Vessel alternations in the face or cleavage areas can occur in diverse forms and intensities. On fair skin, they are often especially visible and hence perceived as bothersome. They can result from skin diseases, longstanding UV light exposure and skin aging but also as an undesired side effect of a drug therapy.
Indications for treatment result for example from telangiectasia (visibly widened vessels, e.g. due to couperose), extensive redness in cases of rosacea, nevi aranei (spider angioma), small spider veins, haemangioma or nevi flammei (port-wine stains or firemarks).
A so-called LBO laser (lithium-borate) is used for the treatment of netlike, nodular vessel changes. The laser beam is absorbed by the red blood pigments (haemoglobin) in the vessels and therefore causes the vascular walls to “stick” together. Very delicate vessels that lead to a diffuse reddening are treated by means of high-energy light impulses (IPL – “intensed pulsed light”). Depending on the clinical diagnosis of the skin alteration, also a combination of both techniques is possible.
The treatments are usually low on pain and can be accompanied by cryoanaesthesia (cooling) for better tolerance.
Some vessel alterations can be fully removed in one laser session but often follow-up sessions are necessary. Your doctor will discuss your individual case with you.
