Аннотация:The physical mechanism and the theoretical model for pigment discoloration at laser ablation are discussed. The model includes two subsequent steps: 1) examination of ablation in subthreshold (Arrhenius tail) region and 2) examination of the nucleation process and structural modification within the volume of material close to ablation front. The results of calculations show that in the wide range of parameters exists the strong sharpening effect, when the thickness of modified layer (a few nanometers) is significantly smaller than the heat penetration depth or depth of optical absorption. These results are in good agreement with experimental data on discoloration effect.