Posts Tagged ‘IPL’

Rosacea Laser Treatment: Side Effects and Risks

November 3rd, 2009

Over the last 20 years, laser treatments for rosacea have come to be regarded as an effective and generally safe method of rosacea treatment. This includes such important things as reducing the visiblity of dilated blood vessels on the face and decreasing the ever present redness and flushing of the face and neck. Most people respond kindly to laser and light treatments, and this continues to propel the success of such treatments.

However, it’s important to also note the side effects and any negative or unpleasant consequences of laser and light treatments for rosacea.

The two most popular treatments are the Pulsed Dye Light (PDL Rosacea) and Intense Pulse Light (IPL Rosacea). There are some side effects associated with each treatment.

For PDL treatments, it is sometimes shocking for people to learn that the treatments intentionally induce bruising. It would be accurate to say that bruising of the skin is, in fact, part of the treatment itself. This is only because it has been shown to improve the results of PDL treatments for rosacea. That being the case, doctors can also run the treatments in such a way as to NOT cause bruising or to minimize bruising (some bruising might be unavoidable). This can be done at the request of the patient. The bruises are highly visible, being that they occur at the areas being treated on the face and neck, and last from one to weeks.

In addition to the bruises caused by PDL, other side effects from Pulsed Dye Laser treatments also include spots of skin that become temporarily darker and discolored and also a “crust” forming at the surface of the skin from treatments. These side effects are temporary.

For IPL treatment, common side effects include bruising, swelling of the skin, facial redness, and skin lightening.

Other side effects from laser and light treatments include:

Pain and discomfort, both after but primarily during the session. Clinics may push cold air onto the skin to alleviate some discomfort during treatment. Depending on the laser being used, it might be possible to use a topical lotion or gel on to the skin to reduce pain. However, often this is not possible due to the fact that such medicating agents tend to reduce the visibility of blood vessels on the skin, thus making it harder to treat the very same blood vessels. Before taking any over the counter drugs to reduce pain, consult with your doctor, and some substances may promote bruising or otherwise interfere with laser treatments.

Some patients experience blisters and burning from laser treatments. This can leave a small scar on the skin in some cases.

An temporary increase or decrease in pigmentation may occur after treatments, causing skin to become darker or lighter.

An itchy rash may occur for some people. These rashes are called “photodermatitis”, which means it’s a light induced rash. These again are temporary.

Another side effect experienced is the loss of hair follicles in the area being treated. Many treatments, such as IPL and PDL, are also used for hair removal, and their use in treating rosacea can also cause hair loss in those specific areas on the skin where the lasers or light is emited.

After treatments, patients need to avoid being in the sun. Many clinics suggest wearing sunscreen for a week after treatments to avoid any sun related complications.

There is no evidence that laser treatments and light treatments for rosacea increase the risk of skin cancer.

As with all medical treatments, there are side effects to take into consideration. Rosacea laser treatments are no different. For most individuals, the side effects are temporary and are worth experiencing for the larger goal of reducing the severity of their rosacea symptoms.

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Rosacea IPL Laser Treatments

November 1st, 2009

For more than a decade now, laser and light treatments have been used as an effective measure to reduce the symptoms of rosacea.

One of the more popular treatments is known as IPL.

IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light. It is also known by a other names, such as Photoderm, Fotoderm, and Photofacial.

Technically speaking, IPL Is not a laser treatments. In the case of a laser, one wavelength of light is emitted. For IPL, a spetrum of non-laser light sources is used. But for the sake of simplicity, all light based treatments tend to be discussed under the umbrella term of “laser treatments”, including IPL.

Here are some relevant facts and tidbits in regards to IPL rosacea laser treatment:

  • As mentioned, IPL emits not a single wavelength but instead emits light in a spectrum. In a treatment session, a doctor or trained medical specialist will use special IPL equipment. Depending on the type of equipment, treatments vary, but generally speaking, he or she will will have a hand held or hand controlled device that emits the IPL treatments. This device will be used against the area being treated. The doctor controls the intensity and duration of the treatments using this device.
  • IPL treatments are known to reduce the following symptoms: persistent facial redness and flushing, the visibility of dilated blood vessels, and the presences of red bumps known as papules and pastules.
  • It’s rare to only seek one treatment; more common is receiving 3-6 over a period of time.
  • IPL treatments are not considered as painful as other light and laser treatments. However, side effects include swelling, bruising, redness, and a lightening of the skin. These side effects are temporary and will go away.
  • After treatment, the area treated will need to be protected from sun exposure and other aggravating factors that trigger your rosacea symptoms.
  • IPL treatments for rosacea run in the thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, insurance rarely covers such treatments. Prices vary, but a good rule of thumb is to expect treatment costs to run up to $5,000.

Having realistic expectations about the results obtainable from IPL rosacea treatments is mandatory. There is no cure for rosacea, and IPL is not effective for everyone who receives it. That being said, doctors and dermatologists have seen very good results using these IPL treatments to reduce the symptoms of rosacea, and it is good to know that the majority of patients do respond very well to IPL rosacea treatments.

If you’d like to learn more about how IPL may help reduce the facial flushing, redness, and breakouts caused by rosacea, talk to your dermatologist today.

Also see:  PDL Laser Treatments for Rosacea.

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Rosacea Laser Treatment Options

November 1st, 2009

Over the last few decades, the use of laser treatment and light treatment devices have become an established rosacea treatment method for targeting the onset or intensity of common rosacea symptoms.

This primarily includes the following rosacea symptoms:

  1. the presence of visible, dilated blood vessels on the face
  2. persistent flushing and facial redness (erythema)
  3. an enlargement of the nose (rhinophyma)

There are many different types of laser and light treatments available in regards to treating rosacea, including:

  • PDL (Pulsed Dye Laser)
  • IPL (Intense Pulse Light)
  • KTP Laser (Potassium Titanyl Phosphate Laser)
  • Diode Laser
  • CO2 Laser (Carbon Dioxide Laser)
  • YAG Laser (Erbium: Yttrium Aluminium Garnet Laser)
  • YAG Laser (Nd: Yttrium Aluminium Garnet Laser)

PDL rosacea treatment and IPL rosacea treatment are far more commonly used to treat rosacea over the other laser and light treatment methods listed above. However, it should be noted that specifically when it comes to treating rhinophyma, the CO2 and nD: YAG laser are often used.

Here are some important points to note in regards to laser treatments for rosacea.

  • Laser treatments are not a rosacea cure and not every person is going to respond the same way to the same treatments. This means that some individuals will not see the results they were looking for using rosacea laser and light treatments. Having realistic results going into treatments is important.
  • It is good to know though that the majority of persons who receive treatments find them to be effective at reducing a variety of rosacea symptoms.
  • Treatments are not a one-time experience. It’s common to book 3-6 appointments for maximum results. It’s also common for people to use laser treatments at different times over the years. As with all aspects of rosacea treatment, it’s a life time affair, and laser treatments can be incorporated into this over the years.
  • Rosacea laser treatments are fairly expensive, and patients should expect to spend $1,000-$5,000 for their sessions. Insurance may or may not cover these – more often than not, the payment comes from the patient. It’s entirely common to take out a medical loan or work out a payment plan with the laser clinic in order to afford these costly treatments.
  • Laser and light treatments cause considerable pain, but rarely is this going to result in a person turning away the treatments. The pain is often compared to a stinging or pinching sensation. To reduce discomfort, clinics may blow cold air onto the skin during the sessions. Certain over the counter medications can interfere with the effectiveness of treatments, so before taking anything, consult with your doctor.

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