Rosacea & Facial Redness Treatment in Danville, CA
Rosacea and Facial Redness in Danville, CA
Do you have facial redness or broken blood vessels that do not seem to go away? If so, you may have rosacea. Rosacea is a common inflammatory condition of the face that causes flushing, persistent redness, visible blood vessels and acne like bumps. Creams and tablets are directed at the bumps and the inflammation. They do not remove blood vessels that are already dilated. Those vessels, and the fixed background redness they create, respond to the pulsed dye laser, or PDL, which in this practice is the VBeam. Dr. Gallacher assesses which features you actually have, and performs every laser treatment herself.
Do you have redness on your face, or little broken blood vessels, that never quite go away? If so, you may have rosacea. Rosacea is a common inflammatory condition of the face. It causes flushing, redness that stays, visible little veins, and spots that look like acne. Creams and tablets work on the spots and the inflammation. They cannot remove a blood vessel that is already stretched open. For those vessels, and for the settled redness they cause, we use a pulsed dye laser, short name PDL. Ours is the VBeam. Dr. Gallacher works out which of these features you have, and she does every laser treatment herself.
Who performs your treatment
Who does the treatment
Every laser treatment at the Dermatology and Laser Centre is performed by Dr. Gergana Gallacher. She is a board certified, fellowship trained dermatologist with faculty experience at Stanford University and UC Davis, and she does not delegate laser work to an assistant or a technician. She also chooses the device to fit the problem rather than treating every complaint with whatever machine is free. For the vascular features of rosacea, the persistent redness and the visible vessels, that device is the pulsed dye laser.
Dr. Gergana Gallacher does every laser treatment here herself. She is a board certified skin specialist with extra fellowship training, and she has taught at Stanford University and UC Davis. She does not hand laser treatments to an assistant or a technician. She also picks the machine to suit the problem, instead of using one machine for everything. For the redness and the visible vessels of rosacea, the right machine is the pulsed dye laser.
Rosacea & Facial Redness: the essentials
The short version
Chronic inflammatory disorder affecting mainly the central face; it is distinct from acne.
A long term inflammatory condition affecting mainly the middle of the face. It is not acne.
Flushing, persistent facial color change, visible vessels, acne-like bumps, sensitivity, eye symptoms or skin thickening.
Flushing, lasting change in colour, visible little veins, spots like acne, sensitive skin, sore eyes, or thickened skin.
Sun, heat, temperature extremes, alcohol, spicy food, stress and irritating skin care can trigger flares in some people.
Sun, heat, sudden temperature changes, alcohol, spicy food, stress, and skincare that irritates.
Trigger control, gentle skin care, prescription topical/oral treatment when needed, and vascular laser for persistent redness or vessels.
Avoiding your triggers, gentle skin care, prescription creams or tablets when needed, and a laser for lasting redness and vessels.
Most rosacea sessions are done at settings that do not bruise, leaving temporary redness and swelling. Settings that deliberately produce purpura are used only for resistant vessels, and only after the bruising has been discussed with you.
Most rosacea sessions are done at settings that do not bruise. You get redness and swelling for a while. Settings that do bruise are kept for stubborn vessels, and only after Dr. Gallacher has told you to expect it.
Rosacea can be controlled but commonly relapses; maintenance treatment may be needed.
It can be controlled, but it usually comes back, so most people need to keep something going.
More than 14 million Americans are living with rosacea. It often begins in the third and fourth decades of life, and it affects all skin tones, although the redness can be harder to see in richer skin tones.
More than 14 million Americans have rosacea. It usually starts in adult life, most often somewhere between the twenties and the forties. It happens in every skin tone, although on darker skin the redness is harder to see.
VBeam, a 595 nm pulsed dye laser, also called a PDL or a vascular laser. Performed by Dr. Gallacher.
VBeam. It is a pulsed dye laser, also called a PDL or a vascular laser. Dr. Gallacher performs it.
What is rosacea?
What is rosacea?
Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory condition that mainly affects the central face, and it can involve the skin, the blood vessels and the eyes. It is related to acne and the bumps can look like acne, but it is a distinct condition and it is treated differently. More than 14 million Americans are living with it, and it often begins in the third and fourth decades of life. The most common features are flushing, redness that settles in and stays, small dilated vessels on the cheeks and nose, and inflammatory bumps. Not everyone has all of them, which is why treatment is chosen feature by feature rather than as a single prescription for everyone.
Rosacea is a long term inflammatory condition. It mostly affects the middle of the face, and it can involve the skin, the blood vessels and the eyes. It is related to acne, and the bumps can look like acne, but it is its own condition and it is treated differently. More than 14 million Americans have it. It usually starts in adult life, most often between the twenties and the forties. The usual features are flushing, redness that settles in and stays, small stretched vessels on the cheeks and nose, and inflamed bumps. Not everybody gets all of them. That is why treatment is chosen for the features you have, rather than one plan for everyone.
What are the signs and symptoms of rosacea?
What are the signs?
Rosacea looks different from person to person; persistent facial redness or color change is common, but bumps, visible vessels, burning, eye symptoms and skin thickening may also occur.
It looks different in different people. Lasting redness, or a change of colour, in the middle of the face is the common thread. But bumps, visible vessels, burning, sore eyes and thickened skin can all be part of it.
- Persistent central facial redness or darker/violet color change depending on skin tone.
- Flushing triggered by heat, sun, alcohol, stress or other personal triggers.
- Visible facial capillaries or telangiectasias.
- Inflammatory papules or pustules that can resemble acne.
- Eye dryness, irritation, gritty sensation or eyelid inflammation.
- Thickened skin, most often on the nose, in a minority of patients.
- Lasting redness in the middle of the face. On darker skin it may look darker or more purple than red.
- Flushing brought on by heat, sun, alcohol, stress, or whatever your own triggers are.
- Fine visible blood vessels on the face.
- Inflamed spots that can look just like acne.
- Dry, irritated or gritty eyes, or inflamed eyelids.
- Thickened skin, usually on the nose, in a minority of people.
Diagram showing common rosacea signs including facial redness, visible vessels and inflammatory bumps
A diagram showing the common signs of rosacea: facial redness, visible vessels and inflamed bumps.
How is rosacea diagnosed?
How is it diagnosed?
Rosacea is usually diagnosed clinically by the pattern of facial changes, symptoms and triggers; tests are not routinely required unless another condition needs to be ruled out.
Usually just by looking at the pattern on your face, your symptoms and your triggers. Tests are not normally needed, unless something else has to be ruled out.
A dermatologist also checks for overlapping acne, dermatitis, medication reactions, lupus-like rashes and ocular involvement because those conditions can change the treatment plan.
The skin doctor also checks whether acne, a dermatitis, a reaction to a medicine, or a lupus type rash is going on as well, and whether your eyes are involved, because any of those would change the plan.
How is rosacea treated?
How is it treated?
Treatment targets the specific features present rather than using one therapy for everyone. Inflammation, redness, vessels and eye disease may each require different treatment.
Treatment goes after the particular features you have, rather than giving everyone the same thing. The inflammation, the redness, the vessels and the eyes may each need something different.
| Rosacea feature | Common treatment approach |
|---|---|
| Persistent redness / visible vessels | Vascular laser such as VBeam may reduce persistent erythema and telangiectasias; settings and treatment course are individualized. |
| Inflammatory bumps | Prescription topical therapies or oral medication may be used depending on severity and patient factors. |
| Sensitive or reactive skin | Gentle cleanser/moisturizer, fragrance avoidance and daily photoprotection reduce irritation and trigger load. |
| Ocular rosacea | Eye symptoms should be assessed because treatment may involve eyelid care, medication or ophthalmology referral. |
Lasting redness and visible vessels A laser aimed at blood vessels, such as VBeam, can reduce both. The settings and the course are worked out for you.
Inflamed bumps Prescription creams, or tablets, depending on how bad it is and on you.
Sensitive, easily upset skin A gentle cleanser and moisturiser, no perfume, and sunscreen every day. That reduces the irritation and takes some of the load off.
Sore eyes These need assessing. Treatment may mean eyelid care, medicine, or a referral to an eye specialist.
Why creams and tablets do not clear the redness
Why creams and tablets do not clear the redness
Prescription treatment for rosacea is aimed at the inflammatory part of the condition. A medicated cream containing metronidazole, sold as Metrogel, or a course of oral antibiotics, will usually settle the pimples and the inflammation that comes with them. What they cannot do is remove a blood vessel that is already permanently dilated, and they do not clear the fixed background redness that those vessels create. This is the point at which many patients conclude that their treatment has failed, when in fact the medication has done its job and the remaining problem is a vascular one that needs a different tool.
Prescription treatment for rosacea is aimed at the inflamed part of it. A cream with metronidazole in it, sold as Metrogel, or a course of antibiotic tablets, will usually settle the pimples and the inflammation around them. What they cannot do is get rid of a blood vessel that is already stretched open for good, and they do not clear the settled redness that those vessels cause. Many people decide at this point that their treatment has not worked. Usually it has. The medicine did its job. What is left is a blood vessel problem, and that needs a different tool.
How does VBeam help rosacea redness?
How does the laser help the redness?
VBeam is a 595 nm pulsed dye laser, abbreviated PDL and often called a vascular laser. The light it emits is absorbed strongly by hemoglobin in the small vessels close to the surface of the skin, and much less by the surrounding tissue. The vessel heats, is damaged and is then cleared away by the body, so the redness and the visible capillaries fade. The laser does two separate jobs in rosacea. It reduces generalized redness across an area such as the cheeks, and it can also trace individual blood vessels one at a time. Dr. Gallacher regards the pulsed dye laser as the most effective tool available for the vascular part of rosacea, and in her experience the results are very impressive.
VBeam is a pulsed dye laser, short name PDL. People also call it a vascular laser, because it goes after blood vessels. The color of light it makes is soaked up strongly by the blood inside the small vessels near the surface, and hardly at all by the skin around them. The vessel heats up, is damaged, and your body then clears it away. The redness and the visible little veins fade. The laser does two different jobs in rosacea. It brings down general redness across an area such as the cheeks, and it can also trace individual vessels one by one. Dr. Gallacher considers the pulsed dye laser the best tool there is for the blood vessel side of rosacea, and in her hands the results are very impressive.
The purpose of the treatment is the removal of the facial vessels that carry the redness. The 595 nm pulse is absorbed by haemoglobin inside those vessels, heats them and closes them, and your body then clears them, which is why the improvement builds over the weeks after a session rather than appearing on the day. Both the diffuse background redness and individually visible capillaries can be treated in the same visit. The number of sessions and the interval between them are set for you, not read off a chart, and Dr. Gallacher will tell you what she expects after seeing your skin.
The point of the treatment is to get rid of the facial vessels that are carrying the redness. The light is absorbed by the blood inside them. That heats the vessels and closes them. Your body then clears them away, which is why the improvement builds over the weeks after a session instead of showing up on the day. Both the general background redness and the individual visible vessels can be treated in the same visit. How many sessions you need, and how far apart, are worked out for you rather than read off a chart. Dr. Gallacher will tell you what she expects once she has seen your skin.
Tracing individual blood vessels
Tracing individual blood vessels
Diffuse redness and a single visible vessel are two different targets, and they are treated differently. For diffuse redness the laser is passed across the whole affected area, for example both cheeks or the nose. For a named vessel, one of the fine red lines that patients often point out in the mirror, Dr. Gallacher follows the line of the vessel with the laser and treats it along its length. Patients who are bothered by one or two specific vessels rather than by general flushing are usually treating a smaller and more precise target than they expect.
General redness and one visible vessel are two different targets, and they are treated differently. For general redness the laser is passed over the whole red area, for example both cheeks, or the nose. For a single vessel, one of those fine red lines you point at in the mirror, Dr. Gallacher follows the line of the vessel with the laser and treats it along its length. If one or two particular vessels are what bother you, rather than the flushing, the job is often smaller and more exact than you expect.
Why this laser for this problem
Why this laser for this problem
Several devices can reduce facial redness, and they are not interchangeable. The pulsed dye laser is the vascular workhorse of this practice because its wavelength is matched to hemoglobin, which means the energy goes into the blood vessel rather than into the surrounding skin. That selectivity is what makes it appropriate for the fine, superficial vessels of rosacea. Dr. Gallacher selects the device for the indication, not the other way around, and if your redness is not primarily vascular she will tell you so rather than treating it with a laser.
Several machines can reduce facial redness, and they are not the same. The pulsed dye laser is the one used here for blood vessels, because the light it makes is tuned to blood. The energy goes into the vessel rather than into the skin around it. That is what makes it right for the fine, near surface vessels of rosacea. Dr. Gallacher picks the machine to suit the problem, not the other way round. If your redness is not really coming from blood vessels, she will say so, instead of treating it with a laser anyway.
What a VBeam session is like
What a VBeam session is like
The skin is assessed first, and protective eyewear is worn by you and by Dr. Gallacher. Pulses are then delivered either across the red areas or along individual vessels. The VBeam has a built in dynamic cooling device that sprays a short burst of cryogen onto the skin with each pulse, so most patients feel a warm, tingling snap rather than pain. Sessions are quick, they are performed in the office, and you go home afterwards. Treatment time depends on how large an area is being covered.
Your skin is looked at first. You and Dr. Gallacher both wear eye protection. Pulses are then given either across the red areas or along single vessels. The VBeam has a cooling device built into it that puffs a cold spray onto the skin with every pulse, so most people feel a warm, tingling snap rather than pain. Sessions are quick, they are done here in the office, and you go home afterwards. How long it takes depends on how big an area is being treated.
Who may be a good candidate for laser rosacea treatment?
Who is the laser suitable for?
Laser is most useful when persistent redness or visible vessels remain the main concern after diagnosis. Skin tone matters, because the pigment in the skin competes with hemoglobin for the laser light. VBeam works very well on fair skin and moderately well on olive skin. In richer skin tones more of the light is absorbed by pigment rather than by the vessel, which reduces the effect and raises the risk of a pigment change, so Dr. Gallacher will assess suitability and may recommend a different approach. A recent tan changes the same calculation. Inflammatory bumps and eye symptoms still need medical treatment even when a laser is dealing with the redness.
The laser is most useful when redness that stays, or visible vessels, are still the main thing bothering you after the diagnosis is made. Your skin tone matters, because the pigment in skin competes with blood for the laser light. VBeam works very well on fair skin and reasonably well on olive skin. In darker skin more of the light is taken up by pigment instead of by the vessel. That makes it work less well and raises the chance of a change in skin color, so Dr. Gallacher will check whether it suits you and may suggest something else. A recent tan changes the same sums. Inflamed bumps and sore eyes still need medical treatment, even when a laser is handling the redness.
- Patients with active infection, open skin or a significant flare may need to wait.
- Skin tone and recent tanning affect laser selection and settings.
- Eye symptoms or prominent inflammatory bumps still need medical management even if laser is used for redness.
- An infection, broken skin, or a bad flare, may mean waiting.
- Your skin tone, and any recent tan, affect which laser is used and at what settings.
- Sore eyes, and prominent inflamed bumps, still need medical treatment, even if a laser is dealing with the redness.
What is recovery after VBeam for rosacea?
What is the recovery like?
Redness and swelling after treatment are expected, and in Dr. Gallacher's practice they generally last 1 to 2 days. Swelling can be more noticeable around the eyes. Some vascular laser settings are deliberately chosen to produce purpura, a temporary bruise like discoloration, and where those settings are used the mark can stay visible for longer while the vessels clear. Dr. Gallacher will tell you before treatment which of these to expect, so you can plan around it. Gentle skin care and sun protection matter throughout. The result appears gradually as the treated vessels are cleared.
Redness and swelling afterwards are normal. In Dr. Gallacher's practice they usually last 1 to 2 days. Swelling around the eyes can be more obvious. Some laser settings are chosen on purpose to leave a temporary bruise, and if those are used the mark stays visible for longer while the vessels clear. Dr. Gallacher will tell you beforehand which of the two to expect, so you can plan around it. Be gentle with your skin and keep the sun off it. The result comes in slowly, as the treated vessels are cleared away.
Redness, warmth and swelling are common; swelling can be more noticeable around the eyes.
Redness, warmth and swelling are usual. Swelling around the eyes can be more noticeable.
If purpura-producing settings are used, purple discoloration may remain visible while vessels clear.
If the settings were meant to bruise, you will have purple marks while the vessels clear.
Gentle skin care and sun protection are important; results develop as treated vessels fade.
Be gentle with your skin and keep the sun off it. The result appears as the treated vessels fade away.
Diagram showing VBeam laser targeting superficial facial blood vessels
A diagram showing the laser targeting the small blood vessels near the surface of the face.
What are the benefits, risks and alternatives?
What are the benefits, risks and alternatives?
| Topic | Key points |
|---|---|
| Potential benefits | Less persistent redness, fewer visible vessels and improved confidence when vascular features are the main target. |
| Common temporary effects | Redness, swelling, tenderness and sometimes bruising/purpura. |
| Less common risks | Blistering, pigment change, prolonged redness, infection or scarring are possible with laser treatment. |
| Alternatives / complements | Prescription medication, trigger reduction, gentle skin care, sunscreen, other vascular devices, or no procedure. |
What you can gain Less lasting redness, fewer visible vessels, and feeling better about your face, when those are what is bothering you.
What is normal afterwards Redness, swelling, tenderness, and sometimes a bruise.
Less common risks Blisters, a change in skin colour, redness that drags on, infection, or scarring.
Other options Prescription medicine, avoiding your triggers, gentle skin care, sunscreen, a different laser, or doing nothing at all.
How long do rosacea treatment results last?
How long do results last?
Rosacea is a chronic condition, so treatment controls what is visible rather than removing the underlying tendency. The vessels that are treated are cleared and do not return, but over time the redness and new vessels will very slowly start to grow and show up on the skin again. That is normal, and it is growth of new vessels rather than failure of the previous treatment. In Dr. Gallacher's experience the improvement lasts somewhere between six months and two years, and a periodic follow up treatment is all that is needed to keep them at bay.
Rosacea is a long term condition. Treatment controls what you can see. It does not take away the underlying tendency. The vessels that are treated are cleared and do not come back, but over time the redness, and new vessels, will very slowly start to grow and show on the skin again. That is normal. It is new vessels growing, not the last treatment wearing off. In Dr. Gallacher's experience the improvement lasts somewhere between six months and two years, and a follow up treatment now and then is all it takes to keep them down.
Skin care between treatments
Skin care between treatments
A rosacea skin care regimen set up for your skin also helps prolong the improvement between laser sessions. In practice that means a gentle cleanser and moisturizer, no fragrance, daily sun protection, and avoiding the products and the triggers that reliably set your face off. None of this replaces the laser for established vessels, but it reduces the inflammatory load the laser has to work against, and it stretches the interval before you need to come back.
A skin care routine set up for your rosacea helps the laser result last longer between sessions. That means a gentle cleanser and moisturizer, nothing perfumed, sunscreen every day, and staying away from the products and the triggers that reliably set your face off. None of that replaces the laser for vessels you already have. It does take some of the load off, and it stretches out the gap before you need to come back.
What the laser does not treat
What the laser does not treat
The pulsed dye laser is aimed at the vascular features of rosacea. It is not a treatment for the inflammatory bumps, which are managed with prescription therapy, and it is not a treatment for ocular rosacea, which needs its own assessment and may need eyelid care, medication or referral. Most patients with a mixed picture are managed with a combination plan rather than with one or the other.
The pulsed dye laser is aimed at the blood vessel side of rosacea. It is not the treatment for the inflamed bumps. Those need prescription treatment. It is not the treatment for rosacea in the eyes either. That needs its own assessment, and may need eyelid care, medicine, or a referral. If you have a mix of these, you will usually be treated with a combination rather than with one thing only.
Illustrative result
What a result can look like
Illustration, not a patient photograph. Before and after VBeam treatment for rosacea-related facial redness. It shows the kind of change this treatment is intended to produce. Individual results vary, and no outcome is guaranteed. Photographs of real patients are published only with written consent.
This is a drawing, not a photo of a patient. It shows a before and after for laser treatment of rosacea redness, to give you an idea of the kind of change it aims at. Results are different for everyone, and nothing is guaranteed. We only publish photos of real patients with their written permission.
The pictures below show the kind of change pulsed-dye laser treatment can make to persistent redness and visible vessels. They are shown to illustrate what the treatment does, not to predict your own outcome, which depends on how much redness and how many vessels are present and on how you respond. Drag the divider to compare, or open any picture for the detail. Individual results vary.
The pictures below show the kind of change the vascular laser can make to lasting redness and visible veins. They are there to show what the treatment does, not to predict your result, which depends on how much redness you have and how you respond. Drag the line across to compare, or open any picture to see it larger. Results are different for everyone.
Getting in touch
Getting in touch
If you are bothered by redness and broken blood vessels on your face, call us or request a consultation with Dr. Gallacher to discuss the right rosacea treatment for you. She will examine your skin, tell you which of your features will respond to a laser and which need medical treatment, and she will perform the laser treatment herself. Tell us the day and time that suit you and the office will confirm with you directly.
If the redness and the broken blood vessels on your face bother you, call us, or ask for a consultation with Dr. Gallacher, and she will talk you through the right rosacea treatment for you. She will look at your skin, tell you which parts will respond to a laser and which parts need medicine, and she will do the laser treatment herself. Tell us the day and time that suit you, and the office will confirm with you directly.
Questions patients ask
What does laser rosacea treatment involve?
What is the laser treatment like?
Rosacea laser treatment at Dermatology and Laser Centre is performed with the VBeam pulsed-dye laser, a 595 nm vascular laser aimed at the blood in the small vessels that carry the redness. Your skin is assessed first, eye protection is placed, and pulses are then delivered either across a diffusely red area or traced along individual visible vessels. The treated vessels are closed by the laser and cleared by your own body over the following weeks, which is what reduces both the background redness and the broken capillaries. Sessions are short and are carried out here in the office, with no sedation and no recovery room. Dr. Gallacher performs every laser treatment herself. She does not delegate rosacea laser work to an assistant, a nurse or a technician, because the settings have to be adjusted vessel by vessel and face by face as the treatment is being delivered.
We treat rosacea redness with the VBeam laser. It is a laser tuned to a colour of light that the blood in small vessels soaks up. Dr. Gallacher looks at your skin first. You are given eye protection. Then she works over the red areas, and traces the visible vessels one at a time where she needs to. The laser closes those vessels. Your body clears them away over the next few weeks, and the redness fades with them. Sessions are quick. They are done here in the office. There is no sedation and nothing to recover from on the day. Dr. Gallacher does every laser treatment herself. She does not hand it to an assistant, a nurse or a technician, because the settings have to be changed as she goes, vessel by vessel, face by face.
How many VBeam sessions are needed?
How many sessions will I need?
In Dr. Gallacher's practice most patients need an average of three treatments to reach near complete clearance of the redness and visible vessels. The exact number varies with how much redness there is, the size and depth of the vessels, your skin tone and the settings used, so three is her average rather than a promise. She will tell you after the first session how you are responding.
In Dr. Gallacher's practice most people need about three treatments to get close to clear. The exact number depends on how much redness there is, how big and how deep the vessels are, your skin tone and the settings used. Three is her average, not a promise. After the first session she will tell you how your skin is responding.
How long do results last?
How long will it last?
Rosacea vessels can come back over time. Some people keep the improvement for months to years and return for occasional treatment, but the timing varies.
The vessels can come back over time. Some people hold the improvement for months to years and come back occasionally. It varies.
What are the side effects of VBeam for rosacea?
What are the side effects?
Side effects are minimal and temporary. Redness and swelling are expected and generally settle within 1 to 2 days, and any residual effect has usually resolved within a week. Where purpuric settings are used a temporary bruise like discoloration is part of the treatment rather than a complication. Less common risks include blistering, a change in skin color, prolonged redness, infection or scarring. These are discussed with you before treatment.
Side effects are small and temporary. Redness and swelling are expected, and usually settle in 1 to 2 days. Anything left over has normally gone within a week. If bruising settings are used, the temporary purple mark is part of the treatment, not something going wrong. Less commonly you can get blisters, a change in skin color, redness that drags on, an infection, or a scar. These are all discussed with you beforehand.
Are creams or laser better for rosacea?
Creams or laser?
They do different jobs, and for most patients the answer is both. Metronidazole cream and oral antibiotics treat the pimples and the inflammation. They do not remove dilated vessels and they do not clear the fixed redness those vessels create. The pulsed dye laser treats exactly that, and compared with creams it gives a more effective and longer lasting improvement in the redness. Neither one replaces the other.
They do different jobs, and most people need both. Metronidazole cream and antibiotic tablets treat the pimples and the inflammation. They do not remove stretched blood vessels, and they do not clear the settled redness those vessels cause. The pulsed dye laser does exactly that, and next to creams it gives a better and longer lasting improvement in the redness. Neither one replaces the other.
Can I prevent rosacea flares?
Can I prevent flares?
Identifying personal triggers, using gentle fragrance-free skin care, protecting the skin from sun and following prescribed treatment can reduce flares, although rosacea cannot always be completely prevented.
Working out your own triggers, using gentle fragrance free products, keeping the sun off your face, and sticking to your treatment all cut the flares down. You cannot always prevent them completely.
Does it hurt?
Does it hurt?
Most patients report mild discomfort or none at all. The VBeam has a built in dynamic cooling device that sprays a cold cryogen mist onto the skin as the laser fires, which reduces the sensation to a warm tingle or a light snap. Protective eyewear is worn by you and by Dr. Gallacher throughout.
Most people find it mildly uncomfortable, or not uncomfortable at all. The VBeam has a cooling device built in. It puffs a cold spray onto your skin as the laser fires, which brings the feeling down to a warm tingle or a light snap. You and Dr. Gallacher both wear eye protection the whole time.
I have the same redness on my neck and chest. Can that be treated too?
My neck and chest are red too. Can that be treated?
Redness and visible vessels on the neck and the upper chest are common alongside facial rosacea and are treated on the same principle with the same vascular laser. The area is larger and the skin is thinner, so the plan is discussed separately at your consultation.
Redness and visible vessels on the neck and upper chest often come along with rosacea on the face. They are treated on the same principle, with the same vascular laser. The area is bigger and the skin is thinner, so that part is planned separately when you come in.
Talk it through with a physician first.
Every plan starts with an assessment of your skin, your anatomy and what you actually want to change.
This page is general health information, not medical advice. It cannot tell you whether a treatment is right for you. Approved uses, risks and results differ from person to person, and product labelling changes. Ask us at Dermatology and Laser Centre about your own situation, or make an appointment, and seek urgent care for any serious symptom.
