What is a rosacea laser;

Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that causes visible blood vessels on the face which, in their turn, make skin to flush. Rosacea mainly appears on the cheeks, the nose, the chin and the forehead and can have different forms and symptoms. In some cases redness may be permanent, in others it is temporary while in many cases it is accompanied by pimples and inflammation. Statistically rosacea concerns mainly people with lightcoloured skin in their 30s and its cause remains unknown. Nowadays the most effective treatment for rosacea are laser treatments with advanced light emitting technology.

Who’s a good candidate?

Rosacea laser concerns those who notice persistent flushing on their face or visible red signs caused by their condition. However blemishes that appear because of rosacea should be treated with topical medication. It concerns men as well as women and the ideal candidate should be healthy and willing to combine laser with other treatments that the doctor may suggest in order for the results to be lasting.

Facts I need to know

There are differend kinds of laser that can treat rosacea (CO2, IPL, PDL). All of them work in the same way more or less: the laser emits light waves on the skin surface in order to shrink visible blood vessels and, in this way, reduce redness. It also emits thermal energy in the deeper skin tissue layers. The treatment improves skin’s appearance by limiting the inflammation and, at the same time, boosts collagen production in the deeper layers of the skin offering firmness and regeneration. Thanks to the laser technology the patient gets rid of redness and uneven texture on the surface of the skin. The laser treatments are performed at the doctor’s office with local anesthetic cream and the number of treatments needed to treat rosacea is suggested by the doctor, according to each case and the extent of the problem.

Recovery Time

After the rosacea laser treatment patients will probably notice intense flushing on the face but the symptom fades in the next 1 to 2 weeks. There may also be some slight swelling which goes away very quickly with the help of ice packs. Patients are advised to wear a sunscreen with a high SPF because sun exposure aggravates rosacea. Laser treatment’s results are visible once the treatments are completed and they last for years, depending on each case and the extent of the problem.

Doctor’s Remarks

The lasers we use in our office (Erbium YAG και IPL VDYE) help us treat skin redness and other symptoms concerning early and mild rosacea in just a few therapies by shrinking skin blood vessels. Laser and light beams are absorbed by red blood cells pigments inside the blood vessels causing the walls of these vessels to retract. This way the number of visible vessels and, by consequence redness as well as burning and flushing feeling that accompany rosacea, are reduced. The skin’s appearance is improved and, at the same time, the condition’s evolution to more serious stages is prevented. By using a specialised laser method we can also treat the more serious form of rosacea, Rhinopyma. See more here. In any casy therapies are painless and are followed by skincare and diet advice in order to limit rosacea and prevent flare ups.