A picosecond laser delivers its energy in pulses measured in trillionths of a second. Less heat spreads into the skin around the target than with an older, longer-pulse laser, and on Filipino skin heat is the thing that goes wrong: too much of it leaves the area darker than it started rather than lighter.
That is the whole reason the device matters here. Fitzpatrick III to V skin, which covers most people walking into a clinic in Makati, punishes an aggressive setting. Conservative settings across more sessions beat one hard session, every time.
We run it at the Makati branch, in the lobby of The Peninsula Manila on the corner of Ayala and Makati Avenues.
What we treat with it here
Melasma
Broad, roughly symmetrical patches on the cheekbones, upper lip or forehead that darken with sun, heat and hormones. Pico breaks the pigment into fragments the body clears, across a course. It does not switch the pigment cells off, so maintenance is part of the plan rather than an upsell. Read more
Pekas and sun spots
Small separate dots rather than patches, from cumulative sun. These sit shallower than melasma and usually answer faster. Read more
Dark marks left by acne
The flat brown or grey marks after a breakout heals are pigment, and pigment is what this laser targets. Indented scarring is a texture problem and needs a different treatment, so we say which one you have at the consultation rather than after you have paid for a course. Read more
Dark underarms
Underarm pigment is deposited by irritation: shaving, friction, deodorant. The laser clears what is already there, and the habit change decides whether it stays clear. Read more
Dullness and uneven tone
Run with a carbon layer, the same device clears the inside of the pores and lifts overall clarity. That is a different setting and a different appointment from the pigment work. Read more
What a session is like
The visit opens with an assessment under proper lighting, because the treatment plan depends on how deep the pigment sits and no photograph over chat can tell us that.
The laser pass itself is short. Most clients describe it as a rubber band flicked against the skin and rate it 2 to 3 out of 10. The face is warm and slightly pink for an hour or two afterwards. There is no dressing and no day off work.
A course runs three to six sessions, three to four weeks apart, with sun protection that does not lapse in between. Lightening usually shows from the second or third session.
How it actually works
It breaks pigment mechanically, not by burning it
A picosecond pulse is so short that the energy arrives faster than heat can spread. The pigment particle absorbs it and shatters from the pressure rather than cooking, and the fragments are small enough for your own immune cells to carry away over the following weeks. The skin around the particle barely warms.
Why that matters more here than in Europe
Filipino skin sits at Fitzpatrick III to V, and pigment-rich skin answers heat by making more pigment. That is post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and it is the reason an aggressive session can leave a patch darker than it started. The shorter the pulse, the less heat, the smaller that risk.
Three wavelengths, three targets
532nm is absorbed by shallow brown and by red. 1064nm passes deeper and is the gentlest on dark skin, which is why it carries most melasma work. 755nm sits between them and is used on stubborn deep pigment. A machine that offers one wavelength can still do good work, but it cannot do all three jobs.
Where the carbon comes in
The carbon facial is the same laser with a different job. A layer of liquid carbon is spread on the skin and sinks into the pores; the laser targets the carbon rather than your pigment, vaporising it and lifting the oil and debris out with it. Same machine, different setting, different appointment.
The machines on this market, including the ones we do not run
PicoSure and PicoSure Pro
Cynosure, American, the first picosecond system to get FDA clearance. 755nm, so it is strong on stubborn pigment and is the name most often quoted at the top of the market.
PicoWay
Candela, three wavelengths in one machine at 532, 785 and 1064nm. The versatility is the point: one device that can be set for a freckle and for melasma.
Discovery Pico
Quanta, Italian, high peak power. Common in dermatology clinics rather than in salons.
Korean and Chinese picosecond systems
The majority of machines in Manila, sold under many names, at a fraction of the price of the three above. Some are genuinely picosecond and some are Q-switched with picosecond marketing. This is why the first question on the list above is the one that matters.
Q-switched lasers
The previous generation, still widely in service and still useful. Pulses in billionths of a second rather than trillionths, so more heat, which on melasma and on darker skin is the wrong direction. Cheaper per session for a reason.
What it costs in Makati, 2026
Published prices for a picosecond laser session around Makati run from about one thousand pesos on a social-media promotion to twenty-five thousand at a dermatology clinic. As with HIFU, the spread is not greed. It is different machines, different areas and different numbers of passes sold under one word.
Our list prices are ₱14,950 for the melasma protocol, ₱16,500 for the carbon facial and ₱7,999 for underarm, all sixty minutes. We run introductory promotions through most of the year, so ask for today's rate.
The word to interrogate is not the price. It is "pico".
Five questions to ask any clinic, including us
Is this actually a picosecond laser, or a Q-switched one?
A picosecond laser fires in trillionths of a second. The older Q-switched generation fires in billionths, a thousand times longer, which means more heat spreads into the skin around the target. Both are sold as laser toning in Manila and the price gap is large. Ask which it is, and ask for the machine's name rather than the treatment's name.
Which wavelength is being used on my pigment?
532nm works on red and shallow brown, 755nm on stubborn deeper pigment, 1064nm goes deepest and is the safest on dark skin. Melasma and a freckle are not the same target. A clinic that runs everything at one setting is not reading your skin.
How many sessions, and what happens between them?
Pigment work is a course, not a visit. Three to six sessions, three to four weeks apart, with sun protection that does not lapse. If nobody mentions what you do between sessions, the plan is half a plan.
What is your experience with melasma specifically on morena skin?
Melasma punishes heat. A setting that clears a sun spot can darken a melasma patch, and the damage takes months to undo. This is the question that separates a clinic that treats pigment from one that owns a laser.
These are the list prices. We run promotions through most of the year, so call or message for today's rate and for course pricing. The consultation is free either way.
Where to find us in Makati
The lobby at Peninsula Manila, Makati Ave, Makati City, 1226 Metro Manila.
The entrance is on the hotel lobby level, beside the staircase.
Open daily, 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM.
Call or message +63 917 634 7449. The consultation is free, and it is where we say whether this is the right treatment for your skin or whether it is not.
It depends on the area and the number of sessions, and any clinic quoting before seeing your skin is guessing. The list price and the current promotion for each pico treatment are on the treatment pages, and the consultation at the Makati branch is free.
Is pico laser safe on morena skin?
Safety comes from the device, the settings and the person holding the handpiece, not from the technology alone. Filipino skin sits at Fitzpatrick III to V, where too much heat causes darkening rather than lightening, which is why we run conservative settings across more sessions.
How many sessions will I need?
Three to six, spaced three to four weeks apart, for pigment work. Most clients see the direction of travel by the third.
Where exactly is the clinic?
Inside The Peninsula Manila, on the corner of Ayala Avenue and Makati Avenue in Makati City. The door is on the lobby level, beside the staircase.
Can pico laser remove acne scars?
It clears the dark marks a breakout leaves behind, because those are pigment. Indented, pitted scarring is a change in the skin's structure and needs a different treatment. We tell you which one you have before you book a course.
