New, state-of-the-art lasers have revolutionized our approach to the treatment of a wide variety of skin disorders. Lasers are often the treatment of choice to remove facial blood vessels, spider veins, and port wine stain birthmarks as well as scars, stretch marks, precancerous lesions, and warts. All of these lesions can be treated with the V-Beam pulsed-dye laser.
How does the V-Beam work to improve Facial Redness, Scars, and Vascular Birthmarks?
The V-Beam laser produces a bright beam of light that gently heats the blood vessels that make up facial redness, scars, or vascular birthmarks without damaging the surrounding tissues. With this gentle heating, the appearance of a multitude of vascular lesions improves after a series of treatments.
What conditions are treated with the V-Beam laser?
* Facial redness
* Facial spider veins
* Angiomas (facial and body red spots)
* Acne
* Acne scarring
* Rosacea
* Vascular birthmarks (Port Wine Stains)
* Stretch marks
* Thickened, red scars
* Sun damaged skin
* Patchy red-brown discoloration of the chest and neck
* Precancerous lesions
* Warts
What does it feel like?
You may experience mild discomfort similar to being stung by a mosquito or snapped by a rubber band. Treatment may require one, two, or more sessions, with each session taking between 10 to 20 minutes. Treatments are usually performed at 6 week intervals.
How will I look and care for the treated area?
In most cases, you will wash the treated area with mild soap, gently patting the surface dry, followed by the application of a soothing cream. Most treatments result in minimal redness that lasts only hours. Mild swelling under the eyes may also occur and remain for a few days. In some patients, the treated area will occasionally discolor, leaving a bruise that lasts for five to ten days. However, with our V-Beam pulsed-dye laser, bruising usually does not occur when treating facial blood vessels. If a bruise does occur, a water-based makeup may be gently applied as a cover-up.
Can the V-Beam laser be combined with other laser treatments?
For patients who have facial redness associated with pink, red acne scars and acne, the V-Beamlaser may be used together with the Cool Touch laser for superior results. As the V-Beam laser reduces facial redness and the red component of scars, the Cool Touch laser improves skin texture and acne to achieve smoother skin and a more even complexion.
Comfort Control
For most procedures, the discomfort is so minimal that no anesthesia or pain medication is needed. For some conditions, a topical anesthetic cream may be used prior to laser treatment. Following the procedure, cool compresses and Tylenol will soothe any discomfort. If possible, we recommend that you do not take aspirin or non steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (Advil, Aleve, Motrin) prior to or for a few days following treatment. Strenuous exercise and contact sports should be avoided, and alcohol intake limited. Avoiding the sun, using sunscreen, and wearing cover-up clothing are critical, both prior to and after treatment. Following the procedure, you will receive specific written instructions on the care of the treated area.
Side Effects & Safety
There are rarely any permanent problems with V-Beam laser treatments. Very rarely, lightening of the skin occurs. Scarring occurs in less than one-tenth of one percent of all cases. Because lasers produce an intense bright beam of light, everyone in the treatment room wears protective eyewear.