Laser for the treatment of telangiectasias

The rhythm of an active modern life makes the vascular system of any person very vulnerable. Teleangiectasia is a syndrome in which a red vascular network due to the expansion of capillaries visually appears on the surface of the skin. The appearance of telangiectasia is possible in any part of the body, but most often it appears on the wings of the nose, cheeks, neck and limbs. In the skin, the vasculature can be divided into two types conditionally – deep and superficial. A deep surface network passes through the subcutaneous fat layer and serves to nourish the sweat glands and hair follicles. The superficial vessels deliver blood to the sebaceous glands and to the upper part of the hair sacs; they are located in the papillary layer of the skin parallel to the surface of the epidermis.

One of the characteristics of the circulatory network is that the capillaries that enter it are able to contract and expand under the influence of an external stimulus.

Telangiectasias occur due to a violation of blood circulation in the superficial circulatory system of the skin. As a result of this, the load on the walls of the capillaries increases and they become brittle and brittle.

The color and size of telangiectasias depends on the type of dilated capillaries:

1. If the expansion occurred capillary and arterial vessels, then this leads to the appearance of a thin red vascular network.
2. From the dilated venous vessels lesions are formed in the form of spots of dark blue or even purple hues.

Currently, the prevalence of telangiectasia is increasing all the time and recent studies show that at least half of women and about 40% of men are affected by this disease, especially in old age.

Causes of telangiectasia

As a rule, the expansion of the subcutaneous circulatory network occurs in people who have thin and dry skin. The main reasons for the appearance of dilated vessels are poor nutrition, a sedentary lifestyle, bad habits, and an generally unhealthy lifestyle, which leads to changes in the functioning of internal organs. Therefore, the appearance of telangiectasia is not just a cosmetic problem, but signals a deeper and more serious problems associated with the body. In addition, the appearance of dilated vascular networks is also greatly affected by external influences. These include:

• Frequent visits to saunas and baths.
• Excessive exposure to the skin at low or high temperatures.
• The use of aggressive cosmetics and cares.
• Professional activities associated with frequent sun exposure, in hot stuffy rooms or workshops.

Laser treatment for telangiectasias

The medical laser is a highly effective and reliable tool for almost any type of vascular disease. Given the widespread prevalence of this type of vascular pathology, the treatment of dilated capillaries with a laser takes the third place in the world in the number of procedures performed after laser hair removal and laser rejuvenation.

During the procedure, the laser beam processes the affected area in layers and coagulates small vascular networks. The process of coagulation under the action of the laser beam is very active and the capillary walls collapse at the time of exposure to the laser beam due to the strong absorption of laser radiation by hemoglobin. A distinctive feature of laser therapy for telangiectasias is that it can be performed on virtually any part of the body and for any types of dilated capillaries.

Laser characteristics for the treatment of telangiectasias

Let us consider in more detail what features of lasers are important for the removal of dilated vessels.

1) Laser wavelength. The following types of laser devices are actively used for the treatment of telangiectasias:

1. KTP laser with a laser wavelength of 532 nm.
2. dye laser, 550-590nm.
3. neodymium laser, 1064nm.

KTP laser modules emit the shortest wavelength – 532nm, which is absorbed to the maximum by hemoglobin molecules. However, the disadvantage of this wavelength is its low penetration into the skin, so KTR devices in medicine are actively used to remove the most superficial vascular pathologies.

Liquid medical devices have a deeper degree of penetration, but are significantly inferior to them in such parameters as frequency, energy density, etc.

Neodymium laser emitters with a wavelength of 1064 nm have a maximum penetration depth among other modules (up to 3-4 mm into the skin), therefore they are well suited for the treatment of larger and deeper vessels.

2) Adjust the spot size and spatial intensity distribution in it. During the procedure, the doctor should be able to remove the most various types of vascular diseases, therefore it is important to have automatic adjustment of the spot size, while for small vessels it is recommended to use a Gaussian distribution of laser energy, because It is important to focus energy in the center of the vessel for quick and safe coagulation. When working on large surfaces, laser nozzles with Flat Spot distribution are used.

3) The duration of the laser pulse. This parameter is very important because different vessels have different VTR, therefore, for safe and efficient operation in a medical laser device, pulse widths must be adjusted over a wide range. Neodymium laser modules allow, for example, to change the pulse duration from units to hundreds of milliseconds.

4) The ability to cool the skin during laser procedures. When treating large surfaces, the patient often experiences painful and uncomfortable sensations, so it is very important to cool the treated area during the procedure. The most preferred option in this case is cooling with cold air, because Unlike using a refrigerant spray, there is no irritation and no consumables are required.