In dermatology clinics, there are various types of toning depending on the name of the laser device and its wavelength.

　

Example — Device names: RevLite, StarWalker, Accolade, PicoPlus, Hollywood, Lucas, etc.

　

Example — Types of wavelengths: Dual, Nano, Pico, Genesis, Alex Toning, etc.

　

Have you ever been confused by all these different names?

　

In this post, I would like to honestly share my thoughts on the definitions and effects of Dual Toning and Alex Toning.

　

What is Alex Toning?

 

When you search on Google: Alexandrite gemstone

　

Alex Toning is a type of long-pulse laser toning that uses an Alexandrite gemstone as the laser medium.

　

That might sound a bit technical, but to put it simply,

　

it uses a gemstone that emits a 755nm wavelength

to heat the epidermis and treat pigmentation.

　

As shown in the diagram above, the 755nm wavelength does not penetrate as deeply as 810nm or 1064nm wavelengths. Therefore, it is typically used for treating pigmentation in the epidermis or for hair removal.

　

Accordingly, when performing Alex Toning, devices like GentleMax, Clarity, or Apogee — which many patients recognize as hair removal lasers — are used.

　

What are the effects of Alex Toning?

　

The intended effects of Alex Toning are pigmentation treatment and improvement of the dermal environment.

　

However, to be frank, there is no clinically proven effectiveness.

　

「Treatment of Epidermal Pigmented Lesions with a Long-Pulsed Alexandrite Laser」Katsumi Iwaki（2002）

　

The photo from the above-mentioned paper shows a case of pigmentation treatment using the GentleMax (Alex laser).

　

At first glance, it may appear to show good results, but in reality, the treatment described was not Alex Toning — it involved using high energy to treat pigmentation in the epidermis.

　

In actual clinical practice, Alex Toning uses very low energy, which only gives a warm sensation and offers little to no therapeutic effect.
(There are also no validated research papers supporting its efficacy.)

　

Moreover, because the Alex laser cannot reach the deeper layers of the dermis, it’s difficult to expect dermal regeneration effects like those seen with Genesis Toning.

---

What is Dual Toning? (feat. Genesis)

　

So, what exactly is Dual Toning?

　

As the word “dual” suggests, it refers to a method that combines two types of toning.

　

*Note: For more on pigmentation-related topics, please refer to the previous post linked above :)

　

(Left) Clarity (Middle) Excel V (Right) Cosjet

　

Genesis Toning is a method that uses a long-pulse 1064nm laser aimed at regenerating the dermis and treating enlarged pores.

　

Common long-pulse 1064nm lasers include Clarity and Excel V, as shown in the photo. A more affordable option like Cosjet is also sometimes used.

　

What are the effects of Dual Toning?

　

The image above shows a histological examination of melasma.

　

In the dermis affected by melasma, a finding known as "Solar Elastosis" can be observed — which, simply put, means that the dermis has lost its elasticity and is damaged.

　

To regenerate the damaged dermis in melasma, many clinics, including ours, use high-frequency (radiofrequency) treatments and skin booster injections as part of the therapy.

　

In addition to these methods, Dual Toning using lasers is also employed as a treatment option.

　

• The dual toning technique for melasma treatment with the Nd:YAG laser: a preliminary study, K Hy (2011)

　

上記のような論文では、単独使用よりもデュアルトーニングが肝斑治療により良い効果を示すことが証明されています。

　

• Split-Face Comparison of Long-Pulse-Duration Nd:YAG Laser Alone and Combination Long-Pulse and Q-switched Nd:YAG 1,064-nm Laser with Carbon Photoenhancer Lotion for the Treatment of Enlarged Pores in Asian Women, PENPUN WATTANAKRAI, MD (2010)

　

Studies like those mentioned above have demonstrated that Dual Toning is more effective for treating melasma compared to using a single modality alone.

　

Split-Face Comparison of Long-Pulse-Duration Nd:YAG Laser Alone and Combination Long-Pulse and Q-switched Nd:YAG 1,064-nm Laser with Carbon Photoenhancer Lotion for the Treatment of Enlarged Pores in Asian Women – PENPUN WATTANAKRAI, MD (2010)

　

However, this particular study showed a different result — it concluded that there was little difference in effectiveness between single-mode toning and dual toning.

　

That said, one key distinction from other studies is that this research used different energy settings and shot counts.

(My own method also differs entirely from what was used in this study.)

　

In short, while Dual Toning has shown verified effectiveness for melasma,

　

each clinic varies in the energy levels and techniques used with Genesis lasers,

　

so unless performed correctly, the results may not be significantly different from single-laser treatments.

　

In particular, Alex Toning is often just a revenue-generating option for clinics,

　

and it is not a scientifically validated treatment method.

(It was created as an additional program to generate income by utilizing idle long-pulse devices.)

---

Summary in 3 Lines

1. There are various types of toning depending on the wavelength and laser device used.

2. Alex Toning uses a long-pulse Alexandrite laser for pigmentation treatment, but its effects are largely unproven and may be a waste of money.

3. Dual Toning combines standard toning with Genesis technique and can be effective for melasma — but proper understanding by the practitioner is essential due to variation in Genesis settings across clinics.

---

This concludes the information on Genesis, Dual, and Alex lasers.

I hope this post is helpful to many of you.

 

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or like — I’ll be happy to respond kindly and directly.

Thank you!

 

📍 Primi Clinic
3F, 52 Seongsuil-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea

 

📍 Primi Clinic
서울특별시 성동구 성수일로 52 3F (Primi Clinic)