What is Laser Treatment?
Many people are born with vascular birthmarks which are made up
of clusters of blood vessels near the surface of the skin and may
be pink, red or purple. Other marks caused by dilated blood
vessels occur over time.
Laser therapy can be used to treat skin conditions by targeting
intense light energy into your skin to reduce the appearance of
abnormal vessels. Common conditions that can be treated
are:
- Port wine stains are a red or purple mark on
your skin and usually present from birth. About 3 in 1,000
people are born with one, often on your face but any area of skin
can be affected.
- Facial Telangiectasia are small dilated blood
vessels near the skin. Around 30% of fair skinned people
suffer from telangiectasia, usually caused by chronic sun exposure,
alcohol and some medications.
- Spider Naevus are small lesions with a number
of tiny blood vessels radiating out from them resembling the legs
of a spider. They most frequently occur on your face and
upper body.
What does this involve?
Laser therapy can be used to treat all three conditions as well
as others where lesions from dilated blood vessels are near the
surface of the skin and appear unsightly. The treatment works
by targeting intense light energy into your skin to reduce the
appearance of abnormal blood vessels.
A pulse dye laser is absorbed by the red blood cells within the
abnormal blood vessels which destroys them before the energy can be
absorbed into the surrounding tissue.
Depending on the size and site of the lesion, a course of
treatment sessions is usually required for the best effect.
Our pulse dye laser has a larger spot size to enable large lesions
to be quickly treated in fewer sessions.
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When will I recover?
You will be able to go home the same day and be able to return
to normal life immediately. You may have some bruising for
7-14 days following the treatment and it is important to wear high
factor sun protection cream.
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What risks should I know about?
Laser therapy may not completely clear your vascular birthmark
or lesion, but it will usually make them significantly paler and
less noticeable.
As with any cosmetic procedure, it is important that you review
your expectations thoroughly before you decide to proceed.
Your Consultant will explain the results you can expect and will
discuss the associated risks and alternatives to the procedure
before going ahead.
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Circle Care
Laser Treatment is carried out at Circle Private Patients in the
Nottingham Treatment Centre. We have a dedicated team of
Consultant Dermatologists and Specialist Nurses who will guide you
through the process from first consultation to after-care and will
be available to answer any questions or queries you may have.
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