I have rosacea and I'm considering laser and wondering what's the best laser?

Vbeam laser is an excellent modality for patients who have rosacea, blushing of the skin, facial and body telangiectasia, spider veins, redness, post surgical redness, and skin flushing. It is a safe procedure that can be used at varying depths to help treat micro blood vessels in the skin. We also use it in our office for facial skin inflammation, keloids, and hypertrophic scarring. It is an important part of scar therapy. Vbeam can be combined with chemical peels and other lasers, but experience with the treatment is essential. The Vbeam laser does not affect deeper tissue. Schedule a consultation with an expert in Vbeam and you will find it to be an excellent modality for many skin types.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Hi zara2311,That's a great question. Rosacea is a condition that can be very successfully treated and managed with laser or light therapies. However, there is no 'best' laser as the condition is complex and depending on each individual's case a specialist dermatologist would select the best approach. Typically a physician who is a laser specialist would have a range of systems to target redness/rosacea as rarely a one-laser-fits-all approach is successful. We have the VBEAM perfecta and EXCEL V systems as laser options and the Broad Band Light as a light-based option. When you consider treatment, my recommendation is that you research the physician and ensure that she/he is indeed an expert in treating this condition. The technology is crucial but it's really the customization of the approach (choosing parameters, energies, wavelengths..etc) that will determine the success of your treatment. Hope this helps. Best, Manish Khanna, MD FRCPC

Rosacea is a difficult problem to treat. The best lasers for treating rosacea are the pulse dye laser NDyag laser  or an intense light treatment (Photofacial/IPL). In my office we often combine these procedures  with products and/or oral medications . The type of rosacea you have will determine what procedures work best for you. It is important to go to an experienced practitioner who has many devices to work with, as it is often necessary to treat with more than one device to get the best results. Rosacea cannot be cured but there can be significant improvement. Hope this helps.

Thank you for your question. I found combination treatment often produces better result such as combining Excel V's Laser Genesis with it's KTP 532 or Xeo's Laser genesis with IPL560. However they are limited to individual with skin Type I-III. For darker skin complexion Laser genesis alone is still helpful. In addition, If we further combine these laser with medical treatments for synergy and maintenance, results will even better and longer lasting. Consultation with a dermatologist to have an accurate diagnosis is essential because not all redness is Rosacea. Then find a doctor experienced in Cutera's laser who is familiar with the combination treatment. Good Luck.

Thanks for your question. Rosacea is a chronic condition, like high blood pressure or diabetes, so although treatments can make it look much better, you do need to plan on lifetime management  / maintenance to keep this at bay.
For skincare, gentle/noninflammatory ingredients are best as well as avoiding an inflammatory diet (just say no to refined carbs/sugars!). A lot of rosacea is tied to inflammation resulting from genetic tendencies to carry a particular strain of bacteria and topical antibiotics such as Metrogel can help reduce this inflammatory/red-stimulating trigger. Careful sun protection/avoidance also helps.
Really the gold standard for the redness is Photofacials (BBL). In addition to reducing reds, well performed treatments also reduce sun damage, increase collagen and have been proven in studies at Stanford to slow down skin aging. Count on 2-4 treatments a year as your best management for not only your rosacea, but also to look your best year after year.

The pulsed dye laser is the gold standard for treatment of red conditions of the skin, including rosacea.  The Excel V laser is another excellent device for treatment of facial redness in light-skinned patients.  Another option is intense pulsed light (IPL) but there are many different IPL devices out there and some are better than others.  We use the BBL which is one of the best IPLs on the market.  Usually it helps to do multiple treatment sessions for best results.  The most important factor is who you choose for your treatments.  The best choice would be a dermatologist with special training and experience in lasers.  There are medical treatments, both topical and oral, available for rosacea as well.Regards,Dr. Ort

Thank you for your question.  Intense pulsed light (IPL) also known as photofacial has been proven to help in the treatment of rosacea. It will not cure it, but will improve the redness/ flushing, swelling and small vessels associated with this condition. I suggest seeing an expert for a proper evaluation and treatment plan. Best of luck, 

Thank you for your question.  Rosacea can be difficult to treat.  Depending on the severity, we can usually minimize the symptoms with a PhotoFacial.  You should seek out an actively medically supervised laser aesthetic center.  Make sure there is a physician on premises and they have more than 1 piece of equipment. Best of luck.