What treatment should I get for redness? V Beam, Microneedling, Erbium? (Photo)

Question

I’m thinking of getting V Beam laser for redness. But would microneedling, Erbium more suitable for my scars?

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Morpheus 8 is a non-invasive skin and soft tissue tightening treatment that is consistently amazing in our patients. We use the Morpheus to exact fractional induced RF into the skin or tissue in order to tighten collagen and stimulate contraction of the tissue. For acne scars, it is quite useful to build collagen in patients who have atrophic scars but is not very productive for ice-pick scars which require TCA Cross. For tissue tightening, Morpheus is ideal for the face and neck and we often combine it with CO2 laser or Ultherapy to further enhance results. Chemical peels and skin resurfacing should be done at least 5 to 7 days after, but can be performed earlier, depending on treatment severity. Avoid exfoliating skin treatments before Morpheus and expect a period of 2-4 weeks for skin contraction to set in.

Best, 
Dr. Karamanoukian

Nelson Lee Novick, MD · Answer

While I certainly can understand impatience when it comes to fading of residual redness after acne, technically referred to as postinflammatory erythema or PIE, you might be comforted to know that in many, if not most cases of PIE, the redness will fade gradually over time on its own, so long as no new inflammatory breakouts occur to set the clock back. Waiting, while continuing to use suppressive topical medications to prevent fresh breakouts, is a lot cheaper than spending a whole lot of money for various bells and whistles lasers, etc. If waiting is simply not possible, relatively inexpensive in-office microneedling coupled with the use of topical tranexamic acid and, if also needed, a topical vasoconstrictor, can yield quite gratifying fading of the redness. It is crucially important that acne breakouts are appropriately suppressed to allow for healing and fading of what you currently have. So make sure that you are consulting with a board certified aesthetic dermatologist who can help you with this and with appropriate anti-redness treatment, if you still require or desire it. Best of luck.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

I recommend getting a formal evaluation.  The V Beam laser may help with redness and it may also help with scarring. Acne scar treatment needs a combination approach for improvement. For the best results, one should target the acne scar type. As everyone has a unique pattern of acne scarring, the best solution is a tailored one. Vascular lasers like yellow laser, aerolase, excel V or IPL for redness or thick scars. And lasers such as fraxel, erbium, co2 or fractional radiofrequency like venus viva, skinfinity, intensif microneedling RF for textural issues and superficial scarring. All lasers are combined with microneedling and PRP to get even better results and improve healing times. The majority of patients will have a collection of different scar types, and hence a tailored treatment plan is needed by an expert physician. It is never about the laser or product that gives the results, it's about the expert behind the equipment that gets you the outcome. Scars cannot be cured and will need lifelong treatments to maintain and build on the results. See an expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Grace Liu, MD · Answer

Hi,Great question!  The best laser is the Vbeam for redness since is the number one vascular laser designed specifically for vessels and redness.  If it is shallow acne scars, you can definitely improve it with a series of microneedling with minimal downtime.  Erbium is when patients can afford more downtime and want a bigger result.Warmly,Dr. Liu

Amy Y. Paul, DO, FAAD · Answer

Thanks for your question.  You will want to be evaluated in person by a board certified dermatologist to see which treatment course would be best for you.  A vascular laser, such as a pulsed-dye laser, can help specifically for the redness as it targets the hemoglobin in vessels and skin, but if you still have a lot of active acne or scarring, you would want to get that under control before spending money on procedures.  Talk to your dermatologist about the options that would have the most effective outcomes safely for your skin.  We love microneedling, but it does not treat redness of the skin.

What treatment should I get for redness? V Beam, Microneedling, Erbium? (Photo)

Answers (7)

Answer: How to treat red scars

Answer: How to treat red scars

Answer: Treatment for redness

Answer: Treatment for redness

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What treatment should I get for redness? V Beam, Microneedling, Erbium? (Photo)

Answers (7)

Answer: How to treat red scars

Answer: How to treat red scars

Answer: Treatment for redness

Answer: Treatment for redness

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Microneedling

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.