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Veins On Chest Before Laser/IPL Veins On Chest After Laser/IPL Veins on face before and after Laser/IPL Veins on face before and after Laser/IPL Veins on nose before and after Laser/IPL Veins on neck before and after Laser/IPL Veins on face before and after Laser/IPL

Treatment of Veins and Flat Brown Marks on the Face Nose Neck Chest and Back of the Hands

 

Summary

 

 

What is it used for?

Intense pulsed light (IPL) and lasers are used to treat blood vessels and brown marks on the face, neck, chest and the back of the hands. A modern, high quality IPL will clear around 75% of the veins and brown marks after three treatments.  The addition of radiofrequency helps soften fine lines around the eyes and mouth and improve the clarity and evenness of the skin.

 

Before Treatment

In order to get the maximum benefit from treatment, the skin needs to be as clear as possible. This is achieved by applying a sunscreen each morning and NeoStrata Renewal Cream each night for two weeks prior to commencing IPL.

 

Pulsed Light and Radiofrequency Treatment

Local anaesthetic cream is applied thirty minutes before treatment. While it is working, you rest in the recovery room. Before the treatment starts, eye shields are placed over your eyes and a gel is applied to your skin. Each pulse of light feels like a flick from a rubber band. Most people find the sensation quite tolerable. Cold air is used to further numb the skin during treatment.

Afterwards

After treatment the skin is red and slightly swollen. Most of the redness and swelling settles within minutes or a few hours.

 

 

FAQs Laser and Intense Pulsed Light Treatment of Veins

How do Intense Pulsed Light Devices and Lasers Work?

Are Intense Pulsed Light Devices and Lasers safe?

Which areas can Intense Pulsed Light Devices and Lasers treat?

Which Intense Pulsed Light Devices and Lasers work best?

What questions should I discuss with the person performing my Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment?

Does Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment hurt?

How should I prepare for Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment?

What is involved in Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment?

How will I look immediately after Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment?

Is there any important Intense Pulsed Light or Laser aftercare?

How soon after the Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment will I notice an improvement?

How much does Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment cost?

How many Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatments will I need?

How long does Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment last?

What side-effects does Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment produce?

Who shouldn't have Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment?

 

 

How do Intense Pulsed Light Devices and Lasers Work?

Laser or intense pulsed light uses visible wavelengths of light to heat the fine blood vessels visible just under the skin surface. If heated to the correct temperature for sufficient time these abnormal blood vessels will be destroyed, leaving the normal vessels undamaged. On its way down to the blood vessels, the light passes through the layer of the skin where the brown marks accumulate. These also take up the energy from the light beam, are heated up, and fade. A very small amount of the light is taken up by skin collagen and so very fine lines around the eyes may be improved. This improvement is enhanced by simultaneous treatment with bipolar radiofrequency or far infrared light (1064 nm).

 

However, neither of these combined treatments targets collagen as specifically as Fraxel® Laser Treatment, so they produce less improvement in lines, wrinkles, skin texture and skin irregularities.

 

Are Intense Pulsed Light Devices and Lasers safe?

Yes, Intense Pulsed Light Devices and Lasers are safe, if you are treated with a medical grade machine by an experienced and suitably qualified practitioner. The safety features to look for in an Intense Pulsed Light Device or Laser are: independent research showing that the machine is safe, a cooled treatment head and active dermal monitoring.

 

Which areas can Intense Pulsed Light Devices and Lasers treat?

Intense Pulsed Light Devices and Lasers can be used to treat any area on the body that has been damaged by sunlight. It is mainly used to treat the face, the front and sides of the neck, the upper chest (décolletage), the forearms and backs of the hands and the lower legs. Intense Pulsed Light Devices and Lasers work equally well on all sites, although treatment needs to be approached carefully in the lower leg area.


Which Intense Pulsed Light Devices and Lasers work best?

Always be treated by a machine that has been shown in published, independent research to be both effective and safe. Research shows that machines producing light from around 480-980 nm are nearly twice as effective as Intense Pulsed Light Devices and Lasers that produce light from 580-980 nm. I currently use a Syneron Aurora because it produces light at the wavelengths currently considered to be the most effective, the additional heating of the skin from the bipolar radiofrequency stimulates the formation of new collagen which helps reduce fine lines and it has all the modern safety features.

 

What questions should I discuss with the person performing my Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment?

The improvement that you will obtain and the number of treatment sessions required to obtain them will depend both on the operator's training and experience and the quality of the machine they own. Lasers and intense pulsed light machines vary a great deal in the wavelengths, power and safety features that they offer. Before deciding to undergo treatment, ask to see the independently published research supporting the safely and efficacy of the laser or intense pulsed light machine that the operator owns and the operator's own "before and after" photographs of people they have treated.

 

Try not to base your decisions on the manufacturer's own "before and after" photographs of the effects of treatment. These photographs are designed to advertise their product and will often give you unrealistically high expectations. Rather ask to see before and after photographs of the practitioner's own work. These will give you a better idea of the likely improvement that you are likely to see after treatment.

 

The aesthetic market is full of hype and false promise and it is hard to ascertain the training, experience and expertise of many of the people who offer treatments in this sector. If you choose to be treated by an "accredited specialist" you can check their training on the General Medical Council website and, if they are registered there, be reassured that that person has completed at least four years of higher training in that specialty. Be aware, that that in the aesthetic market the words, "Specialist", "Medical", "Consultant", and "Cosmetic Dermatologist" have become advertising slogans and may not reflect the practitioner's true status. It is possible to set yourself up as a "Laser Expert" after only a few days training.

 

Does Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment hurt?

Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment is relatively painless if skin is numbed before treatment with local anaesthetic cream and cooled using a combination of the cooled treatment head on the IPL (intense pulsed light) device and a spray of cold air. The Syneron Aurora machine used at the Wessex Skin Clinic has both these important features to enhance patient comfort during treatment.

 

How should I prepare for Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment?

For Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment to work, the laser light needs to pass through the outer layer of the skin before it reaches the fine veins, brown marks and collagen. The skin being treated therefore needs to be as clear as possible. For two weeks before Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment, you should apply each morning the correct amount of sunscreen (2 ml for the face) with an SPF of 20, evenly and accurately to the treatment area. Each evening, apply a retinoid-containing cream. 

 

What is involved in Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment?

I usually ask people to come to the clinic 30 minutes before Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment so that the treatment areas may be numbed with local anaesthetic cream before treatment begins. Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment is carried out with the patient lying down. Protective goggles are placed over the eyes and a gel is applied to the treatment area. Treatment begins with the IPL (intense pulsed light) machine on a low setting until the patient grows accustomed to the treatment.

 

Patients normally report experiencing a mild stinging sensation as treatment is carried out, although this varies between individuals and many barely notice this. To perform Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment on the face, I use 150-250 pulses of light, going over an area in one to three passes of treatment. A jet of cold air is sprayed on the skin during treatment to further counter the heat of the light and radiofrequency and to ensure maximum comfort of the patient during treatment. If discomfort develops during treatment, the power of the machine is turned down or the jet of cold air is increased.

 

How will I look immediately after Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment?

Skin is red and may be slightly swollen immediately after Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment. This dies down fairly quickly so that after a few hours the skin is only slightly red and swollen in places. This can easily be disguised with makeup. A few days after Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment, any brown spots treated darken before flaking off. This process usually takes about a week and you may prefer to wear makeup to disguise it.

 

Is there any important Intense Pulsed Light or Laser aftercare?

Skin needs to be intensively moisturised for the first 48 hours after Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment. You should apply a rich cream every two to four hours. For three months after Intense Pulsed Light or Laser, you must be careful to apply sunscreen as directed every morning, and several times a day in stronger sunshine.

 

How soon after the Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment will I notice an improvement?

Intense Pulsed Light or Laser produces a visible and pleasing improvement in the overall clarity of the skin that can be seen as soon as the brown marks clear. There should be further improvement with each Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment.

 

How much does Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment cost?

Prices

 

How many Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatments will I need?

To get the best result you will need between three and five Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatments for optimum effect. You will need fewer Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatments with a modern machine and an experienced practitioner. Lasers and Intense Pulsed Light devices improve as quickly as computers.  At The Wessex Skin Clinic we pride ourselves on using the most effective and safest technology to deliver the best results.

 

How long does Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment last?

Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment lasts for many years if you undergo maintenance treatments every six to twelve months. The frequency with which Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment maintenance treatments are needed will depend on factors such as: the natural ageing process, the degree of sun exposure and the diligence with which sunscreen is applied.

 

What side-effects does Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment produce?

Temporary side-effects of Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment are caused by the heating of the skin which may become red and slightly swollen, although this varies between individuals. This dies down quickly over a few hours but some areas of redness and swelling may persist for a few days.

 

Any brown marks treated will darken and then flake and fall off. This process lasts up to two weeks and is a normal effect of treatment. Small blisters of 1-2 mm in diameter are not uncommon after Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment but heal without scarring, if cared for properly.

 

After the first Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment bands of slightly lighter and darker areas of skin sometimes develop that disappear with subsequent treatments. Rarely, skin may develop areas of permanent whitening, darkening and scarring with Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment. If you are treated by an experienced practitioner using a safe, modern machine such as that used at The Wessex Skin Clinic, the risk of this occurring is greatly reduced.

 

Who shouldn't have Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment?

Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment should be avoided during pregnancy and within six months of ceasing Roaccutane treatment. People taking photosensitising drugs (i.e. medicines which make the skin more sensitive to the effects of sunlight) will need to stop them during Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment. People who are prone to cold sores in the area being treated should take oral antiviral therapy for two days before Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment and should consult their doctor or General Practitioner about this. 

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