Laser for Facial Veins, Rosacea, Ruby Spots, Venous Lakes, Spider Nevi... 

Light energy is absorbed by dark things (making them hot) and reflected by white things. A black car in the sun gets very hot. A white car doesn't.

Veins are actually white. The blood inside them is dark. In vein treatments the laser energy is absorbed by the blood. This produces a rapid rise in temperature of the blood, and that heat damages the vein. The body will break down the damaged vein.  

Some vessels are only injured and do not die. They may go into spasm and be invisible for an hour or two, and then return. These vessels need to be treated again.

Some vessels do not appear to have been damaged initially, but they shrivel and disappear over the next two to three weeks.

At York Laser and MedSpa, we use the Candela Gentle YAG Pro. It was chosen because of its efficacy and high safety profile. In generic terms, this is an NdYAG laser. NdYAG lasers are the most popular lasers for hair removal and vein treatments. They have been in common use around the world since about 2000. We bought our first one in 2002. (We've worn out two, and we're on our third!)    

We also use the Alma Harmony IPL device. This intense pulsed light device is used for treating the finer veins. 

The most common condition we treat is rosacea. In most rosacea treatment sessions, the Gentle YAG is used for larger veins immediately followed by the Harmony for finer veins.

There is no easy answer to this question, since pain perception and tolerance varies greatly from person to person.

Laser treatment of veins results in mild to moderate pain. It feels like hot jolts.

When IPL is used ,treatment is generally well tolerated, producing a brief hot zing.

We use skin cooling to decrease discomfort. The Gentle YAG shoots a squirt of cryogen (super cold liquid) immediately before the laser shot. This cools the skin to protect it and make the laser shot more comfortable. We also use a Zimmer cooler. This is basically a freezer that blows air at sub-zero temperatures to cool the skin. 

Topical anesthetic creams are available, but they produce constriction of blood vessels, which reduces the efficacy of treatment. These creams are useful for hair removal or IPL pigment treatments, but they cannot be used for vein treatments.

Laser vein treatment causes mild to moderate pain. This pain is momentary, like a pinprick or the snap of an elastic band. It rarely persists following the treatment.

Mild redness is normal and usually lasts a few hours for IPL and one or two days for laser.

Rarely, the powerful light of the laser can cause burning and blistering. Burns are only one to two millimeters in diameter. Most burns heal uneventfully, but burning may lead to scarring like the ones you get from chickenpox or acne. 

Skin color changes can occur. This can be increased pigmentation (melanin and/or hemosiderin) or decreased pigmentation. Recent exposure to sunlight or tanning booths will increase the risk dramatically when using IPL. This effect is almost always temporary, usually lasting a few weeks to months.

Bruising occasionally complicates laser treatment of veins. Generally, these bruises resolve in one week or so.

Occasionally people develop a light-induced rash (photodermatitis), which can be intensely itchy but resolves spontaneously in a few days. It can be treated with cortisone cream.

Since the laser and IPL can also damge hair follicles, you may lose some hair in the treated area.

Goggles must be worn during the procedure to protect your eyes.

Absolutely not. The wavelength of light that produces skin cancer is in the ultraviolet range of the spectrum. The Gentle YAG laser produces light at the opposite end of the spectrum in the infrared range. It will not cause skin cancer.

Intense pulsed light contains all wavelengths of light, but the short wavelengths in the ultraviolet range are all filtered out.

Veins that are destroyed by the laser will not regenerate. Veins that are only damaged may persist. Some veins are not damaged at all and remain unchanged.

The most common condition we treat is rosacea. Since laser and IPL treatments do not alter the underlying condition, new vessels will develop. Facial vein treatments for rosacea are commonly repeated every two years or so, but this is highly variable.

The goal of treatment is improvement, not perfection. Your expectations must be realistic.

Most people are satisfied with facial veins treatments after only one or two treatments. Occasionally, three treatments are required. Most commonly, a single session is required combining laser for the larger vessels followed by IPL for the smaller vessels.*

The Gentle YAG laser is very safe for all skin types when we are doing laser hair removal. But the higher energy used for vein treatments may not be tolerated by darker skinned people. Blacks and East Indians may be too pigmented to treat safely. A small test patch in a less visible area is recommended.

The darker your skin color, the more dangerous the laser is to your skin. This is because melanin in the skin absorbs the laser light, and this heats the skin.

In most cases, a bit of suntan is not significant. However, for certain individuals, this little bit of tan may put your skin over the threshold for burning or pigment changes when treating veins.

Therefore, it is preferable, but not absolutely necessary, to treat untanned skin. Fall, winter, and early spring are the best times of year for laser/IPL treatments.

Laser or IPL treatment of the face usually take about 15 minutes. Usually 60 to 120 laser pulses are required. IPL uses a larger spot size, so the same area might require about 20 pulses.

Small areas the size of a loonie can be treated in a few minutes with 10-20 laser pulses.

Over a period of six weeks or so, veins that did not seem to respond to treatment may fade and disappear. Therefore, we recommend waiting four to six weeks for maximum benefit to become evident, before deciding on further treatment.

It is perfectly reasonable to take Tylenol with or without codeine prior to treatment. Aspirin, naproxen, and ibuprofen (and any other anti-inflammatory medication) should be avoided because they may contribute to bruising.

Topical anesthetic creams are available, but they produce constriction of blood vessels, which reduces the success of treatment. These creams are useful when we are doing hair removal, but they cannot be used for vein treatments.

The ultimate goal is for you to achieve instantaneous results and leave the office free of visible veins. This is possible with some veins, but most commonly the treated veins take two or three weeks to disappear. You might look worse before you look better, because some injured veins take on an inflamed angry look as the body breaks them down.

Redness always occurs and may persist for two or three days.

Treatment of facial veins is very unlikely to produce any adverse reaction such as swelling, bruising, and blistering. Makeup will easily cover most adverse skin reactions that occur. This is in contrast to laser treatments in the early days, when swelling , blistering, and bruising were considered normal and were evident for two or three weeks following treatment.

Tiny blood clots may form inside the vessel leaving a blue streak. You can see a few little blue spots in the last photo above, which was taken immediately following a laser treatment. These clots are harmless and will disappear over two weeks or so along with the vein.

Burning and blistering rarely occur. In most cases these burns are only one or two millimeters in diameter and heal uneventfully. If a scar forms, it will have the appearance of an acne or chickenpox scar.

You should avoid exposure to the sun and use sunscreen with at least SPF 30 for about five days following laser treatment and two weeks following IPL treatment. We have a variety of excellent sunscreens with broad-spectrum coverage of damaging UV-A and UV-B rays.

Avoid hot baths for a few days.

Otherwise, there are no restrictions. You can return to your daily activities immediately.

No. This treatment is considered to be cosmetic.

Generally speaking, extended health insurance will not cover facial vein treatments, but this depends on your policy. Check with your insurance agent.

Health Spending Acccounts cover most services provided by a physician. Facial vein laser treatments should be covered. Check with your Human Resources department.

As of March 2010, medical services that are purely for cosmetic purposes ceased to qualify for the medical tax credit.

Call us today to book your consultation with the doctor: (905) 726-1126

We require 3 business days notice for cancellation of your consultation or treatment, in order to fill the appointment time. If sufficient notice is not given, the full value of the treatment to be done may be charged. The minimum charge for a missed appointment or late cancellation is $100 (one hundred dollars).