Leylandii: Pruning back overgrown trees / hedges

We have bought a new house with a Leylandii hedge that has been unpruned for several years, trimming the height is no problem but the sides have about 3 inches of green and then brown inside. I'm under the impression that if you cut back in to the brown stuff the green won't grow back....Ideally I'd like to cut the sides back by about a foot but not if this leaves me with a brown hedge. Any solutions?

Re: Leylandii: Pruning back overgrown trees / hedges

Its a hard and fast rule - Don't prune into the brown. You will regret it. This is where leylandiis are demanding like pets. You cannot let them grow without clipping or you or someone else is likely to have to chop them down and start again.