Everything You Need To Know About Laser Treatments for Rosy Skin

Everything You Need To Know About Laser Treatments for Rosy Skin

An estimated 5% of the global adult population are diagnosed with rosy skin.

Rosy skin is a skin condition that affects millions of people across the globe. In fact an estimated 5% of the global adult population have rosy skin (around 45 million people), and one in every 600 people in the UK are diagnosed with the condition.

 

With more people than ever seeking laser treatment for this type of issues, the knowledge and treatment of this skin condition is growing rapidly. Although a chronic skin condition, there are increasingly effective ways to treat rosy skin and rebalance the skin’s inflammatory response.

 

What is rosy skin exactly?

Rosy skin is predominantly found on the face and categorised as persistent rosy skin caused by dilated blood vessels, small bumps and sometimes pus-filled spots, similar to acne. Flare-ups fluctuate in response to diet, stress, hormones and environment, making managing the treatment an ever-shifting target.

 

Much like eczema, anyone can develop spots, mild discolouration or acne, as some call it, but it most commonly affects fair skin tones, individuals between 40 and 60 and more often presents in women rather than men.

 

There are different types of rosy skin, though many people experience symptoms of more than one type:

 

  • Erythematotelangiectatic rosy skin - more common in women, this intermittent flushing and rosy skin on the central parts of the face looks similar to sunburn. This is often the first symptom of rosy skin and others may or may not develop from this.

  • Papules and pustules - small lumpy spots and cysts similar to acne that come and go or in some cases remain long-term.

  • Telangiectasia - A dense network of broken blood vessels and thread veins across the nose and cheeks

  • Rhinophyma rosy skin - more common in men, skin on the nose is thickened and the sebaceous glands are enlarged.

  • Ocular rosy skin - symptoms revolve around the eyes and include bloodshot eyes, watery eyes, dry or itchy eyes, difficulty seeing and light sensitivity.


The signs and symptoms of rosy skin include:

 

  • Small dilated blood vessels

  • Intense pink skin in the centre of the face

  • Bumps and pus-filled spots

  • Rashes across the entire face

  • Transient and periodic flushing that differs in its severity

  • Inflamed skin on the apples of the cheeks

  • Increased sensitivity

  • Stinging or burning sensation when topical products are applied

What are the main causes of rosy skin?

The exact cause of rosy skin is not fully known but it seems to stem from a combination of both genetic and environmental influences.

 

Rosy skin can be genetic

There is strong evidence to suggest rosy skin as hereditary. Rosy skin tends to run in families and studies suggest that people with roy skin are four times more likely to have a family history of the skin condition. It is widely considered in the medical community to be associated with abnormalities of blood vessels. Blood vessels when over-dilated, cause flushing of the skin.

 

Rosy skin from inflammation

It is also associated with abnormal inflammation. Inflammation is a normal immune system response to injury and foreign invaders, such as bacteria but abnormal inflammation impairs the skin's ability to act as a protective barrier for the body.

Research suggests rosy skin is linked to abnormal inflammation and a disruption of the skin barrier.

 

Rosy skin from the environment

There are certain lifestyle and environmental elements that often exacerbate rosy skin and directly result in flare-ups. These most commonly include:

 

  • alcohol (in particular red wine, beer, gin and vodka)

  • exercise

  • extreme high and low temperatures

  • ultraviolet rays from sun exposure

  • hot drinks

  • spicy foods

  • emotional stress

  • active or fragranced skincare

  • long-term use of steroid creams on the face may cause more severe symptoms and thread veins

Skincare for rosy skin and inflammation

Dermatologists can prescribe effective, targeted skincare for rosy skin which is definitely a good start point for progressed cases.
 

LYMA Skincare is a new category of proven skincare actives that support and strengthen your skin to effectively treat rosy skin, sensitivity and inflammation. It's the world's best performing two-step bioactive skin protocol addressing the root causes of skin aging including inflammation, an unbalanced skin microbiome and compromised skin barrier. 

  • Quercevita™ is engineered to reduce inflammation through 14 revolutionary anti-inflammatory actions. Encased within an innovative delivery system, enables it to reach deeper layers of the skin, resulting in quicker and improved efficacy.
  • Wellmune® Hydrolysed Beta Glucans are natural compounds which provide increased immuno-surveillance and immune-modulatory effects. These 1-3, 1-6 beta glucans derived from baker's yeast, boost skin health by simultaneously reducing inflammation and causing an up-regulation in adaptive immunity.
  • Levagen® brings down cellular inflammation throughout the skin and reinstates resilience to stress.
  • L22® and aurafirm create an optimal microbiome environment that strengthens skin, reducing rosy skin and restoring firmness.
  • PrimaHyal™ 50 Hyaluronic Acid creates an anti-dehydration shield and boosts skin barrier function by 150%

 

How to treat inflamed skin with Laser

Laser treatment for rosy skin is the most effective course of action, though which light therapy is best for rosy skin, continues to be widely debated. The powerful energy emitted from laser beams is able to break up enlarged blood vessels, shrinking them, so they can be reabsorbed into the skin. Laser’s ability to pinpoint specific areas makes it amongst the best treatments for rosy skin.

 

Before we describe all the types of in-clinic laser treatments that are generally expensive, painful and usually very hard to recover from, let us explore the booming world of at-home laser technologies and devices currently on the market.

 

At-home lasers for skin

The ongoing and fluctuating nature of rosy skin makes home treatment an ideal option. Investing time and money into a course of clinical laser treatment for rosy skin is likely to achieve good results but the ensuing maintenance can best be managed at home with a powerful, yet safe device. What’s more, lasers for mild rosy skin can be too harsh on the skin and cause unwanted damage when targeting minimal rosy skin and flushing.

 

LED light therapy

There are hundreds of at-home devices for rosy skin that work to varying levels but the most common DIY approach to treating it are LED light therapy masks and devices. LED light can seem effective at bringing down inflammation in the skin, calming inflammation and treating sensitivity. However, the strength of most LED devices on the current market is so low (only up to 25 MW) that they are not yet proven to be be effective on veins or blood vessels, so are unlikely to be a worthwhile treatment for advanced cases of rosy skin.

 

At home lasers and LYMA

There are a multitude of IPL and LED devices for at-home rosy skin treatment but there is only one clinic-grade laser safe enough to use away from professional supervision.

 

Considered by scientific experts around the globe as the best at-home Laser for rosy skin, the LYMA Laser treats and renews skin without any heat, damage or pain as clinical lasers do. This unique technology surpasses any other laser on the market in its ability to heal and regenerate skin by transferring energy directly to skin cells, rather than causing damage to trigger the healing process.


What’s more, the LYMA Laser can be used every day at home as an immediate response to skin color fluctuations. This flexibility of use makes the LYMA device arguably the best Laser for rosy skin, inflammation and flushing.

In-clinic lasers for rosy skin

In-clinic lasers have widely been proven as a very effective treatment for inflamed skin. Clinic grade lasers administered by highly trained professionals can achieve comparatively dramatic before and after results for rosy skin across all presentations of the condition. Although there are a myriad of choices, when it comes to laser treatments for rosy skin the most commonly used are Erbium:YAG, Pulsed Dye Lasers and IPL.

 

IPL

Doctors and dermatologists will often favour IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) as the best treatment for rosy skin. Although IPL is not technically a laser, the use of IPL has shown significant clearing in erythema, telangiectasia and papules in rosy skin. Indeed, a recent study found IPL treatment for rosy skin resulted in 80% of patients seeing a reduction in rosy skin, 78% of patients reported reduced flushing and improved skin texture and 72% noted fewer acne form breakouts.

 

How quickly does IPL work for rosy skin?

IPL commonly requires between 3-6 sessions, spaced 6 weeks apart, which can equate to between 6 and 12 months before your rosy skin has been fully addressed. Some cases of rosy skin will disappear after the first session but these would likely be very minor cases.

 

How long does IPL last?

Results of IPL usually last for approximately twelve months before maintenance appointments are required. Although rosy skin that has been treated by IPL will not reoccur, new blood vessels can appear at any time, so further treatment is required.

 

PDL for rosy skin

PDL stands for Pulsed Dye Laser which means that a special dye is incorporated to generate different wavelengths, which vary the depth to which the laser beam can travel into the skin. The laser light is absorbed by oxyhaemoglobin in the blood vessels, which sit at varying levels within the skin. Therefore being able to change this target depth, makes Pulsed Dye Lasers highly adept at erasing facial inflammation and vascular lesions.

 

Is the VBeam or IPL better for rosy skin? 

VBeam is the leading model of pulsed dye laser, widely offered for vascular conditions in dermatological clinics around the world. The VBeam works on long wavelengths to target blood vessels and shrink them. Opinion differs on which is better; the VBeam or IPL for rosy skin. Both achieve similar results but the VBeam comes with more settings and attachments and tends to achieve those results slightly quicker than IPL. However, IPL can target larger areas of concern and appears to achieve preferable results for sun-induced rosy skin.


CO2 lasers for rosy skin

CO2 lasers and the Erbium:YAG are types of ablative laser widely proven to be successful at treating rhinophyma rosy skin, (bulbous thickening of the skin). Ablative lasers are the most intense and destructive to skin and as such, can effectively resurface the face. By creating controlled, extensive wounding the skin is forced to generate new collagen and repair itself. Administering CO2 lasers for rosy skin would likely be reserved for extreme cases only.

 

Excel laser for rosy skin

The excel V™+ laser has dual wavelengths within it for treating spider veins, leg veins and skin inflammation. Firstly it contains a KTP laser which has a shorter wavelength absorbed by blood and pigment, making ktp a good laser treatment for rosy skin. Secondly it also has a long pulse 1064nm Nd:YAG laser, made up of green light for targeting larger blue veins and blood vessels. Reported results are impressive but excel laser treatment is still very new, highly expensive and not widely available. Like all clinical lasers, the excel V laser causes purposeful damage to the skin, so considerable downtime is involved.

 

Laser Genesis for rosy skin

Laser Genesis is the lowest setting on a Nd:YAG non-ablative laser that’s made by Cutera for rosy skin. The heat from the laser can work to constrict blood vessels, therefore combating rosy skin and achieving subtle results with no downtime. This is the most gentle laser treatment for rosy skin that presents as mild and not overly advanced. Unlike most other clinical laser treatments, Laser Genesis can also be carried out in the summer months, when skin is tanned. Normal activity and make-up can be resumed straight away following Laser Genesis treatment, making it an increasingly popular lunch-hour skin rejuvenation treatment or to lessen inflammation before an event.


Risks and complications of in-clinic laser treatments

All in-clinic laser treatment comes with associated risks and complications. Classed as non-surgical, lasers are nonetheless still highly intensive and require due consideration and care.

 

  • The fundamental place to start is with a fully accredited, medical practitioner in a registered clinic. In fact, the British government has announced imminent legislation to enforce practitioner licensing.

  • The normalisation of laser treatment for skin rejuvenation can often underplay the length of time treatment takes - (often six months to a year for a full course), which can be disruptive to work and lifestyle commitments.

  • Risks of in-clinic laser treatment include infection, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, bruising, swelling and burns.

  • Downtime can also range from minimal to extensive, depending on the power and extent of the laser administered.

  • Recovery time can be slow as the skin on the face is so delicate.

  • Sunlight is often to be avoided and it may be required to stay indoors for days, if not weeks.

  • Prescription skincare and pain medication is likely, as is a complex aftercare routine of changing dressings and treating wounds.


Cost of laser treatment for to reduce rosy skin effect

An understandable barrier to laser treatment for rosy skin or any other skin rejuvenation, is cost. Skin laser treatment cost per session ranges from £250 - £600 and the number of sessions can be as many as 6-8. There’s also the additional cost of maintenance laser treatment sessions for any subsequent rosy skin flare-ups as well as the often ‘hidden’ costs of numbing creams, pain medication and prescription skincare following each laser treatment. These ancillary costs can be hundreds of pounds on top of the treatment course. The LYMA Laser, on the other hand, costs a flat fee and can be used for many years daily.

 

Discover how LYMA Laser works against rosy skin with these remarkable before-and-after photos:

Your Questions About Skin Lasers To Treat Rosy Skin

 

Can laser treatment cause rosy skin?

No. A risk of clinical laser treatment is that it can cause post-treatment redness and inflammation but this is temporary.

 

Should I use a photofacial laser for rosy skin? 

Photofacial laser treatment is an effective treatment for broken veins and spider veins as well as burst capillaries, so it can be a good option for treatment of inflamed skin.

 

Does IPL hurt?

IPL is certainly not pain-free. Depending on the individual’s tolerance and the size and location of the area being treated, different levels of discomfort are reported from IPL. Some people experience a sensation of a slight burn or sting, others feel considerable pain.

 

How many IPL treatments are needed for rosy skin?

The number of sessions is dictated entirely by the area size of the red area on the skin and the severity of each case. It’s common to require 4-6 sessions of IPL treatment for rosy skin. Does rosy skin come back after IPL? Yes. It is highly probable that it will return after IPL treatment, though timings vary greatly from one person to the next.

 

How long to see results from IPL for rosy skin?

Results from IPL for rosy skin can often be seen immediately but definite improvements are detectable after a week. Full results should be noticeable after 3-4 weeks, when blood vessels are reabsorbed and facial inflammation diminishes.

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