Many of us have an unsightly mark or marks we would like to hide: facial blood vessels and redness, leg veins, an elevated scar, a port wine stain, a spider vein, a rough, uneven skin tone of red and brown from sun damage or even an unwanted tattoo. Reducing or eliminating them is no longer just a fantasy or something only the well-to-do can afford.  These imperfections that can so adversely affect our self-image and confidence can be helped with light therapy from the Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Photoderm VL/PL/HR light.

PhotoDerm Intense Pulsed Light Therapy, essentially an adjustable laser (but with a different type of light generation), has been used worldwide since 1995.  Its full potential is still being realized, especially with its recent renaissance of use with Levulan for Photodynamic IPL, which amplifies everything the IPL does in its own right, but adds the ability to treat sun damage, precancerous actinic keratoses, skin cancer, acne and oiliness.  Most lasers operate on a very specific wave length and are optimized for a specific target, but are thus unadjustable if there is a different than expected clinical presentation. Not every vein, scar, or blemish is the same from one person to the next, or on an individual’s body, so it doesn’t make sense to medically treat them in the same manner and expect the same result. With the PhotoDerm’s range of flexibility, Dr. Sabean and his esthetic team can customize light treatments for a wider range of problems and to a wider range of skin colors and thicknesses. Dr. Sabean can vary the number of pulses and the energy of the light to target different layers in the skin. This flexible, interactive approach of the PhotoDerm, coupled with Dr. Sabean and his esthetic team’s experience, can erase or minimize many skin afflictions— such as broken or visible capillaries in the nose or face, spider veins in the legs, elevated scars, age and sun spots, sun-damaged skin, even tattoos— in a way that even invasive techniques can’t match.  With Levulan activation, actinic keratoses, superficial skin cancers and acne can also be treated very effectively.

All procedures are performed in Dr. Sabean’s office without the use of local anesthetic. No needles or injections are required. Minimal split-second discomfort is experienced by the patient who can usually resume regular activities (barring sun exposure) immediately following treatment. If Levulan is used pre-treatment, “downtime” may vary from 1-7 days because of the sun sensitivity and more aggressive treatment response, a moderate sunburn-like reaction.  Usually, two to three treatments are needed when Levulan Photodynamic IPL therapy is used and two to six treatments are needed when regular IPL treatments are administered, depending on the severity and nature of the condition.  Usually Dr. Sabean and his esthetic staff can let you know how many treatments are anticipated at the time of your consultation.  Less than 1% of our patients have experienced side effects such as temporary, short-term darkening or lightening of the skin or blistering.  Bruising when it occurs last 1-7 days.

PhotoDerm safely treats unattractive veins and other lesions without injections, surgery or anesthesia. PhotoDerm generates intense pulsed light which gently destroys visible veins so they fade and slowly disappear. This innovative patented technology, coupled with Dr. Sabean’s knowledge and expertise, allows him and his esthetic staff to customize the treatment specifically for your skin type and the size and depth of your lesion. This flexible, interactive approach to treatment cannot be achieved with any other non-invasive method currently available. Since a light source is used for treatment, rather than an injection or incision, discomfort is minimal. Patients typically describe the feeling as similar to the snap of a rubber band. Local anesthesia or pain medication is not needed. A beam of pulsed light is made up of many wave lengths and colors of light that allow customization by Dr. Sabean for each specific shade of blood vessel, hair, or skin pigment which he is treating.  With our pulsed-light expertise, we can safely and effectively customize hundreds of wavelengths in thousands of combinations to specifically treat each individual treatment site.

PhotoDerm is a non-invasive medical technology that utilizes pulsed light therapy to effectively treat:

• Prominent blood vessels anywhere on the body, including the face

• Rosacea

• Brown spots and blotchy uneven skin tone

• Scars

• Spider Veins

• Leg Veins

• Reddened skin from sun damage

• Port wine stains

• Hemangiomas

• Sun Damage including actinic keratoses, superficial skin cancers and acne when used in conjunction with Levulan (Photodynamic Therapy)

• Hair removal in skin types I-V

• Tatoo removal

Are there any long term negative effects of PhotoDerm pulsed light?
Lasers have delivered more intense beams of light to patients for many years. The original pulsed dye lasers were designed to treat blood vessels in children. Photoderm produces many of these wavelengths of light in the 500 to 1200 nanometer wavelength range. This is NOT ultraviolet light which is from 280 to 400 nanometers. Photoderm and lasers produce wavelengths of light that are primarily in the visible light or infrared range. The only experimental data that I am aware of, is in mice, and it shows that these wavelengths can induce repair mechanisms that correct damage produced by ultraviolet UV light. There is NO evidence, that I am aware of, that any of the wavelengths of light delivered by lasers, and shared by Photoderm, have produced cancer or any adverse long term results. I have treated my family, friends, patients, staff, and myself with this technology, and feel assured as to its safety and efficacy.

BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES (Courtesy of Lumenis)

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