Laser removal of capillaries on the face. How is the procedure, contraindications, consequences, price, reviews

Removing the mesh from the expanded capillaries on the face using the laser coagulation method is one of the most popular procedures in medical cosmetology. The technology involves the directed action on small vessels of the thermal energy of a laser beam with a specific wavelength. In this case, the laser selectively acts on damaged vessels, without affecting healthy ones.

What problems does laser removal of spider veins and reticulums solve

A change in the tone of the vascular walls and their loss of elasticity leads to a constant expansion of capillaries. Visually, this manifests itself as streaks of lilac, red or purple, clearly visible through the skin. They form foci of redness on the face: vascular telangiectasias (the so-called “stars”, “nets” and “spiders”) and pinpoint lesions.

Most often, this defect appears on the wings of the nose, cheeks and chin. The expansion of small vessels is not harmful to health, but worsens the appearance of the face and promotes early skin aging. Capillaries are the smallest vessels associated with arteries and veins. They deliver nutrients and oxygen to tissues, taking decay products from there.

When the normal functioning of the capillaries is disturbed, the skin is malnourished. It begins to age much more intensively than nature intended. Under the influence of the laser, the damaged vessels are fused; thereby, they exit the bloodstream and become part of the connective tissue.

Over time, new pathways are formed for blood circulation, through which the skin again receives the necessary substances.

Removal of capillaries on the face with laser coagulation eliminates the aesthetic defect. The procedure in a short time returns the skin a healthy young look, evens out the complexion. The patient gains a sense of satisfaction with his appearance, which improves the quality of his life.

Indications for the procedure

The purpose of laser correction is to remove vascular defects on the face, and the indication for the procedure is their presence.

Laser treatment is resorted to when:

• Vasodilation takes on a persistent character.
• A visible vascular pattern appears.

The reason for such conditions is a violation of normal blood circulation, as well as the loss of the necessary elasticity by the vascular walls. With expansion, the fragile walls of the vessels burst, receiving defects with varying degrees of damage.

Persistent expansion of small vessels accompanies diseases such as:

• rosacea;
• rosacea;
• “Wine stains.”

With rosacea, the contractility of the walls of the capillaries is impaired. The initial stage of the disease is manifested by focal redness on the skin (erythematosis), accompanied by itching and burning. Then visible vascular patterns appear. The microcirculation of the blood is disturbed, the sensitivity of the skin worsens. An uneven complexion and other signs of premature aging appear.

The disease has a nature similar to varicose veins – weak vessel walls. Thin sensitive skin and the superficial arrangement of capillaries also contribute to the appearance of pathology.

Rosacea occurs in middle and old age, more often in women. In the beginning, as with rosacea, persistent redness of the skin, itching and burning appear. Against this background, small inflammatory rashes (rosacea) and telangiectasia occur.

The occurrence of rosacea and rosacea are associated with autonomic vascular neurosis, digestive tract disorders, and ovarian dysfunction in women. Attacks provoke a number of temperature factors: sun, wind, frost. Alcohol abuse, in which there is a rush of blood to the skin of the face, and enthusiasm for bath procedures also play a negative role.

 “Wine stains” are flat vascular formations with fuzzy borders resembling a stain from spilled wine in shape. Essentially, this is a cluster of a large number of dilated capillaries coated with a layer of the epidermis. Most often, this is a congenital pathology.

Before removing the defect with a laser, a dermatologist will conduct a series of studies to accurately determine the nature of the nevus, the extent of the lesion, and the scope of the forthcoming procedures. Removing dilated capillaries, the laser acts on the external manifestations of the disease. In some cases, this is not enough: systemic lesions of the body may be hidden behind vascular drawings on the face.

If rosacea is considered a “cosmetic” form of varicose veins and does not pose a threat to health, then rosacea is inflammatory in nature and requires additional treatment.

In addition to local elimination of telangiectasias, it is necessary to correct concomitant vascular diseases, digestive and hormonal disorders. In severe cases, the doctor prescribes tetracycline antibiotics for the treatment of rosacea.

Contraindications to laser removal

Laser removal of capillaries on the face rarely causes complications.

However, there are a number of contraindications to the procedure:

• Infectious and acute inflammatory skin diseases.
• Oncological diseases.
• Photodermatitis (hypersensitivity to ultraviolet radiation; manifested by a rash on the skin after insolation).
• Artificial or sun tan obtained by the patient less than 3 weeks before the procedure.
• Cardiovascular disease in the stage of decompensation.
• Non-drug-correctable diabetes mellitus;
• Pregnancy and the period of feeding.

Doctors do not recommend laser treatment in the summer: during this period, exposure to UV rays is too aggressive. At the preliminary consultation, the doctor will individually assess the risks to the patient’s health, taking into account the existing diseases.

Method Advantages

Prior to the widespread use of laser coagulation, electric current and liquid nitrogen were used. These methods did not solve the problem completely: often noticeable scars remained on the skin.

Cosmetic procedures were not effective enough. Due to its ability to act selectively and precisely, the laser has several advantages over other methods of eliminating vascular defects.

For instance:

• It does not leave scars.
• Does not damage surrounding tissue.
• It removes even the smallest vessels that are not resistant to other minimally invasive methods, including microsclerotherapy.
• There is no risk of infection.
• You do not need a long course, as with electrocoagulation (exposure to electric shock).
• The procedure is almost painless.
• Immediate effect: the vessels dissolve during the procedure, and after a day or two you can see how the skin tone evens out.

Typically, the procedure is well tolerated by patients and does not require a long recovery period.

Cons of the procedure

W
ith the right procedure, the negative consequences are minimal.

However, there are the following disadvantages of laser coagulation:

• Several sessions are required to remove large vessels and treat large areas of damage.
• After the procedure, peeling occurs on the treated areas of the skin.
• Wine stains are far from always possible to completely remove.
• For some time, the face is swollen and red.

Some patients note that swelling and redness persist for 2 or more weeks. There are reviews where they report that the expansion of blood vessels appeared again, and even in a larger volume than it was. Indeed, with the wrong choice of wavelength, incomplete coagulation of blood vessels can occur with the subsequent restoration of the vascular bed.

Types of devices for capillary laser therapy on the face

Choosing an apparatus for laser therapy, the clinic doctor is guided by the following parameters:

• The diameter of the light spot . The selection depends on the size of the problem vessel.
• Radiated wavelength . It is determined by the depth of the vessels. To coagulate surface capillaries on the face, enough waves of green and yellow spectra (490-600 nm).
• The duration of the light pulse . Minimum is preferable: the treated vessel should not have time to transfer part of the heat to the surrounding tissues. Otherwise, there is a possibility of burn injuries.
• Continuous operation or pulse . Short pulses are safer: the tissues have time to cool between flashes, which avoids burns. Working with long-pulse equipment has its advantages, but requires additional cooling. However, this problem is solved in modern installations.

The correct choice of the device and setting the parameters in accordance with the nature of the forthcoming procedure will ensure good impact efficiency and minimal likelihood of complications.

The following types of laser equipment are used:

Type of apparatus	Wavelength spectrum	Purpose of exposure	Features	disadvantages
Pulsed Dye Laser (rhodamine is now used as a dye)	585 nm and 595 nm (yellow-orange spectrum light)	Teleangi-ectasia, wine stains, capillary hemangiomas	Removes superficial small vessels, penetrating deep into 0/32 inch. Suitable for coagulation of small red capillaries on the face.	It requires additional cooling of the skin surface. In dark-skinned patients, hyperpigmentation is possible
Pulsed copper vapor laser	511 nm (green) and 578 nm (yellow)	Superficial vessels and age spots	It works in a complex way: green light is used to process telangi oectasias, yellow is used for areas with impaired pigmentation. Preferred to destroy dilated capillaries on the face	Risk of tissue overheating. Pigmentation disorders, blisters and multiple crusts in patients with dark skin are possible.
Neodymium Laser Nd: YAG. Processing medium: pomegranate with the addition of neodymium	1064 nm (near infrared)	Superficial and deep-lying vessels, large and small	Penetration depth up to 10/32 inch. Suitable for working in all areas of the body and for the skin of all color types. Preferred to remove venous vessels	A smooth continuous pulse requires high energies to work; there is a risk of scarring
Diode	800-810 nm (infrared)	Red and blue vessels, purple capillaries	It perfectly eliminates small capillary mesh (rosacea, rosacea) and hematomas. Suitable for skin of any color	Not recommended for sensitive skin.
KTP lasers. It functions simultaneously on a neodymium and KTP crystal	532 nm (green)	Telean-giektazy, wine stains, pigmentation disorders	Ideal for treating rosacea	In people with dark skin, pigmentation disorders

Experts prefer installations that combine different types of radiation and multi-module platforms

Which laser is better

Often, to solve a specific patient problem, it is necessary to work with several types of laser.

Ideally, each clinic should have different types of laser equipment, and this is expensive.

Among the main preferences: expensive neodymium installations Palomar (USA) and KTP ND: Yag (Sweden).

The problem of overheating of tissues is solved by the built-in contact cooling system.

However, pulsed lasers operating on dyes or on copper vapor cope quite well with dilated vessels on the face.

To remove rosacea, a Quadro diode laser (Germany) was successfully used.

Most installations have interchangeable nozzles, which allows you to individually select the depth of the beam for each case. It is possible to set the desired intensity.

Preparation for the procedure

Special preparation for a laser coagulation session is not required. At the preliminary appointment, the doctor will examine the patient’s face and select the appropriate procedure parameters.

Coming to the procedure, do not use makeup and wipe your face with alcohol solutions. 2-3 weeks before the session, you need to avoid tanning and chemical peeling. It is worth careful to take hormonal drugs and antibiotics of the tetracycline group, which can cause photosensitivity.

Removal steps

The duration of the session is from 15 to 40 minutes.

Sequencing:

1. The doctor applies an antiseptic and a conductive gel to the patient’s face. If necessary, the desired area is anesthetized with an anesthetic cream.
2. The patient wears special safety glasses. They are opaque, made of thick plastic.
3. The doctor begins to precisely target the vessels with a laser, heating them to the desired temperature with separate short “flashes” (1-2 seconds) or long pulses. Impact points are staggered; the distance between them is up to 1/32 inch.
   
4. The vessels absorb the laser beam, heat up and solder. Already during the procedure they become lighter.
5. After completing the procedure, the doctor applies a healing ointment to the face and makes recommendations.

Sometimes, for the complete removal of vascular pathologies, several procedures are required.

Features of laser coagulation

Laser removal of capillaries on the face occurs due to the ability of light rays to penetrate tissue cells. Cell structures absorb radiation in different ways. The laser setup is set up so that it is hemoglobin, an iron-containing protein that gives red color to red blood cells, that absorbs light. The energy received by him is converted to heat.

Steam bubbles form in the blood. Protein “folds” (coagulates); erythrocytes contained in small capillaries disintegrate. Capillaries are reduced; then a clot forms, and their lumen closes – they are “sealed”. The purple color of the vascular point testifies to this moment during the procedure.

As a result, the capillaries become pale and invisible on the face. During the laser correction session, the patient does not experience pain, feeling only warmth on the skin and a slight tingling sensation. Some compare this sensation with a “mosquito bite”. If a person has an increased sensitivity to pain, use an anesthetic.

When exposed to different areas of the face, a slightly different approach is required for manipulation.

On the cheeks

The skin of the cheeks is particularly susceptible to external influences, therefore, it often suffers from manifestations of rosacea.

Vascular nets can have a large area, therefore, their removal may require from 1 to 5 procedures.

Each of them lasts 20-30 minutes. Judging by the reviews, the laser copes well with small spider veins in this area of the face.

On the forehead

In the area of the forehead, single dilated vessels are usually found. They are removed in 1-2 sessions.

The doctor should be careful not to damage the sweat glands, which are in excess here.

On the nose

On the wings of the nose there are many small vessels. They are injured during a runny nose or sneezing, expanding from alcohol or heat treatments. When the elasticity of the vascular walls decreases, single defects, “stars” and “reticuli” appear. Removing one “asterisk” takes 1-2 minutes. Processing of all sites usually requires 2-4 sessions.

The back of the nose suffers less often, since the skin in this area is more dense. Depending on the size of the lesion, 1 to 3 sessions may be required. If diseases such as chronic rhinitis and sinusitis cannot be cured, the risk of dilated capillaries again appear on the back of the nose is great.

The nose is a sensitive area, so anesthesia is required when processing the wings of the nose and nose bridge. It is important for the doctor to carefully consider the settings of the device so as not to violate the integrity of small vessels in the nasal cavity.

On the eyelids

The capillaries on the upper eyelid are removed using a vascular laser with additional cooling. It takes 2-4 minutes to process each eyelid.

Recently, a technology has emerged for laser removal of vessels under the eyes that are visible through the skin. Previously, this cosmetic defect was fought with an injection of sclerotherapy, but this method has a big minus: an ugly bruise remained under the eye for 2 weeks. After laser treatment, skin lightening occurs almost immediately.

How many treatments are needed for treatment

The number of procedures depends on the complexity of the problem area. The deeper the vessel is located, the wider it is, the more procedures will be needed. A small superficial capillary or a small vascular asterisk may disappear after one session, but more often they require several. So, to remove the extensive vascular network, a course of 4-5 procedures is needed.

Terms and features of rehabilitation

Laser coagulation does not require a long recovery period. The vessels brighten immediately, but the skin turns red after the session, swelling appears – these phenomena disappear in a day. However, in the treatment of large and complex areas, the complete disappearance of all manifestations can take anywhere from a week to 3 months.

After the procedure, the doctor may prescribe the application of any healing ointment on the treated skin for several days. The formed crusts should not be touched: they will disappear themselves after 6-7 days. During the day you can not apply makeup and cleanse the skin with an alcohol solution.

Some additional requirements must be observed:

• You can not wash your face with hot water for a week;
  
• Do not use scrub and peeling for two weeks;
• to exclude a visit to the sauna and bath also within two weeks;
• use sunscreen with SPF 50 for a month;
• do not drink alcohol for several days: it dilates blood vessels;
• Ob
  serve the individual prescriptions given by the doctor.

In general, the result of treatment determines the localization, area and color of the affected vessels, their depth. The age of the patient matters.

Possible complications and consequences

Usually adverse effects are minimal and short-lived. Complications arise when the patient does not follow the recommendations or the doctor’s low qualifications.

They may be as follows:

• Puffiness, persisting for more than a day. In this case, you need to take an antihistamine and apply cooling compresses. Hold the compress for no more than 15-20 seconds, then pause.
• Changes in pigmentation lasts 2-3 months.
• Long healing crusts and scars. This is caused by burns due to improperly selected beam exposure.
• A slight increase in body temperature.
• Hematomas.

In addition, if the procedure is carried out incorrectly, telangiectasias can recur. During therapy, the laser beam should damage the surface of the inner walls of the vessels (endothelium). It is important to select radiation of such a strength that the perforation of the vessel does not occur.

However, in this case, the destruction of the endothelium must be complete so that new channels do not form under the influence of blood flow. Otherwise, the dilated vessel may protrude again. Treatment by a competent doctor will significantly reduce the likelihood of complications.

Price table: the cost of the procedure in New York, Los Angeles and the. How to choose a clinic

The amount that will cost getting rid of vascular pathologies on the face depends on the area of the lesion and the number of procedures.

Sample prices for one laser coagulation procedure in some cities of USA:

City, clinic	Land area	Price
New York, “Laser Doctor”	0’2 inch?	$ 15.
Los Angeles, New Skin Clinic	0’2 inch?	$ 12,24
	Nose	$ 41
	Cheeks	$ 61.
	Full face	$ 82.
Los Angeles, Laser Doctor	1 sq. see face	$ 14
Seattle, Aesthetics	Nose wings	$ 27.
	Cheeks	$ 54.
	Face	$ 61.
Atlanta, Medical Center “Chance”	Nose	$ 41
	Cheeks	$ 82.
	Single vessel, face	$ 6,8

For the treatment to go well, you should choose a clinic with a good reputation. Removal of capillaries using laser coagulation is one of the most effective and less traumatic methods for getting rid of vascular “patterns” on the face.

Painless and almost immediate results made the laser preferable for eliminating cosmetic problems associated with vasodilation.

Facial Capillary Removal Video

Laser removal of blood vessels on the face, before and after: