Laser stretch mark treatment in London
Fractional and CO2 laser for stretch marks, arranged by Stretch Mark Removal London at UNTIL Marylebone: what laser changes, how many sessions it takes, how it suits darker skin and what it costs in London.
Laser stretch mark treatment at a glance
- Session length30 to 60 minutes, by area
- Typical course3 to 6 sessions, 4 to 6 weeks apart
- Recovery1 to 3 days of redness, longer after CO2
- London pricesFrom about £410 a session
- WhereUNTIL Marylebone, 1 Orchard Street
Does laser stretch mark removal work?
Laser reduces the appearance of stretch marks and does not remove them. Stretch Mark Removal London arranges laser stretch mark treatment at UNTIL Marylebone in London, where published studies and clinic experience point the same way: most people see a mark that is flatter, smoother and closer in colour to the skin around it, rather than a mark that has gone. Red marks respond more than white ones.
A stretch mark is a repaired tear in the dermis, and laser works on that layer. Controlled heat injures the tissue in a pattern, and the repair lays down new collagen, which thickens the thinned skin and softens the edge of the mark so it catches the light less. The size of the change depends mostly on the age and colour of the marks, then on the skin tone, then on the number of sessions. The NHS lists light and laser treatments among those that may make stretch marks look better and says they will not get rid of them.
Fractional laser for stretch marks
Fractional lasers treat the skin in a grid of microscopic columns and leave the skin between them untouched, which is what lets it heal in days rather than weeks. They come in two kinds, and the difference decides both the result and the recovery. The glossary defines each term.
Non-ablative fractional laser
Non-ablative lasers heat the dermis without breaking the surface. Each session does less, the skin is usually red for one to three days, and most people go back to work the next day with the area under clothing. A course tends to be longer, often at the top of the three-to-six range, because each session makes a smaller change. It suits someone who cannot take visible downtime, and it carries a lower risk on darker skin than ablative laser, though not no risk. Many London clinics offer it for white marks on the stomach, hips and thighs.
CO2 laser for stretch marks
CO2 lasers are ablative: they remove a fine layer of surface in each column as well as heating the dermis below. That does more per session on established white marks, and it also means several days of weeping, crusting and redness before the skin settles, with a longer period of sun avoidance afterwards. CO2 carries the highest pigmentation risk of the laser options on brown and black skin. One London clinic priced a CO2 course of three at about £1,229 for a small area and £2,099 for a large one in September 2026, well above microneedling for the same area.
Erbium laser
Erbium lasers are also ablative, and their energy is absorbed very close to the surface, so they remove thinner layers with less heat spreading sideways. Clinics use them on stretch marks in fractional or two-step protocols, and recovery is usually shorter than after CO2. One London clinic prices an erbium protocol from about £550 a session for a palm-sized area and £900 for a full abdomen. The choice between erbium, CO2 and non-ablative laser is made at the assessment, from the marks and the skin in front of the practitioner.
Laser for red and white stretch marks
The colour of a mark decides which laser makes sense and how much it can change. The guide to types of stretch marks explains how to tell the two apart.
Red and purple marks
Vascular lasers target the blood vessels that give an early mark its colour and are used to take the redness down. Because red marks also fade on their own over six to twenty-four months, the honest question is whether a few months of waiting would do most of the work for free.
White and silver marks
Mature marks have no colour left for a vascular laser to target, so fractional laser is the tool: it thickens the thin skin and softens the edge. Expect a longer course and a change you would notice rather than a mark that has gone.
Laser stretch marks before and after: what changes
This site shows no before-and-after photographs, because nobody has consented to their images being published here and another clinic's pictures would say little about your skin. What changes, and when, can be described.
In the first two weeks
The area is red and warm for one to three days after non-ablative laser, and it can look rough or slightly bronzed as the treated columns shed. After CO2 or erbium laser there are several days of weeping and crusting first. At this stage the marks can look worse than before, which is expected and is the reason clinic photographs taken a week after a session show healing, not a result.
Three months after the last session
New collagen takes months to organise, so the fair comparison is a photograph taken three months after the final session against one taken before the first, in the same light, at the same angle and at the same distance. The usual change is a mark that sits flatter, has a softer edge and is closer in colour to the skin around it. Ask the clinic assessing you to show its own results on marks of a similar age and on similar skin.
Laser stretch mark treatment on darker skin
Laser can be used on brown and black skin, and the choice of laser, settings and spacing matters more than on pale skin. The risk is post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation: the treated area darkens after the injury, and that darkening can last months and look worse than the marks did. Ablative lasers such as CO2 carry the highest risk; non-ablative settings carry less. Microneedling carries less again, which is why it is often the first choice on darker skin.
Three things lower the risk: a patch test on a small area of body skin, checked before a large area is treated; strict sun protection before and throughout the course; and a practitioner who asks about your skin tone and any history of dark marks after cuts or spots before anything is booked. If laser is not a good fit, the assessment can point you to microneedling for stretch marks at UNTIL Soho instead.
Laser stretch mark treatment cost in London
London clinics that publish their prices charged from about £410 to £900 a session for fractional, CO2 or erbium laser when Stretch Mark Removal London checked on 29 September 2026, and courses of three from about £1,229 to £2,500. The size of the area moves the price most: a whole abdomen costs more than a palm-sized patch on the hip.
Laser is not available on the NHS for stretch marks, and the NHS says these treatments must be paid for privately. The practitioner at UNTIL Marylebone quotes for your own marks and area, in writing, before you book. Ask whether the quote covers the whole course and the patch test, and what a top-up costs later. The London stretch mark prices page lists every figure with its source date.
Laser stretch mark treatment near you
Laser assessments arranged through this site happen at UNTIL Marylebone, 1 Orchard Street, London W1H 6HJ, about six minutes on foot from Marble Arch and eight from Bond Street, where the Elizabeth line stops. The club opens at 06:00 on weekdays and stays open until 21:00 from Monday to Thursday, and the practitioner sets appointment times inside those hours. Choose Marylebone on the enquiry form.
Your first laser stretch mark appointment
1. The assessment
The doctor looks at the marks and asks how old they are, whether they are still red, how your skin tans and whether you mark easily. Those answers decide which laser, which settings and how many sessions.
2. A patch test
A small area of body skin is treated and checked before a large area is. On darker skin this step matters most, and it is worth asking for whatever your skin tone.
3. The session
Numbing cream goes on first. Most people describe the laser as hot prickling that stops when the pass ends. The area is red and warm afterwards, and it is covered and kept out of the sun.
4. The review
Sessions are four to six weeks apart. The result is judged three months after the last one, against a photograph taken before the first, in the same light and from the same angle.
When to wait before stretch mark treatment
A practitioner will usually postpone treatment in these situations:
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding, when elective treatment is normally postponed
- A recent tan, sunbed use or self-tan on the area
- Active infection, eczema or broken skin in the treatment area
- A history of keloid scarring, which needs assessing first
- Recent oral acne treatment that thins the skin, unless a prescriber says otherwise
FAQ
Laser stretch mark treatment
questions answered
Does laser stretch mark removal work?
It reduces the appearance of stretch marks and does not remove them. Stretch Mark Removal London finds most people see a flatter, smoother mark closer in colour to the skin around it after a course, with red marks improving more than white. The NHS says laser may make marks look better but will not get rid of them.
How many laser sessions do stretch marks need?
Usually three to six, four to six weeks apart. One London clinic quotes three to five sessions for red marks and five to eight for white ones. Stretch Mark Removal London suggests judging the result three months after the final session, against a photograph taken before the first one.
Is laser or microneedling better for old stretch marks?
On paler skin, fractional laser usually does more per session on old white marks, at a higher price and with more recovery. On darker skin microneedling is often the safer start. Stretch Mark Removal London arranges laser at UNTIL Marylebone and microneedling at UNTIL Soho, and the assessment decides which suits your marks.
Is laser safe for stretch marks on black or brown skin?
It can be, with the right laser and settings, but the risk of dark patches after treatment is real and can last months. Stretch Mark Removal London suggests a patch test on body skin first, strict sun protection, and asking whether microneedling would be the lower-risk option for your marks.
What does laser stretch mark treatment feel like?
Most people describe hot prickling while the laser passes, eased by numbing cream applied beforehand. Afterwards the area feels warm and sunburnt for one to three days, longer after CO2 laser. Stretch Mark Removal London notes that clothing usually covers treated body areas, so most people carry on with work.
Where is laser stretch mark treatment available through Stretch Mark Removal London?
At UNTIL Marylebone, 1 Orchard Street, London W1H 6HJ, where a doctor-led clinic uses a fractional laser and lists stretch marks among the body areas it treats. Stretch Mark Removal London passes your enquiry to UNTIL Health Concierge, who arranges the assessment and confirms the price before you book.
Related Treatments
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Describe the marks in two lines.
An assessment follows if one is worth having.
Stretch Mark Removal London • UNTIL, 111 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0DT
Ask for an AssessmentSend the form and get a response within 1 hour, to book your assessment for today or tomorrow. Say roughly how old the marks are and whether they are still red. UNTIL Health Concierge arranges the assessment at UNTIL Soho or Marylebone.