Diode pumped KTP laser
The gold standard for the treatment of small blood vessels and red veins. With this special vascular laser, especially smaller and thinner veins, but also hemangiomas can be treated successfully. Unlike the color laser, the KTP laser does not cause the small bruises after the treatment. In most cases, the treatment leaves hardly any visible traces; rarely, there may be isolated small scabs that fall off again after a few days.
What can be treated?
Skin lesions containing blood vessels such as:
Red veins
Rosacea = redness and extensive veins on the face and nose
Brush-shaped spider veins and branch varices on the legs
Small hematomas (hemangiomas)
Inherited vascular moles
What is the principle of action?
The short light pulse with its wavelength in green-yellow spectrum (532 nanometers) penetrates the upper skin layer. In the blood vessels, the energy is intercepted by the red blood pigment. As a result, the vessels heat up briefly and are destroyed. If the vessels are too small or too thick, this effect does not occur. The treatment effect can be seen immediately in the form of the immediate disappearance of the vessels. Occasionally, however, small crusts may appear, which fall off by themselves after a few days. Depending on the type of vasodilatation, several treatments may be necessary.
How long does treatment last?
The individual treatment lasts only a few minutes. The total treatment time depends on the type and size of the skin lesions to be treated. Smaller vessels can be treated with a few light pulses. For deeper or extensive skin changes, several treatment sessions may be needed.
Is the treatment painful?
Compared to other methods used so far, laser treatment with the diode-pumped KTP laser is much faster, more effective and less painful. However, it is not completely painless. This is because the individual light pulses produce a brief pain, comparable to a tiny pinprick, due to the heat emitted and the absorption at the vessels to be removed. This brief pain is very well tolerated even without local anesthetics and usually only occurs with the first pulses delivered until the patient has adjusted to it. Additional cooling of the treatment areas also minimizes this pain and contributes to better tolerance. An anesthetic ointment can be applied to particularly pain-sensitive areas of the face and to small children one hour before treatment.
How should I behave before and after laser treatment?
Since laser light is also (slightly) absorbed by the brown skin pigment, the areas to be treated should not be pre-tanned if possible. In most cases, there are no external traces after the treatment. However, in some cases small crusts may appear, which fall off by themselves after a few days. If the skin surface has healed, the area can be covered with make-up without any problems.
Important: The treated area should be protected from direct intense sunlight.
In winter, this is not a problem in our area, except possibly when skiing with intense sunlight. Otherwise, you should apply a sunscreen with a high protection factor - preferably with factor 50-100 in the UV-B range and at least factor 10 in the UV-A range (Sun Blocker) - to the treated areas at least 4-6 weeks after treatment, especially in the light-rich season from spring to fall.
