hori nevus, with no control group. The mean number of sessions recorded was 2.22 for nevus of Ota and 3.82 for Hori nevus; erythema occurred in 37.9% of cases, transient hypopigmentation in 3.4%, and no permanent dyspigmentation was recorded. Those session figures are retrospective averages of what was done in an uncontrolled series, not a prescription for what any individual will need.
Sources: Koh et al., Dermatol Surg 2020;46(11):e82-7 — 755 nm picosecond for nevus of Ota and Hori nevus, FST III/IVBigge, Cureus 2026;18(3) — 785 nm picosecond narrative review
Can melasma be cleared with the same laser plan?
No, and this is the one condition on this page where the pooled evidence does not support laser treatment as a standalone answer. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 52 randomised and split-face studies covering 1,058 participants found no statistically significant overall reduction in MASI (mean difference 0.70; 95% CI -0.55 to 1.95; p=0.268). In subgroup analysis only low-fluence Q-switched Nd:YAG 1064 nm reached significance (mean difference 1.47; 95% CI 0.08 to 2.85); picosecond lasers did not (mean difference -0.11; 95% CI -0.79 to 0.57), and fractional lasers did not either. Heterogeneity was very high (I² = 96.2%) and the certainty of evidence was rated very low. The authors conclude that because recurrence rates are high, lasers should be integrated into multimodal therapy alongside photoprotection and topical depigmenting agents rather than used alone. A much smaller split-face study in Asian patients (12 people, four sessions one month apart, three-month follow-up, no untreated control arm) reported that a 755 nm picosecond laser was favoured over a 1064 nm Q-switched laser from the second session onward. With twelve participants, no untreated control and short follow-up, that single study does not override the pooled analysis; the two should be read together rather than one replacing the other.
Sources: Aljoaib et al., Cureus 2026;18(3):e106154 — melasma laser systematic review and meta-analysisLee et al., Lasers Med Sci 2018;33(8):1733-8 — 755 nm picosecond vs 1064 nm QS in Asian melasma
Why do fractional and CO2 lasers appear on the same menu?
Because they are a different mechanism listed for different goals, not a stronger version of a pigment laser. Fractional photothermolysis creates an array of microscopic treatment zones; in the original work each zone was about 100 µm in diameter and about 300 µm deep, with re-epithelialisation of the treated zones within a day. The evidence behind that prototype was small and uncontrolled — 15 people treated on the forearm and 30 with periorbital photoaging receiving four treatments with three-month follow-up, where wrinkle scores improved by 18% (p<0.001) with no control group. Because the target is a column of tissue rather than the pigment itself, a fractional or ablative item and a Q-switched item on the same menu are not interchangeable bookings.
Sources: Manstein et al., Lasers Surg Med 2004;34(5):426-38 — fractional photothermolysisAnderson & Parrish, Science 1983;220(4596):524-7 — selective photothermolysis
How large is the pigmentation risk, and who carries it?
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is the most frequently reported complication of facial laser treatment, and it is concentrated in darker skin. A PRISMA 2020 systematic review pooling 13 published studies with FDA MAUDE device reports, covering 2,010 cases in total, found that Fitzpatrick types IV to VI accounted for roughly 62% of reported PIH cases. Reported PIH rates by device class were 32% for ablative lasers (CO2 and Er:YAG), 21% for Q-switched Nd:YAG, 19% for fractional lasers and 18% for IPL. These are pooled figures from studies of differing design plus adverse-event reports, not a head-to-head trial, so they show where risk has been reported rather than an individual probability.
Sources: Zhorov et al., Lasers Med Sci 2026 — facial laser complications systematic review
Why does diagnosis come before choosing the device?
Because the diagnosis determines the wavelength, the pulse duration and whether a laser is the right tool at all. The same brown appearance can be an epidermal lentigo, a freckle, dermal melanocytosis or melasma, and the published evidence points in different directions for each: a single-session split-face trial in lentigines, uncontrolled retrospective series in dermal pigment, and a meta-analysis in melasma that found no significant overall effect. A consultation that starts from a device name skips the step the evidence itself depends on. Ask what the lesion is judged to be, at what depth, which device and wavelength that judgement leads to, and what the plan is if the response is not what was expected.
Sources: Bigge, Cureus 2026;18(3) — 785 nm picosecond narrative reviewAljoaib et al., Cureus 2026;18(3):e106154 — melasma laser systematic review and meta-analysis
How long does the effect last?
How long an improvement lasts depends on which pigment is being treated, and the clearest published answer covers melasma: the meta-analysis of 52 studies (1,058 participants) found no statistically significant overall reduction in MASI (p=0.268, certainty rated very low), and its authors state that recurrence rates are high enough that laser needs to sit inside a multimodal plan with photoprotection and topical depigmenting agents rather than stand as a one-time fix. For solar lentigines, the split-face trial only followed participants to 12 weeks, so it shows an early comparison rather than a longer-term duration. For nevus of Ota and Hori nevus, the retrospective series recorded a mean of 2.22 and 3.82 sessions respectively to reach its recorded result, which describes how many sessions a series needed rather than how long any single session’s result held. None of the sources cited on this page report how long a cleared lentigo or nevus stays clear once treatment ends. Ask the clinic what its own recurrence experience is with the diagnosis and device planned for you, and what the aftercare plan is for keeping a cleared area clear.
Sources: Aljoaib et al., Cureus 2026;18(3):e106154 — melasma laser systematic review and meta-analysis532 nm picosecond vs QS Nd:YAG for solar lentigines — split-face randomised trialKoh et al., Dermatol Surg 2020;46(11):e82-7 — 755 nm picosecond for nevus of Ota and Hori nevus, FST III/IV
What does aftercare have to cover if you are treated while travelling?
Photoprotection is the part that cannot stop when you fly home. The melasma meta-analysis concludes that because recurrence rates are high, laser treatment belongs inside a multimodal plan with photoprotection and topical depigmenting agents, and the complications review identifies post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation as the most commonly reported problem, concentrated in Fitzpatrick IV-VI skin. Before leaving, ask for the device name and settings in writing, how long to avoid sun exposure, which topical products to use and when to start them, and how to contact the clinic from abroad. The following list is general post-procedure safety guidance rather than a finding of the studies cited here: contact the clinic promptly for blistering, a suspected burn, pain that increases instead of settling, drainage, spreading redness or warmth, a crust that does not heal, or a treated area that turns darker or lighter than the skin around it.
Sources: Aljoaib et al., Cureus 2026;18(3):e106154 — melasma laser systematic review and meta-analysisZhorov et al., Lasers Med Sci 2026 — facial laser complications systematic review
Which wavelength, which pulse, which reported risk?
Read this as a map of what the cited studies examined, not as a ranking. Each row gives the pulse domain, the target the studies actually looked at, and the pigmentation risk reported for that device class. The studies differ in design, size and population, so the rows cannot be compared as if they came from one trial.
| Platform | Wavelength and pulse domain | Target in the cited evidence | Reported PIH (pooled review) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 532 nm picosecond | 532 nm, picosecond domain | Solar lentigines in Fitzpatrick III-V: split-face randomised trial, 20 participants, one session, 12-week follow-up | Not listed separately in the pooled review; the split-face trial recorded 5% (1/20) at 4 weeks versus 30% (6/20) for its comparator, p=0.057 |
| Q-switched Nd:YAG 1064 nm | 1064 nm, nanosecond domain | Deeper and darker pigment; low-fluence 1064 nm was the only melasma subgroup reaching significance in the 52-study meta-analysis | 21% across pooled reports |
| 755 nm picosecond | 755 nm, picosecond domain | Nevus of Ota (18 cases) and Hori nevus (11 cases) in an uncontrolled retrospective review; also a 12-person split-face melasma study | Not listed separately in the pooled review; the retrospective series recorded erythema 37.9% and transient hypopigmentation 3.4% |
| Fractional (non-ablative) | Microscopic treatment zones, about 100 µm wide and 300 µm deep | Photoaging in small uncontrolled prototype studies; not significant for melasma in the meta-analysis | 19% across pooled reports |
| Ablative CO2 or Er:YAG | Tissue-vaporising wavelengths | Resurfacing goals rather than selective pigment targeting | 32% across pooled reports, the highest device class in the review |
| IPL | Broadband light, not a single-wavelength laser | Included in the same complications review as a light-based comparator | 18% across pooled reports |
The PIH percentages come from one PRISMA 2020 systematic review of 13 studies plus FDA MAUDE device reports (2,010 cases), pooled across indications and skin types; they are not a head-to-head comparison and do not predict an individual outcome. Device model names are deliberately not matched to specific clearance numbers here, because a marketing name and a registered device name are frequently not the same record.
Sources: Zhorov et al., Lasers Med Sci 2026 — facial laser complications systematic review532 nm picosecond vs QS Nd:YAG for solar lentigines — split-face randomised trialKoh et al., Dermatol Surg 2020;46(11):e82-7 — 755 nm picosecond for nevus of Ota and Hori nevus, FST III/IVAljoaib et al., Cureus 2026;18(3):e106154 — melasma laser systematic review and meta-analysisManstein et al., Lasers Surg Med 2004;34(5):426-38 — fractional photothermolysis
Medical care at Abijou
Care is provided by the medical team at the branch you select. These clinicians lead the three branches linked from this guide; confirm the doctor assigned to your visit with that branch.
Chief MD, Myeongdong
Cheol-su Yoon
I want to be thinking about how the patient feels right up to the last moment of the procedure.
Chief MD, Hongdae
Jae-wook Kim
I will give my best with the attentiveness to catch even the smallest change.
Listed branch medical team — not a medical-review byline for this article.
Frequently asked questions
What do ‘nanosecond’ and ‘picosecond’ in a laser name refer to?
They refer to pulse duration — how long each burst of light lasts — not to power or to a product tier. A nanosecond is one billionth of a second and a picosecond is one thousandth of a nanosecond. Pulse duration matters because selective photothermolysis depends on delivering energy faster than the target can pass heat to the tissue around it; the work that established the principle paired 577 nm with 3 × 10⁻⁷ s for vessels and 351 nm with 2 × 10⁻⁸ s for melanosomes. A shorter pulse is a different tool, not automatically a better one for your lesion.
Is IPL the same thing as a pigmentation laser?
No. IPL is a broadband light source rather than a laser emitting one wavelength, so it does not select a target the way a wavelength-specific laser does. It appears in the same systematic review of facial light-based complications, where reported post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation was 18% for IPL against 21% for Q-switched Nd:YAG, 19% for fractional lasers and 32% for ablative lasers, pooled across 2,010 cases from 13 studies and device reports. Because it is a different kind of energy source, an IPL quote and a laser quote are not two prices for the same procedure.
How can a laser affect pigment without damaging the skin around it?
Through absorption and timing. Selective photothermolysis works when the target absorbs the chosen wavelength more strongly than the surrounding tissue and the pulse ends before that heat spreads outward, which is why the original description of the principle specified wavelength and pulse-duration pairs for vessels and for melanosomes rather than a single setting. The sparing is relative, not absolute: surrounding tissue still receives energy, which is why post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation remains the most frequently reported complication in the pooled review of facial laser cases.
Picosecond or Q-switched for sun spots — what does the trial actually show?
One split-face randomised single-blind trial favoured the picosecond side, within narrow limits. Twenty women with Fitzpatrick III-V skin had a single session, one side 532 nm picosecond and the other Q-switched Nd:YAG, with follow-up to 12 weeks: quartile improvement scores were 2.95 versus 1.80 (p<0.05). Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation at 4 weeks was 5% (1/20) versus 30% (6/20), a difference that did not reach statistical significance (p=0.057). That is one trial, one lesion type and one session, so it informs a choice for solar lentigines rather than settling which technology is better overall.
Is 1064 nm stronger than 532 nm?
They are not points on one scale, so ‘stronger’ is the wrong comparison. Wavelength determines what absorbs the light and how deep it travels: the narrative review describes 1064 nm as reaching deeper and darker pigment and 532 nm as addressing superficial pigment. The consequence is visible in melasma, where low-fluence Q-switched 1064 nm was the only subgroup reaching statistical significance in the 52-study meta-analysis while picosecond lasers did not — and where the overall pooled effect was still not significant. Depth of the diagnosed lesion decides the choice, not a ranking of numbers.
Is a pigmentation laser the same machine as a tattoo removal laser?
The hardware can overlap, but the indication does not. The narrative review is explicit that a solar lentigo, a freckle, melasma, dermal melanocytosis and an exogenous tattoo deposit should not be treated as interchangeable brown targets, because the pigment differs in composition, depth and behaviour. A clinic may use one platform across several of these, but settings, session count and expected course follow the diagnosis, so a tattoo protocol tells you nothing about how a facial pigment lesion will be handled.
Does it hurt?
The sources cited on this page do not include a measured pain score, so this guide cannot give one. What the published series do record is the visible reaction: erythema in 37.9% of the 29 uncontrolled retrospective cases treated with a 755 nm picosecond laser, and re-epithelialisation of the microscopic treatment zones within about a day in the fractional photothermolysis work. Sensation depends on the device, settings, treated area and whether topical anaesthetic is used, so ask the treating clinic what their protocol involves.
How soon can I be in the sun, and what if I am flying home in a few days?
Sun protection is the part that has to continue after you leave, and the specific timing comes from the clinic that treated you. The melasma meta-analysis concludes that lasers should be combined with photoprotection and topical depigmenting agents because recurrence rates are high, and the complications review identifies post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation as the most reported problem, concentrated in Fitzpatrick IV-VI skin. Before travelling, ask for the device and settings in writing, how long to avoid sun exposure, what to apply and when, and how to reach the clinic if a treated area darkens instead of fading.
How many sessions will I need, and how far apart?
No fixed number can be quoted from the evidence on this page. The retrospective series recorded means of 2.22 sessions for nevus of Ota and 3.82 for Hori nevus, but those are averages of what was done in 29 uncontrolled cases rather than a treatment plan. The split-face lentigines trial assessed a single session with 12-week follow-up, and the 12-person melasma study used four sessions at one-month intervals with three months of follow-up. Different lesions were studied on different schedules, so the interval belongs to the diagnosis and the clinician, not to the device name.
When should a session be postponed or reviewed before booking?
When the diagnosis is not settled, when the treatment area is currently inflamed or infected, or when your history changes the pigmentation risk — and that judgement belongs to the treating clinician. Two cautions come straight from the evidence: melasma has high recurrence and no significant pooled benefit from laser alone, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is concentrated in Fitzpatrick IV-VI skin. Beyond those sourced points, the rest is general pre-procedure practice rather than a study finding: tell the clinic about recent sun exposure or tanning, current medicines, pregnancy or breastfeeding, a history of keloids or abnormal healing, any previous pigmentation problem after a procedure, and any laser, peel or energy treatment in recent weeks.
What should make me contact the clinic after a session?
Any sign that the skin is reacting beyond the expected redness. This checklist is general post-procedure safety guidance rather than a finding of the studies cited on this page: blistering, a suspected burn, pain that increases instead of settling, drainage, redness or warmth that spreads, fever, a crust that does not heal, an area that becomes clearly darker or lighter than the surrounding skin, or any eye symptom after treatment near the eyelids. Seek emergency care for breathing difficulty, fainting, or sudden swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue or throat.
Is the laser used on me approved for my condition?
That has to be asked device by device, because clearance is granted to a named device with a defined indication. The name a clinic uses in marketing is often not the name on the regulatory record, so a model name cannot be reliably matched to a single clearance number, and an approval in one country says nothing about the registration that applies in Korea or in your home country. Ask which device and model will be used, which national registration covers that unit, and what indication it is registered for.
How do I compare pigmentation laser quotes between clinics?
Align what each quote contains before comparing amounts. Confirm the device and wavelength, whether the item is a pigment-targeting laser or a fractional or ablative one, the treated area and whether it is full-face or spot-only, the number of passes or shots, whether the quote covers one session or a package, whether follow-up assessment and topical aftercare are included, and whether a touch-up is covered. Two quotes built on different wavelengths and different areas are not two prices for the same treatment. This guide does not publish prices, so ask each clinic for the itemised content behind the figure.
Who is this menu suitable for, and does a short trip to Korea work?
Suitability is decided by the diagnosed lesion and your skin type at an in-person consultation, not by the item name on a menu. Two practical points matter for a short trip: pigment conditions were studied on different schedules — one session with 12-week follow-up for lentigines, four monthly sessions in a small melasma study, retrospective averages of roughly two to four sessions for dermal pigment — and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is reported most in Fitzpatrick IV-VI skin. A plan that ends the day your flight leaves may not include the follow-up those studies assumed, so give the clinic your travel dates, skin type, medicines and previous treatments and have the plan and the follow-up judged together.
How Abijou works
We started in Gangnam in 2006 and the network now runs 17 branches across Korea. The line we work to is skin transformation woven into everyday life — care you can keep up with, rather than one dramatic change.
- Across the 17 branches in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon and Busan: over 1,000 medical professionals and more than 350 certified medical devices
- Authentic products only, in appropriate amounts — the treatment is fitted to the condition, not to a package
- Prices are quoted from each branch’s published price list as it stands
Contact and location
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There is no inquiry form on this page. Once you have picked a branch above, open that branch’s site or the official reservation center and choose a time yourself.
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