Vascular Lasers

“Vascular laser light is a high intensity, single wavelength beam. Vascular lasers selectively target and damage unwanted or abnormal blood vessels and are used by dermatologists to treat broken capillaries, persistent facial redness, rosacea, burns, scars and vascular (red or purple) birth marks.” – Skin & Cancer Foundation Australia

The method of converting light to heat and using it to destroy the target without damaging the surrounding tissue is called Selective Photothermolysis. The light energy emitted by a vascular laser is selectively absorbed by the oxyhemoglobin in your blood. This results in the heating of the blood vessels until they break down and shrink, which leads to a reduction of the vascular lesion.

At Brisbane Skin, we use two industry leading vascular lasers: the Cynosure Cynergy and the Syneron Candela V-Beam. This enables us to use 3 different wavelengths (585nm, 595nm and 1064nm) in the form of Pulsed-dye and Nd:YAG systems to provide optimal results. This vascular suite of lasers enables our dermatologists to precisely and selectively target the full range and size of vascular lesions, regardless of diameter and depth, and the ability to treat all skin types without adversely affecting the surrounding tissue.

Our vascular lasers, the Cynosure Cynergy and the Syneron Candela V-Beam, are considered gold-standard, industry leading devices. All our operators are either specialist dermatologists with advanced training in the use of vascular lasers, or nurses and therapists trained extensively by our dermatologists. This combination will provide patients with optimal outcomes, with minimal risks and discomfort.

At Brisbane Skin, our specialists utilise a number of vascular lasers to treat a range of commonly encountered skin conditions.

These include:

Rosacea

An inherited condition of facial redness and flushing tendency, alongside a predisposition for facial capillaries

Telangiectasia

Tiny capillaries, spider veins and broken capillaries found individually or in clusters

Poikiloderma

Vascular, pigmentary and textural changes on the skin due to chronic sun exposure.

Vascular malformations

Such as port-wine stains and salmon patches, which are vascular birthmarks on the skin.

Haemangiomas

Later onset ‘birth-marks’ which can sometimes be thicker and raised.

Rhinophyma

Pulsed Dye Laser (PDL) is a safe and effective treatment, resulting in a significant improvement for those patients suffering Rhinophyma.

Red or inflamed scars

Reducing the vascularity may halt the progression and improve the appearance of these scars.

All of these conditions can be effectively treated by a course of vascular laser treatments.

At your consultation, we will ask for your complete medical history, learn about your lifestyle, and make every effort to understand the full picture of you as a person, as well as a patient. If you are not a suitable candidate for Vascular, you will be given alternative treatment options by your dermatologist.

As part of your consultation, the team at Brisbane Skin will discuss what you hope to achieve. Being realistic about what this treatment can accomplish and understanding what cosmetic enhancement will do for you both physically and emotionally is an important factor in a successful outcome.

For birthmarks, you may often be pre-treated with anaesthetic gel prior to the procedure, due to the intensity of settings required. However, for most other conditions, anaesthesia is not required, and patients find the discomfort to be manageable, and less than traditional laser hair removal or IPL. Your eyes will be protected with safety shields or glasses. Your skin is iced prior to treatment, and air or gas cools your skin prior to the laser emission. Discomfort is generally low and swift, feeling like a rubber-band snapping, and the procedure is usually completed within 5-10 minutes.

You may be left with some redness over the background of your skin, and some isolated bruises over larger treated blood vessels. Redness settles within minutes to hours, bruising resolves within a week. You may wear sunscreen or makeup immediately. There is usually no down-time required.

Over the next few days, you may experience some itchiness or skin sensitivity (to touch or temperature). Both are indications of the natural renewal process and typically dissipate a few days after treatment.

Most typical skin care products and practices can be used immediately after treatment – your skin care professional will talk to you about any products to avoid following treatment.

Some vessels disappear immediately. Other vessels may become less visible or lighter in appearance. Generally a series of treatments are recommended, and your dermatologist may also then prescribe a longer term maintenance programme also.