Pulsed dye laser
A pulsed laser at 595 nm whose light is absorbed by the red blood pigment. We use it for dilated capillaries, couperose and rosacea, port-wine stains, haemangiomas and spider veins.
Overview
The flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye laser emits light at a wavelength of 595 nanometres. This light is absorbed almost exclusively by the red blood pigment (haemoglobin). In the vessels it reaches, the light energy is converted into heat, and the vessel is thereby closed, effectively “welded” shut; the surrounding tissue barely absorbs the light and is largely spared. This principle is known as selective photothermolysis.
It can be used to treat vascular changes of the skin: dilated capillaries (telangiectasia), couperose and the vascular component of rosacea, port-wine stains, haemangiomas, spider naevi and spider veins. Smaller changes are often treated with a few light pulses; larger or deeper vascular malformations as a rule need several treatment cycles, and not every change can be removed completely. Depending on the settings, a temporary bluish discolouration (purpura) can occur after the treatment.
In our practice we use the Vbeam pulsed dye laser made by Candela for this. The procedure, downtime, risks and contraindications are described on the treatment page; the individual conditions are covered on the linked indication pages.
Areas of application
- Dilated blood vessels (telangiectasia, couperose, rubeosis faciei, telangiectatic rosacea)
- Haemangioma (strawberry mark)
- Port-wine stain (naevus flammeus)
- Spider naevus (naevus araneus)
- Spider veins
- Warts (verrucae vulgares)
- Scars and keloids
- Psoriasis
- Stretch marks (striae cutis distensae) while they are still red
- (Periorbital) wrinkles around the eyes