Can Lasers Effectively Treat Rosacea? A Dermatologist's Perspective

Can a Laser Help Rosacea?

Steve is a patient who came to see me six months ago.  He runs a small start-up bound for success.  He was embarrassed by small broken capillaries on his nose and occasional flushing of his cheeks that really showed anytime he had a glass of wine.  He came to see me and had done some research with Dr. Google, he had correctly diagnosed himself with Rosacea.  We came up with a customized treatment plan that included combining laser and intense-pulse light treatment that dramatically minimized his redness and eliminated any visible blood vessels.  This was a process over several months and Steve is delighted.

Rosacea is one of the most common skin problems that causes someone to seek care from a board-certified dermatologist.  Rosacea has many different presentations.  For some people Rosacea shows up as redness, flushing, and the appearance of broken capillaries on the skin.  Others have redness, swelling and acne-like breakouts.  Some people develop dramatic thickening of the skin of the nose known as rhinophyma.  A less common variant of Rosacea is Ocular Rosacea which effects the eyes.

What causes Rosacea? 

We’re not quite sure what causes Rosacea.  However, many factors have been identified.  Rosacea tends to run in families so there is likely a genetic component.  Scientists have yet to discover a “Rosacea Gene.” Our immune systems may play a role.  A mite that lives on everyone’s skin known as Demodex may contribute to Rosacea.  Lastly a protein in the skin cathelicidin, that normally protects the skin from infection, may contribute to redness and swelling.  Regardless of the cause, many effective treatments are available.

Treatment for Rosacea can be divided into two categories. 

Medical treatments such as topical creams and gels and oral medications are usually the first step in treatment.  The second category are laser and light-based devices.  Laser and light-based devices can complement medical treatments by dramatically minimizing redness and broken capillaries.  Most Rosacea patients will find optimal results combining medical and laser and light-based treatments.

Everyone’s skin is different.  We always tailor the treatment to the individual.  A treatment plan will likely include laser or light therapy if your Rosacea is characterized by redness and visible blood vessels.  That was the case for Stever.  Lasers and light-based devices can minimize or erase redness and broken blood vessels.  We use the VBeam Perfecta Pulsed-Dye Laser which has been one of the gold standards for treating redness and broken blood vessels.  Another device that we use to treat Rosacea as well as photo-aged skin is Intense Pulsed Light widely referred to as IPL.  IPL can help with both redness and age spots.  Some patients will benefit from one or the other and in some cases we will combine the two modalities.

What can you expect with laser or light-based treatments? 

You will likely need 3-5 treatments spaced 3-4 weeks apart.  Since you will likely be reading this in the summer it is important to realize that we avoid treating tanned skin.  Most people will see 50-75% improvement and some will even see 100% improvement with their treatments.  Because Rosacea tends to be a chronic condition, annual maintenance treatments are sometimes needed. If you are considering treatment, it is important to consider where and from whom you are seeking treatment.  In choosing a board-certified dermatologist you will be receiving care from a doctor who has the most expertise in treating skin disease.  Dermatologists know the skin and treat Rosacea often and will have the best judgement in letting you know if laser or light-based therapy will be effective.  If you have Rosacea, we have extensive expertise and are happy to help.

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