Honestly, even five years ago I didn’t

use 1064nm like this.

When the seasons change, the consultation room

starts filling up with people saying their

melasma has come back.

I got toning somewhere else last time,

but the spots are still there.

I hear that from a lot of patients.

Today, I’ll explain why step by step.

Bottom line.

1064nm is an infrared wavelength that penetrates

4–5 mm into the dermis.

How we decide.

Depending on whether the pigment is in the

epidermis or the dermis, we choose 532 or 1064.

What we’ll cover today.

Why 1064 is weak for superficial spots

and strong for melasma.

What you’ll learn in this article

• How 1064nm, though invisible,

  breaks down pigment

• Why deeper penetration can actually

  lower the risk of burns

• Toning, tattoos, and dermal pigment

  — which wavelength fits which target

What is a 1064nm laser?

A 1064nm laser is a near-infrared laser

produced from an Nd:YAG medium.

You can’t see it with your eyes.

It’s infrared, beyond the visible light spectrum.

The blinking red light in the clinic is the

aiming guide beam, and

the actual working beam is invisible.

Even among Q-switched lasers, 532nm is green light

that is readily absorbed by epidermal melanin,

while 1064nm has weaker absorption

but penetrates deeper.

This difference is what ultimately creates the

treatment divide between superficial spots and melasma.

Why does the depth of the

1064nm wavelength matter?

Key point

1064nm is invisible because it’s infrared, but

it reaches deep into the dermis.

Deep veins, black tattoos, and dermal pigment are the main targets.

Absorption is moderate, so the burn risk is

lower than with 532 or 755.

It works a bit like shining a flashlight into fog.

Bright light hits the fog and scatters everywhere,

but long wavelengths like infrared

pass through the fog and travel farther.

Skin works the same way.

Melanin and hemoglobin in the epidermis

absorb most short wavelengths.

532nm is almost entirely absorbed in the

0.3–0.5 mm epidermal layer.

By contrast, because 1064nm has low absorption,

it paradoxically passes through the epidermis easily

and reaches 4–5 mm into the dermis.

That’s why the targets differ.

For pigment sitting in the epidermis, such as

age spots and freckles, 1064 simply passes through. 532 is the right choice.

By contrast, melasma, Ota’s nevus, dermal melanin,

and deep targets like black tattoo ink

are where 1064 is more precise.

In online communities, posts saying a toning treatment

didn’t help after 10 sessions

come up two or three times a month.

In fact, it doesn’t mean the treatment failed,

it means the target was chosen incorrectly.

1064 toning is a treatment that slowly breaks down

dermal melanin,

not a one-shot treatment to remove epidermal spots.

Also, because 1064 has moderate absorption,

it is relatively safer and carries a lower burn risk

for Korean skin tones.

Dr. Wi Young-jin’s key summary

• The key is that 1064nm is a weak light that

  goes deeper.

• It passes through the epidermis and mainly targets deep dermal pigment, tattoos, and blood vessels.

• 532 is right for superficial spots, and 1064 is right for melasma.

What procedures is a 1064nm laser

used for?

Especially for melasma, there are clear limits to laser treatment alone.

1064 low-energy toning

+ regenerative treatments like Rejuran and Revive

+ medications such as tranexamic acid.

You need all three pillars together

to change the environment that overactivates melanin.

If you take tranexamic acid for 3–6 months,

you can extend the toning intervals without leaving a gap.

Three frequently asked questions about

1064nm laser

Q1. Can a single 1064nm toning session

remove spots?

A. The answer is simply no.

Superficial spots are epidermal pigment, so 532 is the right choice,

and 1064 just passes through that depth.

If you try to treat spots only with 1064,

they won’t come off easily even after 10 sessions.

Q2. Is it true that skin gets darker after toning?

A. In about 1–2 out of 10 cases, temporary darkening

can occur as a rebound,

but in most cases it happens because the output is too strong

or the interval is too short.

If you keep the energy low and maintain a 2–3 week interval, it almost never happens.

Q3. Can 1064nm be done during pregnancy?

A. In theory, there are almost no reports of effects on the fetus, but during pregnancy hormones can

make the results less visible.

We recommend starting about 6 months after delivery.

Ultimately, 1064 is a wavelength that is not easily absorbed,

which is why it reaches deeper.

Its weakness becomes its strength.

In the next article, I’ll explain the ideal interval and

energy settings for 1064 toning.

This has been Dr. Wi Young-jin.

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