Pigmentation & Sun Damage Correction

The pigmentation correction programme at Newbury Street Laser and Skincare Boston targets sunspots, age spots, melasma, freckles, and uneven skin tone using two complementary technologies: the Nordlys IPL platform for broad-field pigmentation and diffuse discolouration, and pico laser technology for more concentrated pigment deposits. Both approaches fragment excess melanin so the body can clear it naturally. Sessions run 30 to 60 minutes with minimal downtime. Treatment plans are personalised based on the type, depth, and distribution of pigmentation.

Pigmentation and sun damage correction at Newbury Street Laser and Skincare Boston is delivered through a two-technology approach, allowing the clinical team to match the treatment modality to the specific type and depth of each patient's pigmentation concern. The Nordlys system by Ellipse is a medical-grade intense pulsed light (IPL) and fractional laser platform that emits broad-spectrum light filtered to target melanin-containing cells. For diffuse sun damage, ephelides (freckles), and solar lentigines (age spots) — the most common presentations in Boston-area patients after cumulative summer UV exposure — the IPL handpiece delivers polychromatic light selectively absorbed by superficial melanin deposits. The heat generated disrupts the pigment-laden keratinocytes, which undergo controlled coagulation; the pigmented cells are then shed through the skin's natural desquamation process over seven to fourteen days, often manifesting as a transient darkening ('graying' or 'peppering' appearance) before sloughing away. For patients with deeper, more recalcitrant pigmentation such as dermal melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation from previous acne or skin injury, or discrete pigmented lesions, the clinic employs pico laser technology. Pico lasers deliver ultra-short pulses of energy in the picosecond range — a thousandth of the duration of nanosecond Q-switched lasers — which causes pigment fragmentation primarily through a photoacoustic (pressure wave) mechanism rather than photothermal (heat) energy. The photoacoustic effect shatters melanin granules into far smaller particles that are more readily cleared by macrophages in the dermis without the level of collateral thermal tissue damage associated with traditional Q-switched laser treatment. This makes pico laser technology more suitable for darker skin types and for conditions where the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation from thermal injury must be minimised. Treatment sessions at Newbury Street Laser and Skincare Boston run 30 to 60 minutes, and the clinic recommends a personalised assessment before the first session to determine which technology, or combination, is most appropriate. Patients are advised to avoid sun exposure and apply broad-spectrum SPF 50+ throughout the treatment series to prevent UV-driven re-stimulation of melanocyte activity in the treated areas.