There is a reason our device diary fills from September. Light-based treatments and medium-depth peels all work on the same principle — creating controlled damage that the skin repairs — and sun exposure during that repair window is the single biggest cause of disappointing results.
The pigmentation problem
When skin is treated with IPL or laser and then exposed to UV before it has fully recovered, it can respond with post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation: exactly the pigment you were trying to remove, back again and sometimes worse. Deeper skin tones are more prone to this, but nobody is immune.
Treating through autumn and winter, when UV levels in the UK and Northern Europe are low, largely removes that risk.
Planning a course
A typical pigmentation course runs like this. Late September to early October: consultation, patch test and four to six weeks of skin preparation with prescribed homecare. October to December: three IPL sessions spaced four weeks apart. January to February: a resurfacing peel or microneedling course to address texture. March: assessment, and a homecare plan for the summer.
That sequence has you finishing before the spring sun arrives, with the results protected.
One caveat
If you are going somewhere sunny over Christmas, tell us at consultation. We will plan around it rather than treat you two weeks before you fly — and we would rather move your course than waste your money.