Skin resurfacing with the Palomar Icon 1540nm laser at Dr Joney De Souza in Marylebone. Smooths texture, acne scars and fine lines, with little downtime.
Most people who ask us about laser resurfacing have reached the point where good skincare is no longer keeping up. The texture has changed, old acne scars still catch the light, or the skin simply looks tired and uneven in a way that make-up settles into rather than hides. This treatment works underneath all of that, rebuilding the skin from within rather than polishing the surface.
It tends to suit you if you recognise a few of these:
It is less suited to deep, heavily set wrinkles or noticeable sagging. Those usually call for a stronger ablative laser or a different approach, and Dr Joney De Souza will tell you plainly at your consultation if that is the better route for you.
The 1540nm laser is a non-ablative fractional laser, a device that resurfaces the skin from the inside without removing the top layer. At Dr Joney De Souza we use the Palomar Icon 1540nm system, one of the most established lasers of its kind. If you have been reading about Fraxel, this is the same type of treatment, and the questions further down explain how they relate.
Related treatments at Dr Joney De Souza: CO2 laser resurfacing, UltraClear, our laser treatments and age spots and pigmentation.
Every result below is a real Dr Joney De Souza patient. Use the slider to see the change. Results vary from person to person.
The number is the key to it. 1540nm is the wavelength of light the laser uses, and that wavelength is absorbed by water in the skin. It lets the energy reach deep into the dermis, where collagen is made, without stripping the surface away. The laser delivers that energy in a fractional pattern, treating thousands of microscopic points at a time while leaving healthy skin in between. Those untreated points are what let the skin heal quickly.
What happens next is your own repair response. Over the weeks after a session the skin builds fresh collagen and elastin, so texture smooths, tone evens and firmness slowly returns. The surface is left largely intact, so you get genuine resurfacing with far less downtime than an ablative laser.
It is a wavelength that water absorbs well, which lets the laser place its heat at the right depth in the dermis. Deep enough to trigger collagen, shallow enough to spare the surface.
Treating tiny points rather than the whole surface leaves a network of untouched skin around each one. Those healthy cells drive the repair, which is why recovery is measured in days rather than weeks.
The controlled heat prompts the cells that make collagen and elastin to get back to work. That new collagen is what firms and smooths the skin, and it keeps forming for weeks after each session.
Ablative lasers remove the surface layer to force renewal. This one works beneath an intact surface instead, so the results are real but the downtime is much shorter.
CO2 removes the surface for stronger correction but a longer recovery. The 1540nm laser stimulates collagen underneath an intact surface, so it is gentler and suits early to moderate concerns. Dr Joney De Souza will tell you which fits.
Usually not. Collagen builds gradually, so a short course spaced a few weeks apart gives the fullest, most even result. Dr Joney De Souza plans the number around your skin.
From the first consultation to your final review, your treatment is led personally by Dr Joney De Souza. Here is how it usually goes.
Dr Joney De Souza looks closely at your skin, talks through what is bothering you and your goals, and checks the treatment is right for you. Where it helps, a patch test is arranged first. On the day, arrive with clean skin; we cleanse the area and apply a numbing cream for around 30 to 60 minutes.
He moves the laser across the area in a few passes, placing its energy into the deeper skin while leaving the surface intact. Most people feel a warm, prickling heat rather than pain. A session runs around 45 to 60 minutes depending on the area.
Your skin looks flushed and feels warm, much like mild sunburn, for the first day or two, sometimes with light flaking as it renews. You go home with a simple routine and a good SPF. The real change builds quietly over the following weeks, and a review lets Dr Joney De Souza track it.
A laser is only as good as the person setting it. The right depth for fair, reactive skin is not the right one for richer, darker skin, and getting that wrong is how people end up disappointed or marked. Here the laser is always in the hands of Dr Joney De Souza himself.
That same care shapes how we use the 1540 laser, working gradually with fractional light to support your skin’s own collagen and build quality that lasts, so skin longevity becomes something you keep for longer.
What you pay depends on the size of the area and how many sessions you have. A small area is a different plan from the full face, neck and décolletage, and most people see the best value from a short course. Dr Joney De Souza confirms your plan and final price at your consultation.
| Treatment | Single (£) | Course of 4 (£) |
|---|---|---|
Face | 600 | 2,160 |
Face and Neck | 750 | 2,700 |
Face, Neck and Décolletage | 850 | 3,060 |
Neck | 600 | 2,160 |
Décolletage | 600 | 2,160 |
Small area (5x5cm) | 350 | 1,260 |
They sit at two ends of the same idea. The 1540nm laser is the gentler option, ideal for texture, early lines and overall skin quality with little downtime. CO2 laser resurfacing is ablative and stronger, better for deeper wrinkles and more pronounced scarring, though it asks more of your recovery. Many people start here and keep CO2 in reserve for the areas that need it. Dr Joney De Souza will tell you honestly which one fits.
The questions people ask most before booking, from how it works to how it feels afterwards.
You may know fractional laser resurfacing by the brand name Fraxel. Fraxel is one brand of fractional laser; we use a different device, the Palomar Icon 1540nm laser, that works at essentially the same wavelength and in the same way. When people search for Fraxel, this is really the treatment they have in mind. Fraxel is a registered trademark of its manufacturer, and this clinic is not affiliated with it.
It is used most for uneven texture, acne scarring, fine lines, sun damage and dull, tired skin, along with enlarged pores and mild loss of firmness. It works on the face, and also the neck and décolletage.
Not really. A numbing cream is applied first, so most people feel a warm, prickling heat during the treatment rather than pain. Any tenderness afterwards feels like mild sunburn and settles within a day or two.
Yes, when the settings are judged carefully, which is why this treatment is doctor-led here. Dr Joney De Souza has particular experience with richer and Asian skin tones, and will often start with a patch test to be sure.
Most people have a short course, usually spaced a few weeks apart, because collagen builds gradually. The exact number depends on your skin and what you want to change, and Dr Joney De Souza confirms it at your consultation.
From £350, depending on the size of the area and the number of sessions. The full breakdown is in the pricing table above, and your plan is confirmed at consultation.
The 1540nm laser is non-ablative, so it works under an intact surface with little downtime, which suits early to moderate concerns. A CO2 laser is ablative and stronger for deeper wrinkles and scarring, but recovery takes longer. Dr Joney De Souza will advise which suits you, or how to combine them.
Patients return to Dr Joney De Souza year after year for natural, balanced results. Every review reflects our commitment to precision, safety and a personalised approach to skin and laser care in Marylebone.
I highly recommend Dr. Joney and his clinic. I have been his patient for many years and he is definitely one of the best. His work is natural and subtle, he always puts the patient’s interest first and will never try to upsell unnecessary treatments.
Had an excellent experience today getting the Profhilo treatment done by Dr. Joney De Souza. The entire team was so friendly, and prepped me about what I should expect during and after the treatment.
Dr Joney is the most wonderful Dr, kind and caring and highly experienced. I feel safe in his care and trust his opinion 100%.
