I totally agree with Dr Elias Tam that “There is no perfect laser for treatment of pigmentations”.
The analogy is like having the fastest sports car alone does not guarantee to bring you the Formula One Championship trophy. In fact, to even have a shot at the trophy, the sports car must be driven by an equally matched professional experienced driver.
In my own experience, pigmentation laser with the latest technology can certainly be very useful, but technology alone does not guarantee results.
In fact, I have come across very experienced doctors getting also really good results treating difficult and stubborn pigmentations with older laser models.
Thus the most important factor that determines good results from pigmentation laser is the clinical experience of the performing doctor.
Furthermore, other than melasma, there are other different types of pigmentation commonly seen on the face (eg freckles, solar lentigos, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentations etc), especially in the Asian skin types.
Treatments therefore will be tailored to the types of pigmentation and individual skin types, which can include other modalities eg topical lightening creams, chemical peels etc.
Depending on the types and severity of the pigmentations, sometimes just topical lightening creams and sun protection measures alone are sufficient to have good results.
So I would recommend you to speak to an experienced doctor whom you are comfortable with to discuss on the most suitable treatment options for you.
For more detailed information on the treatments of melasma and other commonly seen pigmentations, you can find out more in my "Ultimate Guide to Pigmentation Treatment in Singapore".