Treatment of facial vascular lesions with intense pulsed light.

BACKGROUND Various lasers, particularly the flashlamp-pulsed dye laser, have been proven to be effective in the treatment of facial vascular lesions. Nevertheless, the post-treatment side effects, such as pronounced purpura and changes in pigmentation, have been a matter of concern to patients. OBJECTIVE To test the efficacy of an alternative treatment option that uses intense pulsed light to provide patients with a more tolerable post-treatment outcome. METHODS A total of 200 patients were treated with an intense pulsed light source (PhotoDerm VL) using various treatment parameters. The patients were treated for facial veins (primarily telangiectasia), facial hemangiomas, rosacea and port wine stains. RESULTS Of the 188 patients who returned for follow-up after 2 months, 174 achieved 75% to 100% clearance in one to four treatment sessions. The post-treatment side effects were minimal and well tolerated by the patients. There were no instances of scarring or other permanent side effects. CONCLUSION The PhotoDerm VL provides a highly effective and safe alternative to the laser for treatment of facial vascular lesions. The device may achieve improved results for lesions that are resistant to laser therapy. The rate and degree of cosmetic side effects are considerably less than with laser treatment.