To find out what photodynamic therapy and other photorejuvenation techniques can do for your rosacea or other skin problems, contact our office in northwest Oregon.
Peter Goodkin M.D.
9775 SE Sunnyside Road #500
Clackamas, Oregon 97015
P / 503-654-7546
F / 503-786-3542
A member of the ACMMSCO©™
Rosacea, and Photorejuvenation in Oregon
Nothing is quite as good as soft, smooth, evenly textured, radiant, age-defying skin. Some of the most gratifying advances in dermatology have developed in the field of photorejuvenation and photodynamic therapy. The Oregon office of Dr. Peter Goodkin is pleased to provide such state-of-the-art services to our dermatology patients with rosacea or other skin conditions — the Vbeam® Perfecta Laser, and Photodynamic Therapy, among others.
Vbeam® Perfecta Laser
Our state-of-the-art Vbeam® Perfecta Laser allows us to safely, easily, and effectively treat many skin disorders simply and quickly. For photorejuvenation and photodynamic therapy in Oregon, the Vbeam® Perfecta Laser is a premier technology available to you.
- How does the Vbeam® Perfecta Laser work?
- What is a vascular spot?
- What is a pigmented spot?
- What conditions can be treated with the Vbeam® Perfecta Laser?
- How safe are the treatments?
- Does it hurt?
- How many treatments will be necessary?
- What results can be expected?
How does the Vbeam® Perfecta Laser work?
All laser procedures work on the same principle. Every substance, including parts of the skin, absorbs light of different colors at different rates. The color target is called the chromophore. For skin treatments, lasers are usually chosen so that their energies will be absorbed by the following chromophores:
- Melanin pigment — brown
- Hemoglobin — the red in blood flowing through the skin's capillaries
- Water — present in all skin cells
- Tattoo pigments
When the laser light is absorbed by the target, heat is produced and causes a selective heating of the chromophore (color). The Vbeam® Laser produces an intense but gentle burst of light that selectively destroys the blood vessels of your unwanted red and mottled brown areas, without damaging the surrounding tissue.
What is a vascular spot?
Skin blemishes due to an abnormal concentration or size of blood vessels that gives the skin a red color are called 'vascular lesions.' Rosacea, port wine stains, strawberry hemangiomas, and spider veins (telangiectasias) are all forms of vascular lesions.
What is a pigmented spot?
Pigmented areas are caused by an overgrowth of melanocytes or overproduction of melanin in the skin. Melanocytes are the cells that make melanin, which is the dark brown pigment in skin. Most of us have some form of pigmented lesions. These include brown age spots, keratoses, melasma, freckles, and moles.
Lesions without color are called non-pigmented spots. Examples include warts, non-pigmented moles, sebaceous hyperplasia (enlarged oil glands), and skin tags.
What conditions can be treated with the Vbeam® Perfecta Laser?
- Facial veins/ rosacea
- Photodamage
- Poikiloderma — mottled red and brown areas on the neck
- Spider angiomas
- Red birthmarks
- Brown splotchy irregular pigmentation of the face
- Sebaceous hyperplasia (enlarged oil glands)
- Large pores (in photodynamic treatments)
- Hypertrophic scars
- Leg veins
- Stretch marks
- Acne — the red component
How safe are the treatments?
The pulsed dye laser was invented to treat red birthmarks in babies. The Vbeam® pulsed dye laser has a long safety record. Laser treatments performed properly, by a trained physician, are safe and effective. There are many benefits to laser surgery, including minimal pain and no needles. We can help address your concerns at our office when you visit us for a photorejuvenation consultation at our Oregon practice.
Does it hurt?
The Vbeam® Perfecta Laser applies a cooling spray to the skin a fraction of a second before each laser pulse. That cooling both protects the skin and reduces discomfort. Patients say they feel a sting, like the snap of a rubber band on the skin, followed by the feeling of windburn. Most treatments do not require anesthetics. However, some patients feel more comfortable with a local numbing agent like ice or an anesthetic cream. Afterward we apply a soothing gel that seems to suck the heat out of the freshly treated skin.
How many treatments will be necessary?
This depends on the size, thickness, location, and color of the treated area. Spider veins on the face and age spots generally do well with one or two treatments, while thicker red birthmarks often require multiple treatments. Rosacea redness, facial rejuvenation, and laser toning are usually done as a series of four treatments at monthly intervals. You will continue to see a lightening of the area after each treatment as your body disposes of the abnormal cells.
What results can be expected?
Most patients will see improvement in their vascular and pigmented lesions. The improvement can be quite pleasing. However, as with any medical procedure, there is a possibility that only minor changes will occur, and in rare cases, there may be no response.
If you have been considering Vbeam® photorejuvenation or other photodynamic therapy for rosacea or other problems, our Oregon office staff is ready to help you. Don't wait any longer to see the benefit of these treatments.
For information about rosacea or other skin problems, contact our Oregon dermatology office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Goodkin. Your skin problems could be a thing of the past!