Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that causes redness and flushing of the face, primarily the cheeks and nose. Rosacea is also a contributor to dry eye symptoms as well. At ANEWU Medical Spa we can treat rosacea and dry eye symptoms with photorejuvenation. Photorejuvenation is a process that uses laser light or intense pulsed light (IPL) to treat vascular lesions, broken blood vessels, redness from rosacea, poikiloderma, dry eye and hemagiomas. At ANEWU Medical Spa, we use intense pulsed light known as IPL to treat rosacea and other vascular concerns. IPL works by exposing the skin to multiple wavelengths of light. Each wavelength of light is attracted to different targets in the skin and travel to different depths. For instance, one wavelength may be significantly attracted to blood vessels while a different wavelength may be attracted to sun damage which sits more superficial in the skin than blood vessels. This non-discriminatory light energy allows us to treat multiple problems at the same time. For instance, when treating a patient for rosacea it is not uncommon to also reduce the appearance of sun damage in the area and even thin out unwanted facial hair as well.
What To Expect
- Average number of treatments for broken blood vessels and rosacea is 3-5. Maintenance treatments are recommended every 6-12 months for rosacea and dry eye symptoms. In some instances broken blood vessels around the nose may require greater than five treatments and patients may elect to return for maintenance or “touch-up” treatments as needed.
- Treatments are generally performed every 4 weeks.
- Patients with mild rosacea typically need three treatments where patients with more significant rosacea typically will require five treatments.
- During the treatment it feels like an elastic band snapping against the skin with heat dissipating from the area.
- Common side effects include redness and swelling that lasts 20 minutes to a few days. Mild to moderate bruising may be seen when treating blood vessels and rosacea.
- Rare side effects include blisters, scabs, and pigmentation changes. To minimize this we do not treat tanned skin and test patch skin types that are predisposed to pigmentation changes.
How To Prepare For Your Treatment
- Ensure that the area being treated is free from tan or a residual tan. If self tanner is present in the treatment area, please remove it with Head & Shoulders shampoo prior to arrival.
- If you are having a facial area treated, discontinue using Retin A or any facial products that contain glycolic, beta or alpha hydroxy acid three days prior to treatment and do not resume using it until the treatment area is free of any irritation.
- Accutane should not be used within 6 months prior to laser treatments and chemical peels typically should not be used for 2-3 weeks prior to and after laser or IPL treatments, depending on the peel.
- All moisturizes and make-up should be removed prior to having the treatment.
- If you have a history of cold sores, herpes, or shingles in the area being treated you may need to start an antiviral medication to reduce the likelihood of recurrence. If there are any active cold sore, herpes or shingles lesions in the area being treated, treatment should be deferred.
What To Do After Your Treatment
- It is common to have mild redness and swelling after the treatment and therefore icing for 15-30 minutes is recommended.
- Within a few days of treatment brown spots will become more brown. They may even appear somewhat wrinkled but will gradually fade over the course of 1-3 weeks.
- Mild to moderate bruising may occur when broken blood vessels, rosacea or poikloderma (discoloration to the neck and chest) is treated. Bruising will typically last a few days and in rare instances may last a few weeks. Initially after treatment the blood vessels may appear blanched but then refill with blood within a few minutes to a few days. For this reason multiple consistent treatments are required.
- Make-up may be applied immediately after treatment.
- The area may be washed with a gentle cleaner and Retin A may be resumed once the area is free from irritation, typically within three days.
- Shaving may be resumed once the irritation to the skin has resolved.
- Refrain from having a chemical peel for a minimum of 2-3 weeks, depending on the depth of the peel.
- If an antiviral medication was prescribed complete the course of medication as directed.
- Refrain from tanning for the duration of your treatments and for two weeks after your final treatment. If you intend on tanning you may do so two weeks after a treatment however you may not return for a treatment until your skin has returned to its baseline color. If you are uncertain if you have a residual tan please call the office as a test patch may need to be performed prior to resuming treatments.
- If you experience blisters or hypopigmentation changes (brown or white spots) or any other adverse effect please call us at 603-882-9334.
Sun damage and blood vessels can be treated at the same time whereas if we used a laser two different lasers would be required as each laser only has one wavelength of light whereas intense pulsed light exposes the skin to multiple wavelengths of light at the same time making it the ideal method for completion blending of the skin and reducing the appearance of blood vessels, redness and rosacea of the skin. In addition to rosacea and broken blood vessels, IPL can be used to treat superficial leg veins in some individuals.
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