Common Concerns
From sun spots and uneven tone to more complex pigmentation like melasma, the right approach depends entirely on the type — because some respond beautifully to light and laser, while others can be made worse by them.
Pigmentation is excess melanin in the skin, most often triggered by sun exposure, ageing or hormones. It is not a single condition: sun spots and age spots (lentigines), general sun damage and uneven tone behave very differently from melasma, a chronic, hormone- and heat-sensitive pigmentation that needs a far more cautious approach. Because the wrong treatment can make some pigmentation worse, identifying the type correctly is the most important step — which is why a proper clinical assessment with Dr Nina comes first.
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Understanding the concern
Pigmentation describes any darkening of the skin caused by excess melanin, the pigment produced by cells called melanocytes. When those cells are stimulated — by ultraviolet light, inflammation, ageing or hormonal changes — they produce more melanin, which can collect in patches, spots or a generally uneven tone. Most facial pigmentation is driven by years of accumulated sun exposure, which is why it so often appears alongside the other visible signs of photoageing.
Crucially, pigmentation is not one condition but several, and they do not respond to treatment in the same way. Sun spots and age spots (also called solar lentigines) are discrete brown marks from UV damage; diffuse sun damage shows as a dull, mottled, uneven complexion; and post-inflammatory pigmentation follows spots, injury or irritation. These types generally respond well to light-, laser- and resurfacing-based treatment, and to good skincare.
Melasma is the important exception. It is a chronic, often symmetrical pigmentation on the cheeks, forehead or upper lip, strongly linked to hormones (pregnancy, the contraceptive pill) and made worse by heat and light as much as by UV. Melasma is managed rather than cured, it tends to recur, and aggressive light- or heat-based devices can actually worsen it. This is precisely why assessment matters: the same brown patch can call for completely different — sometimes opposite — treatment depending on its cause.
By far the most common cause. Ultraviolet light stimulates melanocytes to produce more melanin, creating sun spots, age spots and a generally uneven, mottled tone over years of accumulated exposure.
Hormonal changes from pregnancy, the contraceptive pill or HRT can trigger melasma — a chronic, symmetrical pigmentation that is heat- and light-sensitive and behaves very differently from sun spots.
Post-inflammatory pigmentation follows acne, injury or irritation, while skin naturally accumulates pigment irregularities with age. Both add to overall unevenness of tone.
Treatment guidance
The single most important factor in treating pigmentation is identifying its type, because the right treatment for one can be the wrong treatment for another. Sun spots, age spots and general sun damage respond well to light- and laser-based treatment; surface dullness and uneven tone respond to resurfacing peels; and melasma needs a deliberately cautious, conservative approach. Underpinning every plan, daily SPF and medical-grade skincare prescribed by Dr Nina are the foundation — without them, no in-clinic treatment will hold. These are the presentations we see most often, and what tends to suit each.
Discrete brown marks from years of sun exposure — solar lentigines — tend to respond very well to targeted light and laser. BBL® HEROic™ uses intelligent broadband light that is absorbed by unwanted pigment so the body can clear it, while Lutronic LaseMD Ultra gently resurfaces and renews. Both are well suited to clearly defined sun damage on the face and, for BBL® HEROic™, the hands.
For a dull, mottled, generally photo-aged complexion rather than isolated spots, the aim is to even out tone across the whole area. Lutronic LaseMD Ultra resurfaces and stimulates renewal while infusing brightening actives, and BBL® HEROic™ addresses sun damage and the redness that often accompanies it. These are frequently planned as a short course for the most even result.
Where the concern is more about surface dullness, lacklustre tone and overall radiance, gentler resurfacing peels are often the right starting point. AlumierMD Peels are tailored on the day — including a tranexamic-acid option aimed at uneven tone — and PRX-T33 Peel brightens and refines with no visible peeling. Both improve skin quality and the look of mild, superficial pigmentation.
Melasma is the exception that changes everything. Because it is hormone- and heat-sensitive and can be made worse by aggressive light or heat, energy-based devices are not always appropriate and are used only with great caution, if at all. The foundation of melasma care is daily SPF and medical-grade topicals prescribed by Dr Nina; where an in-clinic treatment is considered, gentler, tranexamic-acid-focused options such as AlumierMD Peels may have a role. Melasma is managed, not cured — assessment is essential before any treatment.
No pigmentation treatment holds without sun protection, because UV continually re-triggers melanin. Daily broad-spectrum SPF and a medical-grade skincare routine prescribed by Dr Nina are the foundation of every plan — they protect results and, for melasma, are the mainstay of management. In-clinic treatments such as BBL® HEROic™, Lutronic LaseMD Ultra and tailored peels work best when supported by consistent home care and ongoing maintenance.
At Facial Sculpting
A consultation is not a commitment to treatment — it is a proper clinical assessment. Here is what to expect.
Dr Nina examines the type of pigmentation you have — distinguishing sun spots and general sun damage from melasma — along with your skin type, sun exposure, hormonal factors and history. This matters enormously, because the type of pigmentation determines whether light- and laser-based treatment is appropriate or whether a more cautious route is safer.
If light, laser or a peel is likely to help, she will recommend it specifically and explain why, always over a foundation of daily SPF and medical-grade skincare. If your pigmentation is melasma, she will favour a cautious, conservative, medically-led plan — and will be clear that energy-based treatment is not always appropriate and can sometimes make it worse.
Consultations are never upsells. The outcome may be an in-clinic treatment, a skincare-led plan, or honest advice that your pigmentation is best managed conservatively for now. The goal is the right answer for your skin and the type of pigmentation — not a booking.
Full treatment directory
Each card links to a full treatment page with procedure details, suitability, and what to expect. Your exact route is confirmed at consultation.
Sciton’s most advanced BroadBand Light® technology — intelligent broadband light that targets pigmentation, redness and sun damage to even tone and restore clarity, with minimal downtime.
Best for: Sun spots, age spots, sun damage, redness, uneven tone
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A gentle, non-ablative thulium (1927nm) laser that resurfaces and stimulates renewal while infusing brightening actives — refining tone, pigmentation, sun damage and texture with minimal downtime.
Best for: Uneven tone, pigmentation, sun damage, texture
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Medical-grade chemical peels tailored to your skin on the day — including a tranexamic-acid option — to brighten, smooth and even out tone, with little or no downtime.
Best for: Dullness, uneven tone, mild pigmentation, congestion
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A no-needle bio-revitalising peel (TCA, hydrogen peroxide and kojic acid) that brightens, hydrates and firms without visible peeling — refreshing tone and the look of mild pigmentation.
Best for: Dullness, uneven tone, brightening, crepey skin
Find out moreSide by side
An honest comparison — the right option depends on the type of pigmentation, your skin and goals. This is a guide, not a prescription, and melasma in particular needs individual assessment.
| Treatment | Approach | Invasiveness | Downtime | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBL® HEROic™ | Non-invasive broadband light | Non-invasive | Minimal | Sun spots, sun damage, redness |
| Lutronic LaseMD Ultra | Non-ablative thulium laser | Non-invasive | Minimal (~1–3 days) | Tone, pigmentation, texture |
| AlumierMD Peels | Tailored chemical peel | Non-invasive | Little to none | Dullness, uneven tone, brightening |
| PRX-T33 Peel | No-needle bio-revitalising peel | Non-invasive | None | Brightening, mild pigmentation |
Pigmentation plans are often combined — for example BBL® HEROic™ for sun spots alongside Lutronic LaseMD Ultra for tone and texture, always over a foundation of daily SPF and medical-grade skincare. For melasma, light- and heat-based options are approached with caution; Dr Nina advises honestly what is genuinely appropriate.
Common questions
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Why choose us
Pigmentation is one of the most commonly mis-treated concerns in aesthetics — melasma especially, where aggressive light or heat can make things worse rather than better. Dr Nina’s approach is different: identify the type correctly, treat only what is appropriate, and be honest when caution serves you better than a device.
Sun spots and melasma can look similar but need opposite handling. Dr Nina identifies the type of pigmentation properly before recommending anything, so the treatment matches the cause.
We will not treat melasma aggressively for the sake of a quick result. Where energy-based treatment is not appropriate, we say so and favour a cautious, medically-led plan built on SPF and topicals.
Because pigmentation is driven by sun and recurs without protection, every plan is built on daily SPF and medical-grade skincare — so improvements are gradual, natural and genuinely maintained.
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“In my practice, I focus on addressing life’s moments and the emotions they carry, rather than merely correcting lines and imperfections. I aim to provide therapies that respect and reflect the individual’s personal story.”
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