Youth · Dark Spots & Tone
Pigmentation: One Platform, Two Wavelengths
One machine, the Clarity II, carrying two wavelengths. Which you need depends on the kind of pigment you have.
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Quick Answer
Can pigmentation really be treated?
Same color, different stories — each needs its own approach.
In Brief
Yes — once we know which type is yours.
Yes, but the answer starts with which type you have. Sun spots and freckle-like marks respond well to Alexandrite toning, which melanin absorbs selectively. Dark marks left by old breakouts usually fade with the right support and sun protection. Melasma is the difficult one: it improves meaningfully under Nd:YAG toning and careful management, but it tends to return, and any clinic promising a cure is not being straight with you. Which laser is used, and at what intensity, follows from the diagnosis rather than from preference.
Pillar
Youth
Type
Targeted energy + smart management
Often chosen for
Sun spots, melasma, post-acne marks
The key
Type first — it changes everything
About melasma
Managed well, honestly — not “cured”
Often paired with
Laser · Skin Boosters · Eye Program
Understanding It
Three Kinds of Dark — Three Different Stories
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All dark spots are melanin, but that’s where the similarity ends. Sun spots are little, defined, and sit near the surface, the cooperative type. Post-acne marks follow old breakouts and usually fade with time and the right help. Melasma runs deeper, it’s hormonal, stubborn, and prone to returning, which means it needs managing rather than a one-time fix. Depth matters too: shallow and deep pigment respond to different treatments. Which is why everything starts with a proper look at yours.
A Fair Question
“I’ve read melasma always comes back. So what’s the point?”
You’ve read right. It does tend to return, and anyone telling you otherwise is selling something. But here’s the real case for treating it anyway: real, visible lightening. Longer clear stretches. A gentle maintenance rhythm that keeps it under control. Plus the daily sunscreen habit everything depends on. That’s genuinely worth having. As long as you know exactly what you’re signing up for. Now you do.
How It Works
Identify. Treat. Keep It Away.
Diagnosis first, always.
01
First, we identify your type
Sun spots, post-acne marks, melasma, or a mix. The type sets both the treatment and the expectations. Your skin tone is assessed too, because it affects how skin responds to treatment.
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02
Then, treatment matched to depth
Defined spots take the Alexandrite, which melanin absorbs selectively. Unstable or diffuse pigment takes the Nd:YAG, which warms the dermis without striking the melanin. Where both are present, the two run in the same session on the one machine.
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03
Then, we keep it away together
Clearing builds over a few sessions, and staying clear depends on daily sunscreen, plus gentle maintenance where your type needs it. We’ll be straight about the whole picture from day one.
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The Device
Pigmentation & Tone Correction
Platform Clarity II — one machine, two wavelengths
Dual toning both wavelengths in one session
Nd:YAG (Genesis toning) gentle dermal heating; redness, texture, unstable melasma
Alexandrite selective for melanin; sun spots and freckling
Course several sessions, spaced by pigment type
Essential daily sun protection throughout
We use the genuine manufacturer handpiece and consumables. You are welcome to ask to see them before treatment.
Candidacy
Who It May Be For
— You have sun spots or freckle-like marks that get darker every summer.
— Old breakouts left dark marks that look like scars but are actually flat.
— You have melasma and want practical help managing it, not a miracle promise.
— You’re ready to make sunscreen a daily habit, because everything here depends on it.
The Visit
What to Expect
01
Assess
Doctor-led consultation across all four pillars.
02
Plan
Your type identified, with realistic expectations set for it.
03
Treat
Targeted treatment matched to your type and depth. Nd:YAG toning, Alexandrite toning, or both in sequence on the Clarity II.
04
Care
Clearing builds over sessions; sunscreen keeps it. Usually minimal. Daily sun protection is part of the treatment rather than advice, because without it the pigment returns.
Planning
Commonly Planned Together
Texture
When texture and tone share the same sun story.
Texture
Keeping skin happy and healthy through the course.
Youth
If under-eye darkness includes true pigment.
If a combination is right for you, we will plan it with you rather than sell it to you.
Honest Alternatives
If Something Else Fits Better
The Approaches
Two Wavelengths, and Both Together
Two wavelengths on the Clarity II, used separately or in the same session. Which one you need depends on the kind of pigment you have.
| Nd:YAG (Genesis) | Alexandrite toning | Dual toning (both) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it works | Heats the dermis gently | Absorbed selectively by melanin | Both, in one appointment |
| Acts on | Tone, redness, texture | Defined pigment | Pigment and tone together |
| Usually chosen for | Melasma, redness, sensitive skin | Sun spots, freckling | Mixed pigment, where both are present |
| Intensity | Gentle | Moderate, targeted | Moderate |
| Not the right choice when | Defined dark spots are the only concern | Melasma is present and unstable | One problem only, where a single wavelength does the job |
Dual toning is not a third device. It is the two wavelengths used in sequence in the same session, which is appropriate when more than one kind of pigment is present. Melasma is the reason this page is cautious: it responds to gentle, repeated treatment and can be made worse by stronger settings.
Key Points
What to Take Away
- One platform, the Clarity II, carrying two wavelengths: Nd:YAG for Genesis toning and 755nm Alexandrite. Dual toning runs both in one session.
- The Nd:YAG warms the dermis without striking melanin — the safe choice for melasma.
- Alexandrite is absorbed by melanin, for defined sun spots and freckling.
- Sun spots, post-inflammatory marks and melasma look alike and behave differently.
- Melasma punishes aggressive treatment. Diagnosis comes before any device.
- Pigment responds in a course, not a session.
- Daily sun protection is part of the treatment. Without it, pigment returns.
- Flat dark marks are pigment. Marks you can feel are scarring.
FAQ
Questions People Ask
Easy check: flat and dark means pigment (good news, it treats more easily. Textured or dented means scarring) a different treatment. It’s the most common mix-up we see, and we can tell you in minutes.
No, and that word should make you cautious wherever you read it. Melasma is managed: meaningfully lightened, deliberately maintained, always sun-protected. Great results genuinely live inside that honest frame.
Your tone changes how skin responds, so your plan is built around it from the start, including gentler routes when that’s the responsible choice. Ask us directly; you’ll get a specific answer about your skin.
Pigment clears over a planned course. The number depends on your type, depth, and how your skin responds.
Then, save your money. The sun rebuilds pigment faster than any clinic can clear it, melasma fastest of all. Sunscreen isn’t aftercare here; it’s half the treatment.
Begin With What’s Changing, Not a Menu
What aging actually changes in your skin is individual, and so is the short answer to it. Onlif Clinic is in Seocho-gu, Seoul.