Thank goodness for new laser treatment for Rosacea! So, you are one of those people that seems to always have redness on your face and you are tired of people asking you do you feel all right. You look flushed or as if you have been out in the sun – but only part of your face is affected. You occasionally break out in pimples, which for a thirty-year-old is embarrassing. You are finally diagnosed by your Dermatologist with a condition called Rosacea. There is treatment available.
Are You Sure It’s Rosacea?
There are many potential causes for this skin condition: sun, stress, wind, heavy exercise, alcohol consumption, hot baths, and spicy foods just to name a few. Rosacea is a chronic condition that can affect all ages and if left untreated can worsen over time. It can affect both sexes but is almost three times more common in women. The typical age it appears is between thirty and sixty years old. It creates discoloration of the face, neck, and chest. It can also affect the eyes. Rosacea leaves the skin extremely sensitive. Due to the tenderness of the skin the heat from a shower, a hair dryer, the scrubbing of the skin with a washcloth can exacerbate the condition. Although it may appear to be a little or unknown problem there are many famous people who have experienced the condition, according to a recent article: Cameron Diaz, Bill Clinton, Princess Diana and her son William, and comedian W.C. Fields just to name a few.
Laser Treatment for Rosacea is One Option
Left without treatment, the nose, cheeks, forehead and other areas of the face will gradually darken with noticeable blood vessels and soreness. Treatment has been available for some time once a diagnosis is made. Mild cases are left untreated but more severe cases have been treated in the past with topical and oral antibiotic agents until recently. Enter the technology of laser, specifically laser treatment for Rosacea. This laser technology, commonly known as photoderm and vasculight lasers, Pulsed Dye Laser (PDL) or in more recent technology, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) sends an intense beam of light directly onto the affected area. What it does specifically is mitigate the inflamed capillaries and damaged skin, which then prevents the blood from giving the skin its discoloration.
Advanced laser technology in the laser treatment for Rosacea allows for more accurate surgery in locating and destroying the Rosacea symptoms. Because it is a noninvasive surgery anesthesia is rarely involved, although it is reported to still be somewhat painful. However, numerous treatments may be necessary to completely eradicate the condition. Following your laser treatment for Rosacea, there may be minor side affects you experience. One common consequence is bruising which may last a week to ten days. Other issues may include inflammation, puffiness and minor discomfort, a crust may occur on the skin for a short time.
Costs of Laser Treatment for Rosacea
Laser treatments come with a typical price tag of between $150 to $300 per treatment if the symptoms are mild, but in more severe cases you could be looking at around the $500 mark. If you’re one of the unfortunate ones who’s been “blessed” with phymatous rosacea (thickened skin and a bulbous nose) then you’re basically looking at laser treatment for rhinophyma (a “nose job”). This is a one time procedure and normally costs anywhere between $1,500 and $3,000. Because medical insurers classify it as a “procedure” you may also find that the medical bill is not covered.
The key to safe surgery is an informed patient. Take the time to research the clinic and physician who is going to conduct the procedure. Do not be duped with fancy self-serving ads put on by a clinic or laser center. Choose an experienced physician with hundreds, if not thousands, of surgeries under his belt. Careful consideration should be given to which physician will be performing the procedure. If you feel like you are getting a hard sell, you probably are. Go down the road. But while doing all this investigation, do not forget the benefits you will be getting from laser treatment for your Rosacea. In today’s technology, the rewards should truly out weigh the risk.
How Effective is Laser Treatment for Rosacea?
A recent study with 16 patients treated by the Pulsed Dye Laser method, found that after just one treatment, every patient experienced significant improvement. Following the second treatment, redness abated by forty to sixty percent. Not only that, but patients also reported a decreasing number of incidents where flushing, burning, itching, dryness or sensitivity were present. They felt they now experienced an improved quality of life. Although there were some minor side effects like crusting and dark spots, these were successfully treated in subsequent sessions.
This Video Explains How Laser Treatment for Rosacea Works
