Vascular And Pigmentation Treatment Melbourne

Quick facts

  • The Excel V+ laser is particularly suited to the treatment of vascular conditions such as broken facial capillaries, rosacea, and port wine stains (red birth marks).
  • It is also particularly suited for the treatment of pigmentation concerns such as freckles (especially on asian skins), seborrhoiec keratosis, and dermatosis papulosa nigra.

What is the Excel V+ Laser?

There are a number of medical lasers, each designed to target different problems. This page will discuss the Excel V+ laser, which has two frequencies for the treatment of skin conditions, namely, 532 nanometres (KTP), and 1064 nanometres (Nd:YAG). The light of KTP laser will be selectively attracted to the blood in capillaries and the melanin in skin, making it an ideal laser for treating broken capillaries, rosacea, freckles, sunspots and pigmentation. The Nd:YAG laser is a deeper penetrating laser that can be used to treat deeper facial veins.

What can be treated?

The Excel V+ Laser at Victorian Cosmetic Institute can selectively treat a variety of skin problems with minimal or no disruption to the surrounding normal skin;

The Excel V+ Laser cannot treat moles or skin cancers.

It is most commonly used on the ; face, neck, chest, back, and hands.

Pigmentation

The Excel V+ laser treats pigmentation with the 532 nm KTP wavelength. The energy from this light is selectively absorbed by the melanin that causes pigmentation. This causes a photo-thermal injury to the melanin, and this leads to its disruption and subsequent removal by the body’s immune system. It generally takes 1 to 3 treatments to lighten or remove unwanted pigmentation with the Excel V+ laser. With most laser pigmentation removal, the pigmentation becomes darker for approximately one week and then flakes off. The treatments are spaced at least 1 month apart. There is also usually some redness and mild swelling in the treatment areas for a few days after treatment.

Skin pigmentation in most cases is better treated with our q-switched laser, ie the Ruby laser, that emit much shorter and higher energy pulses than the Excel V+ laser. However, the Excel V+ laser does have advantages, especially in those with olive or darker skins which are more prone to complications with lasers. For example, the treatment of freckles or sunspots on Asian skin, olive, or darker skins is best performed with the Excel V+ laser as it has contact cooling that protects the skin overlying the pigmentation and in comparison to the q-switched lasers has less risk of damage to the skin.

The Excel V+ laser’s 532nm wavelength does not penetrate very deeply, and therefore pigmentation that is too deep for the laser may not be treatable – for example, melasma, a type of pigmentation caused by the pill or pregnancy, is difficult to treat as it spans many layers of the skin. In some cases it may be appropriate to use the other lasers available at Victorian Cosmetic Institute to remove pigment. The Ruby laser, is excellent for deeper skin pigmentation removal.

Click here for more information about skin pigmentation 

Treatment of raised spots

Some raised spots or skin lumps and bumps on the face, neck and body can be treated with the Excel V+ laser. Note that moles (naevi) and skin cancers cannot be treated with the Excel V+ laser.

Seborrhoiec keratosis, which are raised brown spots that look like a ‘stuck-on sultana’ can be treated with the Excel V+ laser’s 532nm wavelength. A very high energy setting is used to ablate the raised tissues. The lesion becomes grey and then scabs and flakes off. Usually 1-2 sessions are required for this treatment.

Deramtosis papulosa nigra are raised dark brown/black spots usually seen on the cheeks of olive or darker skinned patients. They look like ‘stuck-on coco pops’. Again a very high energy setting is used on the 532nm wavelength which ablates these lesions.

Skin tags are skin coloured raised spots usually found on the neck, underarms, and face and can also be removed with the 532nm wavelength in a similar manner.

Raised skin lesions can also be removed with the erbium laser.

Capillaries and rosacea

The Exel V+ laser treats facial capillaries and rosacea with the 532 nm KTP laser. The energy from this light is attracted to oxyhaemoglobin, a constituent of blood. This closes off any superficial blood vessels and reduces capillaries, redness, and flushing. Usually 1 to 3 treatments are required at monthly intervals. Because of its specificity to oxyhaemoglobin, the KTP laser is one of the best lasers for facial capillaries. There usually is some facial swelling after the procedure, and this may last for 3 days. There may also be an increased amount of redness (temporary) following the treatment.

Treatment of deeper facial veins

The 1064nm Nd:YAG can be used to reduce the presence of deeper facial veins. The 1064nm wavelength penetrates through the skin and the energy from this laser is absorbed by the haemoglobin in the facial veins and this closes it down. This wavelength penetrates the skin deeply, and reaches targets than cannot be reached with the 532nm wavelength. It generally takes 1 to 2 treatments spaced at montly intervals to improve the appearance of facial veins. Mostly, these veins disappear immediately after treatment, but some can be partially disrupted and take a few weeks to reduce.

Treatment of venous lakes

Venous lakes are blue to violet lesions that are usually found on the lower lip or ears. They are a dilation of the underlying veins, and can be usually treated in one session with the Excel V+ laser’s 1064nm wavelength. A distinct popping sound is heard when the venous lake is treated.

Port wine stain treatments

Port wine stains are congenital vascular malformations in the skin that lead to a reddish/purple discolouration of the skin. The 532nm wavelength from the Excel V+ laser is highly attracted to the haemoglobin (blood) in this birthmark. This shuts down the abnormal vessels, and reduces the discolouration of the skin. Usually multiple treatments are required, and commonly, complete resolution is not achieved.

Click here to learn more about port wine stains and their treatment

Case Studies

Case Study Capillary Reduction

The result shown in these photos are after one single treatment. The main capillaries were traced over with our smaller laser spot size, and then with a larger spot size, the entire skin was treated. Larger spot sizes are required when the capillaries are too extensive to treat with small spot size tracing. However, treatment with larger spot sizes do cause more swelling than with the smaller spot size, as more energy is delivered to the skin. This patient took approximately 4 days to recover, and experienced swelling and redness during this time. She was very pleased with the results, and there was a significant reduction in her redness, as well as some improvement in the pigmentation. She will go on to have further treatments to improve the result.

vascular laser treatment

All procedures carry a risk of side effects and potential complications. The outcome of each procedure cannot be guaranteed, and individual results may vary. A consultation with one of our practitioners is required prior to any procedure to assess suitability for treatment. Patient consent has been obtained to display images.

Case Study Capillary Reduction 2

This patient had concerns with redness and visible capillaries or blood vessels on her skin. It would usually take a fair amount of make up to disguise the capillaries. However, after laser treatment, it was possible to reduce her redness and capillaries was reduced significantly. The laser emits a wavelength that is specifically attracted to oxyhaemoglobin in blood, which allows it capillaries to be specifically heated and shut down.

vascular laser treatment before and after

All procedures carry a risk of side effects and potential complications. The outcome of each procedure cannot be guaranteed, and individual results may vary. A consultation with one of our practitioners is required prior to any procedure to assess suitability for treatment. Patient consent has been obtained to display images.

Case Study - Asian Pigmentation

This 37 year asian female presented with concerns about her sunspots/freckles. She had one treatment with the 532nm wavelength. Recovery time was 7 days where the pigmentation became darker, scabbed and fell off. Note that the moles were not treated and cannot be treated by the laser.

laser treatment asian pigmentation before and after

All procedures carry a risk of side effects and potential complications. The outcome of each procedure cannot be guaranteed, and individual results may vary. A consultation with one of our practitioners is required prior to any procedure to assess suitability for treatment. Patient consent has been obtained to display images.

Case Study - Dermatosis Papulosa Nigra On Face

This patient had dermatosis papulosa nigra removed from her cheeks with the laser. She required only one treatment. A mole on her upper lip was excised surgically.

dermatosis papulosa nigra Laser Case Study - Before

dermatosis papulosa nigra Laser Case Study - After

dermatosis papulosa nigra Laser Case Study - Before

dermatosis papulosa nigra Laser Case Study - After

All procedures carry a risk of side effects and potential complications. The outcome of each procedure cannot be guaranteed, and individual results may vary. A consultation with one of our practitioners is required prior to any procedure to assess suitability for treatment. Patient consent has been obtained to display images.

Case Study - Dermatosis Papulosa Nigra On Neck

This female in her fourties presented with dermatosis papulosa nigra on her neck that she wanted removed. The laser’s 532nm wavelength was used to remove these, and the results are shown here after one treatment. There were a few lesions remaining and she proceeded to have another treatment to remove the remaining lesions. Also, by using a different handpiece on the laser, we were able to treat the redness (poikiloderma of civatte) on her neck and chest.

dermatosis papulosa nigra on neck before and after

All procedures carry a risk of side effects and potential complications. The outcome of each procedure cannot be guaranteed, and individual results may vary. A consultation with one of our practitioners is required prior to any procedure to assess suitability for treatment. Patient consent has been obtained to display images.

Case study - Facial Redness And Capillaries

Case study – facial redness and capillaries

This man presented with a large number of broken capillaries over his face, including a cherry angioma on his right cheek. The after picture shows his face after two treatments with the laser using the 532nm wavelength which is attracted to oxyhaemoglobin (blood).


facial redness and capillaries before and after

All procedures carry a risk of side effects and potential complications. The outcome of each procedure cannot be guaranteed, and individual results may vary. A consultation with one of our practitioners is required prior to any procedure to assess suitability for treatment. Patient consent has been obtained to display images.

Case Study - Capillaries On Nose

capillaries on nose before and after laser treatment

This man presented to Victorian Cosmetic Institute with concerns about the broken capillaries on his nose that was making his nose appear a different colour. He has previously had a lot of sun exposure. After one treatment with the laser he improved as can be seen in the above ‘after’ picture. He subsequently had another laser treatment to remove the remaining vessels.

All procedures carry a risk of side effects and potential complications. The outcome of each procedure cannot be guaranteed, and individual results may vary. A consultation with one of our practitioners is required prior to any procedure to assess suitability for treatment. Patient consent has been obtained to display images.

Case Study - Facial Veins

facial veins before and after treatment with laser

All procedures carry a risk of side effects and potential complications. The outcome of each procedure cannot be guaranteed, and individual results may vary. A consultation with one of our practitioners is required prior to any procedure to assess suitability for treatment. Patient consent has been obtained to display images.

Why choose Victorian Cosmetic Institute to perform your laser treatment?

At Victorian Cosmetic Institute, we use the latest laser technology to perform your treatment. The Excel V+ laser is an effective laser for the removal of pigmentation and capillaries. Due to its specificity, it can be a lot more effective than other IPL systems/treatments.

Our Cosmetic Doctors are also highly experienced in laser treatments, and will be able to give you the best advice for your treatment.

The first step is simply contacting us for your initial laser skin rejuvenation consultation, where we will discuss with you what is a realistic and achievable outcome, and what to expect from your laser treatment.

Phone 1300 863 824 to book your consultation, or you can schedule your consultation online.