Rosacea Laser Treatments
Rosacea is a skin condition that is very difficult to live with for those who suffer from it. The condition involves facial redness which is usually found around the forehead, nose, and cheeks. The redness will often develop from a flushed appearance, involving small blood vessels, leading to swelling and acne like bumps. The frustrating thing about rosacea is that it will flare up and will be aggravated by simple lifestyle factors. Alcohol, stress, and sun exposure are a few of the most common triggers. Medications and ointments, can help to manage the rosacea in the short term, but do not lead to a solid management of the condition in the long term.
A thorough consultation with our doctors is required prior to any treatments and our doctors may recommend evidence based TGA approved prescription topical treatments for you and discuss lifestyle management as well as adjunctive laser treatments.
Lasers are very innovative method in helping control Rosacea. Our 1064 Nd:YAG laser is extremely efficient and precise for treating Rosacea outbreaks. The Nd:YAG is able to target both the small rosacea outbreaks, to the larger more severe episodes. The Laser will only target the affected tissue, and will ideally leave the surrounding skin untreated. The heat of the laser light passes harmoniously through the skin and is absorbed by the affected blood vessel. The heat of the laser is then able to eliminate the Rosacea at a cellular level, and then the immune system will carry away the cellular waste.
Rosacea is one of those conditions that can never be ‘cured’ but can be managed. Laser therapy is the gold standard management practice for Rosacea. Every person is an individual, and their Rosacea characteristics, and response will be individual too. The average number of laser sessions required is between 2 and 4, and this involves a 2-4 week rest period between treatments.
Injectable collagen stimulation injections have been available since early 2000s.
The information on this page for Bio-Stimulators will assist your understanding during your consultation with our doctor. Due to TGA regulations, we cannot put before and after photos on our website.
Overtime we see too many patients' faces over-filled using temporary gel products.
Temporary gels are water binding materials that occupy space in the tissues until the materials breakdown over 6-12 months.
Traditional wrinkles treatments, including temporary volumising gels do not improve the quality of the skin. In fact after mid 20s, we lose about 1% of collagen per year from our face, causing our skin to be thinner as we age. After menopause we lose even more collagen, up to 30% in the first 5 years of menopause, both in our skin and our bones.
Collagen stimulators and bio-regenerative type products, on the other hand, has a bio-stimulatory effect, and most patients who use collagen bio-stimulators will notice an improvement in the quality of their skin initially, followed by a gradual increase in volume over a couple of months. Results from collagen bio-stimulation injections may vary between individuals, but in general, results last longer than traditional temporary gel fillers.
There are a few types of collagen bio-stimulator in the Australian market and each have their unique benefits and disadvantages. Our doctors will discuss the possible benefits of some of these bio-stimulators as well risks of these products during and post injections.
It is also important to know how to incorporate bio-stimulators as part of your rejuvenation journey, when combined with other treatments such as Lasers, traditional cosmetic treatments and other energy based devices.
You will need a thorough consultation, treatment planning and informed consent prior to collagen Biostimulator treatments.
You may also need to have a few months interval between your previous treatments and collagen biostimulator treatments.
Injectable Bio-stimulators are prescription only medicines in Australia and a doctor's consultation is essential.
Main benefits:
Improvements in volume occur gradually over a few months and provides natural looking result. For some types of collagen stimulators, a few treatments may be required.
Once your skin forms its own collagen, it takes longer for this collagen to breakdown.
Hence, results may last 12-24 months, longer than the average temporary gel products.
For patients who have lost a lot of volume in their face and likely to require lots of temporary gel products, or patients who "burn" through their temporary gel quickly, biostimulators may be an alternvative option in the long run. This happens in women who have high metabolism or peri- and post-menopausal women.
The aesthestic management of menopausal women is different to treating a women who is younger. Women start to lose collagen with declining oestrogen levels, a whole decade before the onset of menopause, so replacing this collagen is sometimes more important than just filling the face.
As collagen remodelling and collagen contraction occur overtime, most patients will also notice "firmness" in the skin that is rarely achievable using traditional temporary gel products.
Collagen Biostimulators are useful for reducing temporal hollowness, firming lateral high cheek, lateral jawline including pre-auricular region, jowls, neck and decolletage as well as hands.
Disadvantages:
Higher upfront cost (when compared to traditional cosmetic injections) and for some biostimulators, a few treatments are required.
Results are not immediate, as collagen production takes time, the improvements occur over a few months.
Collagen Biostimulators are not suitable for lips and the thin skin around the eye (periorbital) region as there is a small risk of nodules. Hence non biostimulatory treatments are required in these areas.
Some patients with active autoimmune disorders may not be suitable for bio-stimulator injections. A full medical history is essential to exclude contra-indications.
Other treatment risks are similar to traditional cosmetic injections includes pain, bruising, swelling, foreign body reaction, lumpiness, vascular occlusion and blindness.