For Vascular Lesions, Hair Removal, Photo-Rejuvenation, Acne & Tattoo Removal
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LASER TREATMENT OF VASCULAR LESIONS
Vascular lesions are lesions in the skin that contain blood. These include thread veins, spider veins, telangiectasia, port-wine stains, haemangiomas and varicose veins. These can be treated with a variety of different methods and we shall advise you which method is most appropriate for you. Vascular lesions on the face are treated by laser. Thread veins on the legs and leg veins up to 3mm diameter are treated by a combination of sclerotherapy and lasers. Varicose veins are treated by surgery. The laser used is a KTP laser. Deeper veins (on the legs) may be treated with a long pulsed Nd:YAG laser. These lasers work by targeting the red blood cells in the blood vessels. In doing so they make the blood vessel walls stick together. This means that no blood can flow through these sealed blood vessels and therefore there is no colour. However if you do anything that increases the blood pressure in these vessels in the first few days after treatment (see below), the blood vessels may open up again and the problem will recur. It is similar to opening a sealed envelope too soon - it won't stick again!
No preparation is required before treatment which is done as an outpatient procedure. Sun-tanning prior to treatment may block penetration of the laser beam and therefore prevent a favourable result. Occasionally we might recommend some local anaesthetic gel to be applied one hour before treatment. The treatment duration will depend on the number of veins or the size of the area to be treated. The laser causes some discomfort (often described as elastic bands snapping against the skin).
After the treatment session there will be reddening of the skin and an emollient (Diprobase ointment) will be applied to the treated areas. The redness may last for up to two weeks and you are encouraged to use a moisturiser regularly. The additional use of an emollient/ointment like Vaseline at night is both soothing and lessens the likelihood of developing blisters and scabbing. Ice-packs applied to the skin reduce redness. The amount of redness depends on your own skin sensitivity and the amount of treatment required. You will be able to wear camouflage make-up the following day. Protection against the sun is very important. Vigorous exercise and hot baths encourage blood vessels to open up and should be avoided for at least three days.
Some blood vessels may be difficult to seal and may open up again. This depends on the amount of blood flowing through them and the pressure of the flow. Similarly, as we don't know what causes these vessels to appear, you may 'make' new ones! We can't stop this happening! Although the very small blood vessels will disappear immediately, larger blood vessels may initially show a change in colour and then disappear over the next four to six weeks. Very rarely, you may develop increased (hyper-) pigmentation in the areas treated. If this should occur, we shall treat it vigorously with de-pigmenting agents. Also rarely, reduced (hypo-) pigmentation can occur.
Different skin colours and skin types react differently and variations in treatment response may occur. The treatment advised is based on a Consultant laser surgeon's considerable clinical experience but the operator cannot ultimately influence the final outcome. There are no guarantees that every mark will disappear.
LASER HAIR REMOVAL
Laser treatment is the most successful method available for the permanent reduction of hair. However the best result is likely to be no more than 80-90% permanent hair reduction. The treatment is performed as an outpatient procedure and the length of the treatment session will depend on the size of the area to be treated. No pre-treatment preparation is necessary. It would be advisable to leave some hair growth visible at the first consultation so an accurate assessment of the problem can be made. Shaving is permitted between treatment sessions but no waxing or plucking - if there are no hairs, the laser has nothing to treat! No bleaching should be done for three weeks before treatment.
Laser hair removal is most successful with dark, coarse hair. The success rate gets less with finer hair. Blonde or grey hairs unfortunately do not respond to treatment. On average 5-6 treatments are necessary, spread at six weekly intervals. This is necessary because not all the hairs are in the same cycle of growth and they only respond to the laser in specific phases of their growth cycle. Some people will need more and some people will need fewer treatments. This is influenced by age and hormonal factors.
The laser used is a long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser and is suitable for all skin types (fair to dark). The laser does cause some discomfort during treatment but this disappears very rapidly as soon as the treatment stops. At worst, and very rarely, there may be mild redness in the areas treated but this lasts for a maximum of half an hour afterwards. If there is redness and stinging afterwards, ice-packs can be applied to the skin. There is no specific aftercare necessary. Make-up can be applied immediately if desired. Swimming and exposure to the sun are permitted. A few days (up to two weeks) after treatment, the hairs that have been damaged by the laser will start to fall out (approx 15% of the hairs after each treatment).
Prices should be obtained before treatment. There are no guarantees regarding success of treatment as everybody is individual with different influences (eg hormonal) on their hair growth patterns. Each treatment session must be paid for in full and is charged at £100 per fifteen minutes or part thereof.
PHOTOREJUVENATION
The effect of heating collagen is to produce an increase in its production. Photorejuvenation is a non-invasive laser procedure that treats blemishes on the skin and increases collagen production in the skin, thereby producing a tightening effect. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis and takes approximately thirty minutes. No anaesthesia is required.
A KTP Aura laser is used first to treat thread veins, pigmentation marks (sun spots, ageing spots, etc) and to heat the collagen in the more superficial layers of the skin. This is followed immediately afterwards by a long pulse Nd:YAG laser that heats the collagen in the deeper layers of the skin. Five sessions spread at one monthly intervals are recommended. A single 'top up' session is then performed once a year thereafter.
Immediately after the treatment sessions your skin will be slightly red. It will be more noticeable if you have had many thread veins and pigmented areas treated as well. The redness fades over a few hours but make up can be worn the same day. The increased production of collagen is not a sudden and dramatic event but is a gradual process resulted in gentle tightening of the skin. Remember that any procedure that results in very little 'down time' is not going to produce a radical result. It is most suited for skin that has not aged excessively and is therefore not appropriate for heavily lined or sagging skin.
Newer techniques for photorejuvenation/resurfacing of the skin include fractional photothermolysis (Fraxel) and plasma kinetic resurfacing (Portrait PSR). Please see separate leaflets for these procedures. Our philosophy of skin care and rejuvenation is a continuing programme of skin care, not just a 'one off' treatment. My Aesthetic Nurse will be able to advise you accordingly.
LASER TREATMENT OF ACUTE ACNE
Recent developments have indicated that acute acne can be treated by laser. Whilst various lasers have been mentioned in the press, the KTP Aura Laser appears to offer significant advantages. The laser energy is absorbed by pigments produced by the bacteria that have a significant role in acne. The bacteria are therefore killed leading to improvements in the condition of the skin. However it is not only these bacteria that are responsible for acne and the laser is therefore not a magic wand.
A session of treatment usually lasts about fifteen minutes. No anaesthetic is necessary as the treatment is not painful. All make-up should be removed prior to treatment. Once the treatment has finished, the treated area will be slightly red but this will disappear within a few hours. Make-up can be worn after two hours. There is no restriction on sun exposure after treatment. However the usual advice about being sensible in the sun applies! The acne won't vanish instantaneously. Over a period of weeks the number of acne lesions will reduce. After approximately six weeks it would be reasonable to assess the initial success of the treatment and at this stage decide whether further treatment is needed. This varies from patient to patient. Some patients require only one treatment but others may require more. Each patient responds differently due to the numerous causative factors in acne. Some patients with acne have areas of increased pigmentation. Laser treatment of these areas may rarely (less than 1%) lead to increased pigmentation. There are numerous factors responsible for causing acne and some of these may need to be addressed in conjunction with laser treatment. Appropriate advice will be given to you when you commence treatment.
Prices should be obtained before treatment. The cost varies according to the size of the area to be treated eg a whole back will cost more than a small area on the face. No treatment for acne is guaranteed whether this be laser or medication.
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