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Rosacea Patients: Choose V Beam, Not IPL
I am 27 years old and I have subtype 1 rosacea. Flushing and redness are my main symptoms. These symptoms were permanently worsened about 2 years ago, when Mirvaso (a topical treatment) was prescribed to me by my dermatologist to "treat" my rosacea. The topical (brimonidine being the active ingredient) made my face pale as a ghost for about 15 hours. When the effects of the Mirvaso wore off, however, my flushing came back with a vengeance. It never really settled down after that, either. A year later and my face was still much more red and flushed far easier than it had since before I used Mirvaso. Realizing the effects were likely permanent, I sought alternative treatments, as the excessive flushing (or "suicide flushing," as I like to call it) was making me absolutely miserable.
After much research, I came to the conclusion that laser was likely my only option. I tried IPL (intense pulsed light) first. I had a total of 7 treatments done. These helped to reduce the frequency and intensity of my flushing, though to be honest, I was still rather dissatisfied with my results. I felt that after 7 treatments I should have seen more improvement. So I took the next step and opted to try the V Beam laser instead.
IPL is the jack of all trades when it comes to lasers. Doctors buy these machines because of their versatility. But all that really means is that they excel at absolutely nothing. In my opinion, they aren't powerful enough to successfully treat most vascular lesions, and I wish I would have known that before I spent all that money on IPL. On the other hand, V Beam (expensive as it may be) is worth every penny if you are being treated by an experienced doctor.
I had my V Beam treatment done in the Chicago area by Dr. Matthew Kelleher. This was quite a drive for me (I live in Indiana) but I was more than willing to travel to get a good treatment. Every other doctor I contacted who had a V Beam Perfecta in their office refused to use bruising settings to treat me. They said it was too dangerous and that the V Beam was made so that results can be achieved without bruising. This frustrated me, as my research had led me to believe that the best (fastest) way to achieve results in treating rosacea was by bruising. And so I was relieved when I finally found Dr. Kelleher in Crest Hill. It was clear to me that he was experienced with the V Beam Perfecta, and that he knew how to achieve good results for rosacea patients. In other words, he wasn't afraid to use bruising settings. So I booked an appointment to come out to Chicago and see him, and I am very glad that I did.
First of all, I came into the office that day thinking that I was scheduled for a treatment, so I was prepared. Turned out, I'd only been scheduled for a consultation. But once Dr. Kelleher heard how far I'd travelled to see him, he fit me into his schedule and did a full face V Beam treatment on me that day. How many other doctors would do that? Not many, I'd wager.
The treatment took somewhere between 10 and 15 minutes, and when it was over, I was definitely bruised and red in the face. But I was happy, because that was precisely the kind of treatment I'd wanted. I held an ice pack to my face the entire drive home, and within the next few days, I swelled up pretty bad. My right eye was huge, and it looked like I had puffy chipmunk cheeks. Those side effects went away in about 5 days, and it took another 10 days for most of the purpura (bruises) to fade.
The results have been spectacular. I saw far more improvement in my rosacea symptoms from this single V Beam treatment than I did after 7 IPL treatments. My flushing is down by probably about 70 percent, and the redness is greatly diminished as well. There are several areas that were red before the treatment that are now blanched pale white (my natural skin tone). I'm probably going to do another treatment just to see if I can improve even more, although to be honest, I'm so pleased with the results from the first one that I'm not really in a big rush.
Dr. Kelleher is a wonderful laser doctor. I recommend him to anyone who is seeking rosacea treatment. He knows his stuff. In general, I recommend V Beam to anyone who has subtype one rosacea. Unfortunately, as of right now, this is about the only thing we can do for ourselves in order to see longterm improvement in our condition.
Pictures will soon follow.
After much research, I came to the conclusion that laser was likely my only option. I tried IPL (intense pulsed light) first. I had a total of 7 treatments done. These helped to reduce the frequency and intensity of my flushing, though to be honest, I was still rather dissatisfied with my results. I felt that after 7 treatments I should have seen more improvement. So I took the next step and opted to try the V Beam laser instead.
IPL is the jack of all trades when it comes to lasers. Doctors buy these machines because of their versatility. But all that really means is that they excel at absolutely nothing. In my opinion, they aren't powerful enough to successfully treat most vascular lesions, and I wish I would have known that before I spent all that money on IPL. On the other hand, V Beam (expensive as it may be) is worth every penny if you are being treated by an experienced doctor.
I had my V Beam treatment done in the Chicago area by Dr. Matthew Kelleher. This was quite a drive for me (I live in Indiana) but I was more than willing to travel to get a good treatment. Every other doctor I contacted who had a V Beam Perfecta in their office refused to use bruising settings to treat me. They said it was too dangerous and that the V Beam was made so that results can be achieved without bruising. This frustrated me, as my research had led me to believe that the best (fastest) way to achieve results in treating rosacea was by bruising. And so I was relieved when I finally found Dr. Kelleher in Crest Hill. It was clear to me that he was experienced with the V Beam Perfecta, and that he knew how to achieve good results for rosacea patients. In other words, he wasn't afraid to use bruising settings. So I booked an appointment to come out to Chicago and see him, and I am very glad that I did.
First of all, I came into the office that day thinking that I was scheduled for a treatment, so I was prepared. Turned out, I'd only been scheduled for a consultation. But once Dr. Kelleher heard how far I'd travelled to see him, he fit me into his schedule and did a full face V Beam treatment on me that day. How many other doctors would do that? Not many, I'd wager.
The treatment took somewhere between 10 and 15 minutes, and when it was over, I was definitely bruised and red in the face. But I was happy, because that was precisely the kind of treatment I'd wanted. I held an ice pack to my face the entire drive home, and within the next few days, I swelled up pretty bad. My right eye was huge, and it looked like I had puffy chipmunk cheeks. Those side effects went away in about 5 days, and it took another 10 days for most of the purpura (bruises) to fade.
The results have been spectacular. I saw far more improvement in my rosacea symptoms from this single V Beam treatment than I did after 7 IPL treatments. My flushing is down by probably about 70 percent, and the redness is greatly diminished as well. There are several areas that were red before the treatment that are now blanched pale white (my natural skin tone). I'm probably going to do another treatment just to see if I can improve even more, although to be honest, I'm so pleased with the results from the first one that I'm not really in a big rush.
Dr. Kelleher is a wonderful laser doctor. I recommend him to anyone who is seeking rosacea treatment. He knows his stuff. In general, I recommend V Beam to anyone who has subtype one rosacea. Unfortunately, as of right now, this is about the only thing we can do for ourselves in order to see longterm improvement in our condition.
Pictures will soon follow.
Provider Review
Dermatologic Surgeon, Board Certified in Dermatology
2051 Plainfield Rd., Crest Hill, Illinois