Superficial vessels on the face, trunk and extremities can be removed by the long-pulsed neodymium-YAG laser with a green wavelength (1064 nm). This is almost free of side effects.
Applications
The most important applications for vascular lasers are for red enlarged veins on the cheeks and nose (rosacea), spider naevi, haemangioma or ruby ??spots (Angioma), congenital blood vessel abnormalities such as port-wine stains (nevus flammeus) or blood sponges (hemangiomas). Vasodilation in the legs, called spider veins, may not be effectively treated with this laser treatment. A cosmetic laser surgery treatment of spider veins is therefore effective only in combination with sclerotherapy.
Operation
The neodymium-YAG laser produces a so-called selective photothermolysis. The laser energy, which are very short green light pulses, is selectively absorbed by the red blood cells in the enlarged veins. The red blood cells are heated to bond the vessel walls. This can target destroyed superficial blood vessels in the skin without damaging surrounding tissue.
Pretreatment
The treatment usually requires no special preparation of the skin. To avoid pigmentation problems, you should avoid the sun a few weeks before the treatment. There are necessary doses of medication. You should discuss the treatment with us. For some medicines such as antibiotics or anti-malaria drug, which can make the skin light sensitive, you need to inform us about these medications.
Treatment
To protect your eyes during treatment should have a special eye protection. Each pulse covers a circular area of three to seven millimeters in diameter. Through a newly developed separate cooling device, the upper skin layers are cooled continuously during laser operation. So you will feel only a slight stinging or tingling sensation during treatment. A local anesthetic is usually not necessary. Depending on the size of the treated area, the treatment may be for only five to 15 minutes.
After treatment, the fine veins on the face and the skin can be slightly reddish for several hours and possibly a little swollen. To prevent swelling, you should treat the skin area for about an hour with wet compresses or cool bags to keep it cool. Since you are allowed to put make up to the laser-treated areas immediately with a standard make-up, you can be socially presentable once again. Sports activities are also unrestricted. However, you should avoid sun exposure and tanning the skin four weeks of intensive heat treatment. The success of the treatment can be assessed after four weeks. The removal of extraneous blood vessels never succeed in a single session. To removeblotches, usually, about two to three sessions are required.
For larger vessels, such as haemangioma, blemishes, spider veins, bluish discoloration can happen after the laser treatment done by a cosmetic doctor. This could last for several days. While a single treatment for the so-called ruby spots on the upper body is usually sufficient, the treatment of major blood sponges (hemangiomas), blemishes and spider veins may be lengthy and may require at least 5-10 sessions. The treatment of spider veins should be combined with desolation.
Risks and side effects
More serious side effects such as blisters, scabs or scarring occur in contrast with older lasers or sclerotherapy but are usually not longer. At times, pigmentation problems are temporary. The permanent lightening (hypo pigmentation) or darkening (hyper pigmentation) of the treated skin areas is extremely rare when UV light is strictly avoided for at least four weeks before and after treatment