Vascular Laser
What is a vascular laser?
A vascular laser is a high-energy light that gets absorbed by red structures within the skin. This is not quite like our sci-fi idea of what a laser is – it doesn’t just zap anything it touches, it is only absorbed by redness within the skin, usually within blood vessels. Our office uses the ExcelV+ device from Cutera.
What can vascular laser treat?
Vascular laser is the most common device treatment performed at our office. It is used to treat some features of rosacea, broken capillaries (angiomas/venous lakes), redness from acne, red scars, and many other conditions.
Vascular lasers can do more than target red structures in the skin – they can be tuned to be moreso absorbed by melanin and can treat pigmented tags (DPNs) effectively.
During your consultation, the expected improvement, number of treatment sessions, expected recovery and risks will be discussed in detail.
What is the recovery like after vascular laser?
On the day of treatment, we review the procedure with you, sign forms and take photos in our dedicated photo studio. The skin is cleansed, your eyes are shielded and gel is applied to the skin. The cooling tip of the laser handpiece feels like a bit of an ice cube on the skin. When we shine laser lights on the skin, it feels like a hot pinprick or a small elastic band being released. A stingy feeling like a sunburn develops – we quickly cool the skin with cold compresses after the procedure.
All patients should expect more redness and swelling, anywhere from 1-4 days. In some patients, swelling is very significant, especially in the undereye area. We avoid treating tanned skin and advise to avoid direct sun exposure to minimize rare risks of hyperpigmentation from the device. When treating blood vessels, crusting is rare and would be considered unusual. Scarring is a theoretical risk with any laser procedure and care is employed to avoid it. When treating pigmented tags (DPNs), crusting is expected over the next 7-10 days. The same sun avoidance precautions apply.
Curious to see if you are a candidate for vascular laser? Contact our office for a consultation.
