Vascular Laser Treatment is an effective way of treating vascular diseases such as port-wine stain birthmarks, Telangiectasias or spider veins, and strawberry Hemangiomas. All these diseases vary from each other in terms of severity. Telangiectasias usually affect single vessels. It is a harmless disease, whereas Hemangiomas grows rapidly after birth and may affect vision or breathing, if left unattended. Another disease that grows with the patient and never goes away with time is a Port-wine stain. With the help of laser surgery, all these aliments can be treated without much discomfort. A laser therapy can eliminate leg veins up to 2mm width.
Laser treatment is very safe and convenient. It has no major complications or side effects attached to it. Most of the physicians recommend it, in fact for the treatment of infants as well. This treatment has a unique ability. It eliminates the diseased area only without adversely affecting the surrounding tissue.
Vascular laser treatment depends on number of factors, such as size and type of the affected area. Small broken vessels require only a few pulses, whereas other vascular lesions, such as port wine stains, require many more. Even the leg veins need more than one laser session.
Laser therapy is more suitable for lighter skin types. The reason behind this fact is that pigment is often closer to the surface of the skin than the blood vessels of a lesion. Deeply pigmented skin or tanned skin may act as a barrier and prevent the laser light from reaching the lesion.
Some Preventive Measures
• Immediately after the therapy, use an ice pack on the treated area. It gives a soothing effect.
• If required, physicians will advice you to apply a topical antibiotic cream or ointment on the area.
• Do not apply any skin cleanser on the treated portion for few weeks.
• Do not scrub the area.
• A bandage or patch is helpful in preventing irritation of the treated area.
• To get optimum results, you should avoid suntanning.
• Avoid exposure to the sun or use a sunscreen recommended by your physician on the treated area.
Side Effects
After vascular laser treatment, you might experience a blue-grey discoloration of the skin at the treatment area. This temporary effect is called Purpura. It diminishes automatically after 5-7 days. Depending on the skin type, site of the treatment, and size of the lesion, in a few patients, it might even take a couple of weeks to disappear. In case of a leg vein treatment, this discoloration might remain for two weeks or so.
If you want the best results from a vascular laser treatment, follow all the pre and post operative cautionary steps to minimize any side effects of the treatment.