What laser treatment options are available?

The two most popular laser treatment options are known as:

• Pulsed Dye Laser (PDL)
• Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)

This type of procedure is used to treat the persistent redness and dilated blood vessels of the skin, as well as the thickening of the nose and cheeks, that can manifest as part of Rosacea

How much do they cost? How many do I need?

For laser and IPL laser treatment, sessions runs from $300 to $600 apiece.

Effective laser therapy often takes up to 3 treatment sessions, which are spread out apart 6 to 8 weeks.

IPL treatment usually requires an additional 1-2 sessions but are spaced apart every 3 weeks.

It is often necessary to engage in lifelong follow-up treatments as well in order to keep flareups down.

How do these lasers work, exactly?

The laser will emit tiny wavelengths of light which target the blood vessels right below the skin. The heat from this energy is collected in the vessels, and disintegrates them. This is done because swelling of the blood vessels is partially what creates the redness of the face.

Lasers are also used to stop the building up of extra tissue that can create a largeness in the nose and checks.

One thing to note is that these laser technologies will usually cause a temporary bruising of the skin on the face. There are new technologies which do not cause the bruising, however they do not work as well as the others. The bruises last 1 to 2 weeks and then fade away.

Will they cure my Rosacea?

There is unfortunately no straight cure, only treatments, for Rosacea. Virtually all individuals who get Pulse Dye Laser or Intense Pulse Light treatment for Rosacea see some form of improvement. How much depends on many things – your skin type, how advanced Rosacea is, if you’ve been treating it beforehand, and of course, the skill and experience of the doctor performing the laser work!

While Rosacea mostly is experienced by white women between the ages of 20 and 50, it can manifest in both men and women, as well as people of all races, not just causasions, and people of all ages, including teenagers, children, and even babies.

Here are some of the common signs and symptoms of Rosacea.

• individual has a red discoloration (“flushing”) of the skin on the cheeks, chin, forehead, nose, and around the mouth
• there are persistent bumps or pimples on the skin, often mistaken for simple acne
• patients eyes are often watery, irritated, bloodshot. there might be a negative reaction to sunlight
• the blood vessels have become swollen on the patients face and are now visible on the surface of the skin
• there is a burning and stinging sensations on the patients face (also simply called inflammation)

Note:
A reddening of the skin, is a medical condition known as erythema. It is said to be caused by capillary congestion, but in up to 50% of cases there is no known reason for the cause.
The persistent bumps or “pimples” are more properly known as papules and pastules, respectively. These are often mistaken for acne but papules and pastules are not simply pimples.

Please note that any one of these signs above, individually, could be a symptom that Rosacea is developing and should be treated as such by consulting with a doctor.

As time goes on, these symptons can create other symptoms, such as a convergence of bumps on the skin which will make it appear larger and swollen, and the same for the cheeks. (This primarily effects men and not women.) This can create that “bulb” nose look occasionally seen on elderly men.