Non-Surgical · Freckles and Sun Spots

Pico Laser for Freckles and Pigmentation

Discrete spots, read one at a time

Gangnam, Seoul | Board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Jonghwan Choi
KHIDI-registered for international patients · Apgujeong Rewind

Freckles Freckles Freckles Freckles Freckles Freckles 
Define

Freckles and spots

Pico laser for freckles, sun spots and scattered pigmentation

The short answer

Pico laser can lighten freckles, sun spots and other flat brown marks, and Rewind in Gangnam, Seoul uses the Pico K for this group of pigment. It cannot stop new marks forming. Freckles come from an inherited tendency that sunlight switches on, and sun spots keep accumulating with exposure, so lightened spots can return, or new ones appear, unless the skin is protected afterwards.

No study in this page's reference list examines freckles directly; the papers cited describe how picosecond pulses behave and which pigment reactions follow laser treatment. Individual results vary.

The word pigmentation covers several different things, and the difference decides how a picosecond laser is used. Freckles are small, light-brown dots that usually appear in childhood, deepen in summer and soften in winter. Sun spots, also called solar lentigines, are larger, darker and more sharply outlined; they appear later in life on sun-exposed skin and do not fade with the seasons. Post-inflammatory marks are the flat brown shadows left after acne or irritation.

On a laser plan these behave differently. Discrete marks sitting high in the skin tend to respond more readily than diffuse patches, and the doctor decides how the energy is distributed across the field and around individual spots. Where melasma lies underneath the freckles, the gentler option takes priority.

Consultation room at Rewind Plastic Surgery, Gangnam, Seoul
Fig. 01 — Each brown mark is identified by type before a laser setting is chosen
Spots

Pigment types

Freckles, sun spots and other flat pigment treated with the Pico K

The clinic's own description of the Pico K lists freckles, blemishes, age spots and melasma among its uses. The first four below are the discrete, flat marks this page is about.

type 01
Freckles (ephelides)
Small, clustered dots across the nose and cheeks that darken every summer: an inherited pattern switched on by sunlight.
type 02
Sun spots (solar lentigines)
Larger, well-defined brown patches on the face and hands that build up with years of exposure and stay all year.
type 03
Scattered blemishes
Uneven flat spots that fit no single label, each checked individually before it is included in the plan.
type 04
Age spots and post-acne marks
Flat brown marks that linger after breakouts heal, and the flatter age-related spots the device description names.

Raised, rough or changing spots are never toned. They are examined as lesions first, and the mole removal page explains that route. For the wider picture, including melasma, see the pico laser toning overview.

Fade

Fading

How pigment fades after pico laser for freckles and spots

The fading process follows from how the laser acts, and it explains why a spot can look slightly darker for a short while before it looks lighter.

01Pulse

A picosecond pulse breaks pigment into fine particles

Energy delivered in trillionths of a second fragments pigment mechanically, with less heat spreading into nearby skin. Rewind describes the Pico K as delivering a 300-picosecond pulse at 2.9 W. A randomised split-tattoo trial comparing picosecond and nanosecond alexandrite lasers reported better clearance on the picosecond side.

02Clear

The body removes the fragments gradually

After the pass, the particles are cleared by the skin's own processes in the period between visits. Treated spots may look slightly darker or dusty at first and then soften, so progress is judged at the next appointment against the clinic's record.

03Rebound

Darkening after treatment is a known reaction

In that same trial, hyperpigmentation was more frequent on the picosecond side, at 21.33 percent against 12 percent. Skin that tends to darken after irritation is treated with conservative settings, and any darkening is allowed to settle before the next visit.

04Return

Lightened freckles can come back with sun

The laser removes existing pigment; the tendency to form freckles remains. Fresh sun exposure can re-darken treated freckles or bring out new ones. Sunscreen after a course is therefore part of the treatment itself.

Laser handpiece session in a treatment room at Rewind Plastic Surgery
Fig. 02 — Energy is distributed across the field and around individual spots on the day
Rewind

Approach

How freckle and sun spot treatment is planned at Rewind

Planning for discrete pigment turns on three questions: what each mark is, what lies beside it, and how the skin reacts.

01Sort

Every mark is sorted first

Dr. Jonghwan Choi, a board-certified plastic surgeon, separates freckles, sun spots, post-acne marks and any melasma. A review of laser fundamentals, written about ink removal, puts skin type, the nature and colour of the pigment being cleared, and the choice of wavelength, fluence and pulse at the centre of a good outcome. The same logic carries over to freckles.

02Protect

Melasma nearby changes the plan

Freckles scattered over a melasma patch are treated with the melasma in mind. Energy that would suit an isolated freckle can irritate melasma beside it, so the gentler approach is chosen and the melasma is watched as the freckles lighten.

03Stop

Pale or dark reactions pause the course

Case work on repeated low-fluence toning describes scattered pale spots, and darkening can follow in reactive skin. Either response halts further visits until the doctor has reviewed the skin.

Dr. Jonghwan Choi explaining a treatment plan to a patient at Rewind
Fig. 03 — Which marks to treat, and which to leave, is agreed together
Room

On the day

Freckle and pigment treatment day in Gangnam, Seoul

Private treatment room at Rewind Plastic Surgery, Apgujeong

Fig. 04 — Laser work takes place in a private room

Glass entrance to the treatment floor at Rewind Plastic Surgery

Fig. 05 — Entrance to the treatment floor, Richro Building

The spots are checked against the previous visit, makeup is removed and eye protection goes on. The doctor passes the Pico K over the field and may give individual marks extra attention. Expect quick, light snaps and some warmth; the treated area is usually pink afterwards, and normal activity is generally possible straight away with sun protection.

Pico K picosecond laser
Field pass plus attention to single marks
Eye shields for everyone in the room
Settings chosen by Dr. Jonghwan Choi
Reactive skin treated conservatively
Fading judged at the next visit

Visits are by appointment on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 10:00 to 19:00, and on Saturday, 10:00 to 16:00; the clinic is closed on Thursday and Sunday. It sits on the fourth and fifth floors of the Richro Building on Nonhyeon-ro.

Rates

Pricing

Pico toning rates for freckles and sun spots

Freckle and spot work on the Pico K is charged from the same sheet as other toning. The single-session line is the reference; the fractional line applies only when rough texture or scarring is being treated as well.

Pico toning, single sessionThe line freckle and spot plans are priced from
₩150,000
Pico fraxel, single sessionFractional mode, when texture is also a concern
₩300,000

How many sessions your marks need, and so the total, is set after the examination. A few isolated sun spots and a face full of freckles are different jobs, and the quote reflects the plan agreed for yours.

VAT is added at payment on top of both list rates; numbing preparation is already counted in.

Fit

Suitability

Who is a good fit for pico laser on freckles and spots

A sensible plan for

  • Flat freckles or sun spots on otherwise healthy skin
  • People prepared to use sunscreen and shade every day afterwards
  • Anyone who accepts that freckles may come back with sun
  • Flat post-acne marks once active breakouts have settled

Not right now if

  • A spot is raised, itchy, bleeding or changing and needs a diagnosis first
  • There is a fresh tan or sunburn over the area
  • Earlier laser work with a previous provider left marked darkening that has not been reviewed
  • Intensive sun exposure is planned straight after the visit
  • Photosensitising medication or recent isotretinoin is involved
After

Fading well

Helping freckles and spots fade after pico laser

Rewind's aftercare for laser treatment is four instructions. For freckles and sun spots, the last does most of the work.

First hours
Pinkness settles
Redness right after the laser is listed as expected on the clinic's sheet.
That day
Avoid heat
Sauna, jjimjilbang and exercise heavy enough to sweat are left out.
While it settles
Hands off
No massage or strong stimulation. If spots look dusty or flaky, let them shed on their own.
From now on
Protect from sun
Sunscreen every time you go out. Freckles re-darken readily in sunlight, so protection keeps what the laser lightened.

Possible reactions include redness and mild swelling, temporary darkening in reactive skin, pale spots after repeated sessions and, uncommonly, small blisters or crusts. Report any of these before your next appointment so the doctor can decide whether to adjust or pause.

Doctor

Professional

At Rewind, one board-certified plastic surgeon carries every case — from the first consultation to the final follow-up. Because a face is a story, and a story deserves a single author.

Dr. Jonghwan Choi, board-certified plastic surgeonRewind,
Dr. Jonghwan Choi presenting at an academic session
Fig. 06 — Academic presentation, thread-lifting session

Rewind's Doctor

Dr. Jonghwan Choi Medical Director

One surgeon, from the first
consultation to the last follow-up.

A board-certified plastic surgeon devoted to anti-aging lifting — with the precision and restraint built through years of craniofacial practice.

Board-certified plastic surgeon (Plastic Surgery)
10 peer-reviewed publications
Medical Director, Rewind Plastic Surgery
Korean Society of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons
Former chief director, Apgujeong Y&T Plastic Surgery
Korean Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
J Craniofac Surg · JKMS · Arch Craniofac Surg
Korean Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association
Voices

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What our patients say.

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Ask

Questions

Freckles, sun spots and pico laser: common questions

Does pico laser remove freckles for good?
It can lighten existing freckles considerably, but the tendency that produces them stays. Freckles are inherited and switched on by sunlight, so treated freckles can darken again and new ones can appear with sun exposure. Daily sunscreen and shade keep the result, and occasional top-up visits may be discussed.
What is the difference between treating freckles and sun spots with pico laser?
Freckles are small, clustered and seasonal; sun spots are larger, darker, sharper-edged and stay year-round. Both are flat pigment high in the skin, but spot size, density and any nearby melasma change how the energy is distributed and how many visits are planned. The doctor sorts each mark first.
How long until pigmentation fades after pico laser?
Fading is gradual, because the skin clears the fragmented pigment itself between visits. Rewind does not publish a fixed timeline; progress is judged at each follow-up against the clinic's record. Treated spots may look slightly darker or dusty at first before they soften.
Can pico laser make pigmentation darker?
In some cases it can. Darkening after treatment is a recognised reaction, and in a randomised trial of picosecond versus nanosecond lasers for ink, hyperpigmentation was more frequent on the picosecond side. Reactive skin is treated conservatively, and darkening is allowed to settle before further visits.
Should freckles be treated if I also have melasma?
They can be, but the melasma sets the rules. Energy suited to a single freckle can irritate melasma next to it, so the doctor chooses a gentler approach across the area and watches the melasma closely. In some faces the melasma is addressed first.
Are brown marks left after acne treated the same way?
Flat brown marks left after acne are pigment and can be lightened with toning once breakouts have settled. Indented scars are a texture problem; a 2022 picosecond study notes that the fractional 1064-nm form has been used for scars and benign pigmented lesions, and that mode is listed separately.
Which spots will the doctor refuse to treat with a laser?
Any spot that is raised, rough, bleeding, itchy or has changed in size, shape or colour is examined as a lesion before any laser is considered. Pigment that cannot be confidently identified is left alone until it has been properly assessed.
Can I go out in the sun after a pico session?
You can go out, with sunscreen applied every time and shade where possible, as the clinic's aftercare sheet requires. Sun right after treatment raises the chance of darkening and can re-darken freckles the course has lightened, so a beach or ski holiday straight afterwards is poorly timed.
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Scientific evidence

Picosecond pulses and pigment reactions: sources

Freckle-specific trials are not among these references. The first three concern picosecond and Q-switched lasers used on ink: a randomised comparison of picosecond and nanosecond pulses that also recorded post-treatment darkening, a review of the laser principles behind pigment clearance, and a study of fractional and unfractionated 1064-nm picosecond treatment. The fourth reports the pale mottling that repeated low-fluence toning can leave. None was conducted at Rewind Plastic Surgery.