Rosacea/Telangiectasias and Vascular Lesions Treatment in Ottawa
What is rosacea?
Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that causes redness in the face. It’s a common skin condition that begins as continuous blushing or flushing, and visible blood vessels can be seen on your face. It may also produce small, pus-filled bumps. These symptoms may appear for weeks to months at a time and then disappear for a while. Rosacea can be mistaken for acne, other skin problems or natural ruddiness. Rosacea can appear in different ways.
Here are some of the examples:
- Thickening of the skin on the nose, ears or chin
- Inflamed, red bumps, papules and pustules (pimples) on the cheeks, chin or forehead
- Visible, tiny blood vessels
- Rough, dry, scaly skin that can often sting and/or burn
How do you treat rosacea?
There are two components of redness to treat. The big visible telangiectasias (red or blue veins and capillaries visible around the nose and on the cheeks), and general redness.
At Inovo Medical, we use the state of the art Fotona StarWalker and Fotona’s SP Dynamis to treat your rosacea problem. This technology is the most advanced technological lasers to treat these lesions and minimise the underlying pathological process causing rosacea.
We can treat your blood vessels with the 2 wavelengths required for optimal results (1064 and 532). We use the Frac 3, Versa, Verde, Picoseconds and Nanoseconds Q-switch.
How does rosacea treatment work?
The laser targets the blood vessels that cause the redness associated with rosacea by delivering laser energy to the haemoglobin in the blood. The blood in these tiny vessels heat, coagulate and collapse. When the red zones are large and wide, we use the same laser at a lower setting and run multiple passes over the areas being targeted. Visible blood vessels will either disappear or their collagen will increase and they will become invisible.
Can I treat my rosacea with Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy?
IPL is a very commonly used device to treat photorejuvenation, but it is not ideal. It uses light energy to target skin concerns, sending wavelengths of pulsating light to the problem area in a disorderly fashion. Essentially, it is like having 10 lasers in one. It treats some redness of the skin, as well as epidermal brown pigmentation (brown sun damage). While it’s gentler in nature than other laser treatments, it is not precise enough to target a specific type of lesion with the right intensity and duration.
Since IPL can only treat large surface areas, numerous sessions are required to achieve minimal results, whereas treatments with the Fotona SP dynamis pro and the Fotona StarWalker target specific problem areas, are more precise, efficient, and lead to visible results within a few sessions.
How would you treat rosacea with textural issues?
Often, rosacea will lead to other types of damages, such as dilated pores, enlarged nose (bulbing) and scarring. This can be remediated using the Alma Medical’s Opus RF device. The device uses the RF two ways.
- It creates plasma over the skin to resurface it.
- Remodelling and production of collagen and elastin leads to skin tightening and smoothing.
Because the Opus RF is not a laser and is pigment independent, it involves less risks of hyperpigmentation and can be safely performed on every skin type. Being as strong as a CO2 laser, but with minimal downtime and complications, this device combines the best of both worlds to produce optimal results. It’s the best option for resurfacing!
What about other laser options?
Fractionated lasers such as Fraxel and the erbium fractionated laser on the Fotona SP Dynamis pro involve a significant amount of downtime with less results. Additionally, individuals with darker skin are at risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. We value our patients’ time and money, which is why we choose the OPUS RF Plasma.
Are there other ways to help with my rosacea?
We suggest the use of Nizoral shampoo 2-3 times per week and leaving it on your head and face for 5 minutes. A prescribed topical medication can also be prescribed to aid in the treatment process. With every treatment, it starts and stops with you!
Remember, rosacea is a chronic condition. While we can reduce up to 95% of the visible disease, it tends to slowly come back. Touch ups are recommended but time frames between each session may vary per each person’s condition. Make sure to read about rosacea triggers and blushing to prevent an exacerbation of symptoms following a treatment!
Benign Vascular Lesion Removal
We use the same laser and the same process to remove the following:
- Small varicose veins on legs under 5 mm (click for page).
- Cherry angiomas, hemangiomas, spider angiomas
- Other vascular lesions
Hemangioma removal
Spider vein removal
During Your Consultation
- Our cosmetic medical staff will meet with you.
- We’ll go over your unique situation and your goals.
- We’ll discuss what to realistically look forward to.
- We’ll present the various treatment options available.
- We’ll recommend what we feel meet your needs best.
- Finally, if you’re ready we’ll book your treatment.