Laser treatment can improve sun damage and uneven skin tone by targeting selected superficial pigment (such as sun spots) and, where appropriate, improving texture in sun-damaged skin. The key is suitability: not every brown mark is the same, and the safest approach starts with a proper skin assessment, then a treatment plan matched to your skin type, pigment pattern, and recovery tolerance.
At Chiswick Clinic, we use a dual-pathway approach: a 577 nm yellow laser for selected pigment and sun-related colour change, and Er:YAG laser resurfacing for texture-led photodamage. Prevention and maintenance matters—because ongoing sun exposure is what created the problem in the first place.
Most people don’t have “one problem”. Sun-damaged skin often shows a mix of age spots, uneven pigment, background redness, roughness, and early textural change. That’s why a one-device approach can underdeliver—or create unnecessary risk.
Our clinic approach is condition-led, not device-led:
You may need one pathway, or both in sequence. The decision is based on diagnosis, pigment depth, your skin type, and how cautious we need to be to reduce the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (especially in darker skin).
This route is designed for discrete, well-defined sun spots (solar lentigines) and selected pigmented marks that sit superficially.
Many patients need 1–3 sessions for sun spot removal-style goals, depending on lesion depth and how cautiously we treat.
This route is for diffuse sun damage: “muddy” tone, uneven colour, early texture change, and the sense that skincare alone isn’t shifting things.
Field photodamage is usually a course approach: commonly 2–5 sessions depending on your baseline skin damage, recovery tolerance, and the treatment plan tailored to you.
The 577 nm wavelength is often used for superficial targets and mixed sun-damage patterns where we want controlled treatment with epidermal safety in mind. In practical terms, it can be useful for selected superficial pigmentation issues and sun-induced uneven tone—when the diagnosis is right and parameters are conservative.
You may notice the treated area darken temporarily before it lightens. That’s expected, and it’s part of why aftercare and sun protection are non-negotiable.
Er:YAG laser resurfacing is used when the issue is not just colour, but skin texture—roughness, fine lines, and the “weathered” feel of sun-damaged skin. Depending on what we are treating, Er:YAG can be used in a fractional laser style or in a more intensive ablative laser approach (only when appropriate).
This pathway is about controlled renewal of the outer layer of skin and supporting healthier collagen production over time—again, within realistic limits.
Laser treatment is best thought of as improvement, not perfection.
Recovery varies depending on treatment intensity, your skin type, and the areas of skin treated (face heals differently to hands and chest).
After pigment-targeting laser, sun spots can turn darker and look like tiny coffee grounds or peppery specks. This is usually superficial pigment moving through the skin’s natural shedding process—not “worsening”. It must not be picked. With correct pre and post treatment care, it typically settles as the outer layer of skin renews.
Laser can reduce what is already there; it cannot stop future sun damage unless your habits change.
To protect your skin and maintain results:
Sun protection is not an “extra”; it is part of the treatment for sun damage.
Sun-damaged skin can look like a mix of visible sun spots, uneven colour, dullness, fine redness, and rough texture. Some people notice “patchy” pigment; others see scattered dark spots or a general loss of even skin tone. On the neck and chest, photodamage can appear more mottled and sensitive, which affects how we choose laser settings and downtime.
Suitability is determined by:
A consultation (around 20 minutes) includes skin analysis, diagnosis, and a treatment plan. We may advise patch testing, especially if you have a higher PIH risk or you have been exposed to the sun recently.
We avoid laser therapy (or delay it) when the risk–benefit is wrong. Examples include:
Most patients describe brief discomfort rather than severe pain. Sensation varies by area (hands and upper lip can feel sharper) and by whether we are treating individual spots or field sun damage. For resurfacing, we tailor comfort measures to the intensity of the session and your tolerance.
There is no honest single number. As a guide:
We build in recovery time between sessions to allow the skin to settle and to avoid over-treatment.
Consultation: We assess your skin, confirm the diagnosis, and design the safest treatment plan tailored to your goals.
Patch test: This may be recommended for higher-risk pigment patterns, higher Fitzpatrick types, or where there’s a history of PIH.
Prior to treatment
Immediately after treatment
Aftercare basics
Alternatives and honest comparisons
Depending on the skin conditions involved, alternatives can include intense pulsed light therapy, Q-switched or picosecond treatments, topical hyperpigmentation treatment plans, chemical peels, or simply focusing on sun protection and skincare alone. The “best results” come from matching the method to the type of pigment and the behaviour of your skin, not from choosing the most aggressive option.
Your skin analysis, diagnosis, and treatment planning is performed by experienced doctors, with dermatologist oversight where required. Treatments are delivered by experienced laser therapists and clinicians, working within a clear medical governance model, with escalation pathways in place if the skin reacts unexpectedly.
This matters because pigment is not a cosmetic category—it is biology. Treating the wrong pigment, at the wrong settings, in the wrong patient, is how preventable complications happen.
Laser directs controlled energy into specific targets in the skin. For sun damage, the goal is to selectively treat superficial pigment and, where needed, stimulate renewal for texture change. The approach depends on the pigment pattern, skin type, and whether we are treating individual marks or a wider treatment area.
No. Some brown marks are deeper, hormonally driven, or not suitable for laser. We aim for improvement, not guaranteed clearance, and we will advise alternatives when laser pigmentation removal is not appropriate or safe.
Sun spots and sun-induced pigment are often more discrete and linked to cumulative UV exposure. Hormonal pigment (such as melasma) tends to be more diffuse and can be triggered by hormones, heat, and inflammation. Laser can worsen melasma in some cases, so correct diagnosis is essential.
It can be, but it requires a cautious plan. Darker skin has a higher risk of PIH because the pigment-making cells can react to inflammation. We often use conservative settings, consider patch testing, and place heavy emphasis on aftercare and strict sun protection.
It often appears as a mix of sun spots, dull or muddy tone, patchy pigment, fine redness, and roughness. The pattern helps us decide whether the most effective treatment is pigment-focused, texture-focused, or a combined plan.
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