What is it?

Facial redness may be caused by visible blood vessels or a condition known as rosacea.  Rosacea is a skin condition that is poorly understood and presents initially with facial redness and sometimes pimples and pustules at a later stage.  It tends to be progressive without treatment.  Redness of the neck and décolletage is usually caused by sun damage which accelerates collagen breakdown and makes blood vessels more visible.  The redness of rosacea and visible blood vessels in the face, neck and décolletage can be treated with intense pulsed light (IPL), a light treatment that targets the red haemoglobin colour, damaging blood vessels and causing them to constrict and become less visible.  Rosacea also often needs further treatment with topical antibiotic creams or oral antibiotics.

We use an Ellipse I²PL machine, a second-generation IPL which is much safer than previous versions.

What does a treatment entail?

The treatment area will be cleansed, examined, documented, and photographed.  You will be asked to put on a pair of protective goggles.  A thin layer of gel is applied to the treatment area and the Ellipse handpiece is used to treat blocks of skin in a sysytematic fashion.  This entails short bursts of a bright light with a handpiece that is placed lightly onto the skin.  Afterwards, the area will be dried and moisturiser and sunblock will be applied.

Is there pain and downtime?

Each burst of light causes a mild stinging sensation.   Afterwards, your skin will feel warm and will be slightly red.  Minimal swelling may occur that can last up to two days, but this is unlikely to be noticeable to others. Tinted sunblock may be applied immediately, and make-up from the next day.

When can I expect to see results?

As the initial redness from treatment subsides, you should see an improvement in redness.  Final results from a treatment may take up to a month to become evident  as damaged blood vessels gradually constrict.

How many treatments do I need and how often?

Number of treatments varies from person to person and is dependent on the extent and severity of the facial redness.  We recommend three treatments at monthly intervals for best results, but some people only require one treatment, and others require more than three.  Longevity of results can vary greatly and is dependent on your individual lifestyle and genetics.

Contra-indications to treatment: 

You must not have had any sun-exposure of the treatment area for at least two weeks before a treatment, and must protect that area with protective clothing and a factor 50+ sunblock for at least two weeks afterwards to prevent side-effects.  Other contra-indications include certain skin disorders and the use of certain medications.  These will be discussed prior to treatment.

Your treating practitioner is able to advise on optimal skin care whilst having this treatment.

Your treating practitioner is able to advise on optimal skin care whilst having this treatment.

Your treating practitioner is able to advise on optimal skin care.

AESTHETICS ON 5^TH

3a 5^th Road,

Hyde Park

Tel:  011 788 7910

Email: info@aestheticson5th.co.za