VBeam Laser- medium session (example-broken blood vessels on face, brown spots on the hands/arms, or small red spots on various areas of body)

Dermatologist Medical Group of North County (DMG), the largest and most comprehensive dermatology group in San Diego County, has been treating the skin needs of North County residents for 33 years. With 12 dermatologists, 3 dermatology trained Physician Assistants, and three offices, DMG is able to take care of virtually any aspect of dermatology — from simple issues like acne and warts to more advanced problems like skin cancer and severe allergic drug reactions. In addition to medical dermatological issues, DMG also takes care of aesthetic ones, using high-tech lasers and injectables.

"We pride ourselves on taking care of all age groups, from infants to the elderly," Dr. Robert Scheinberg says, "and we offer the kind of care you’d like to have for yourself and your loved ones." That aspect of their practice has served them well over time, and demand for their group’s services has expanded, with the practice expanding right along with the demand.

DMG provides an extremely high quality of care. Many of the group serve at UCSD as clinical faculty — teaching dermatology and dermatological surgery to residents and medical students — resulting in an academic practice in a private-practice setting. Because of this high level of care, many of the doctors have been named Top Doctors by their peers multiple times.

V-BEAM LASER

CANDELA V BEAM PERFECTA LASER for dilated blood vessels, rosacea, red birthmarks, sun damage, uneven discoloration, brown spots, scars, warts, and many other conditions

The Candela V Beam Laser is a pulsed dye laser, which delivers an intense burst of yellow light to the skin (wavelength 595 nm). This wavelength of light is absorbed by hemoglobin, which is in red blood cells. Because blood vessels are filled with red blood cells, laser light can be specifically absorbed in these areas, to diminish or fade the vessels, with minimal damage to surrounding tissue. The blood vessels are coagulated and reabsorbed by the body. The V Beam Laser has a unique cooling device, which sprays a cooling mist onto the skin with each laser pulse, protecting the epidermis (the top layer of the skin), and increasing comfort. In addition to hemoglobin, melanin, the pigment in the skin, absorbs the 595 nm wavelength of light. If lasering a pigmented brown spot on the skin is desired, a special handpiece is used. This handpiece compresses the blood away from the target area, leaving only the melanin to absorb the laser energy.

Many patients have small, dilated blood vessels on the face around the nose, cheeks, and chin. The cause of this is essentially unknown. Some patients may have a condition called Rosacea. Facial vessels and redness respond very well to the laser treatment. Small vessels on the chest and neck can also be treated. Benign blood vessel growths called angiomas can appear over the trunk, and look like small red dots. These can be treated with the laser. Red birthmarks also respond to the V Beam Laser. In general, dilated blood vessels on the legs (spider veins or varicose veins) do not respond as well to laser treatment. These are best treated by sclerotherapy (see separate information).  Lentigos are brown spots with increased melanin in the top layer of the skin. These often occur on the face, hands, and arms in response to the sun. Another condition caused by chronic sun exposure is “poikiloderma”, mottled brown and reddish uneven pigmentation, often on the neck and chest. Many patients also complain of uneven pigmentation on the face, from sun damage. These conditions can respond to the V Beam Laser. Optimal response may be achieved with several V Beam sessions, at one to two month intervals. (Moles are growths which contain mole (nevus) cells, and do not respond to the laser.)

At the laser appointment, your eyes will be protected with special goggles. The laser beam is aimed at the skin. You will feel multiple “zaps” which may feel like rubber band snaps. The mist may also be sprayed onto the skin. Most of our patients tolerate this without any problems. You can ask your practitioner about using a topical anesthetic before the treatment. Sometimes, cool compresses are applied after the treatment. Depending upon the number of areas affected, treatment time can take between 10-40 minutes. You may need several laser treatments for the best outcome. After treatment of red spots or blood vessels, you can expect post op changes ranging from minimal redness like a sunburn, or bruising (purpura), depending on the treatment selected by your practitioner. If you do not want excess bruising, your practitioner may purposefully select more gentle laser settings, and you may need more overall treatment sessions. Brown spots after treatment will usually turn red then dark after a few days, then peel away. The healing is generally a few days to 1-2 weeks. After treatment, you should not rub, scratch, or pick at the area. Avoid swimming, hot tubs, and contact sports if there is redness or irritation. If there is scabbing or discoloration, your usual moisturizer, makeups, and sunscreen can be used.

Risks from the V Beam Laser treatment are minimal, but can include the possibility of light or dark discoloration, or scarring. There is a risk of eye injury, if eyes are not shielded properly from the laser light. Some lesions will need more than one treatment, and may not be completely faded after the first visit. We recommend avoiding sun exposure before and after treatment. You will be asked to use sunscreen after the treatment. Self tanning products should be removed before treatment. Patients receiving Accutane treatment for acne should wait at least 6 months after completion, before laser. Tattoos should not be lasered. Let you practitioner know if you have a history of Herpes Simplex Virus (cold sores) in the target area, so that prophylactic treatment can be started before the laser. Topical medications should be stopped a few days before and after the appointment. Darkly pigmented skin may not be appropriate for laser treatment.

We are looking forward to treating you with this state of the art laser system. The V Beam Laser can be very effective at fading and diminishing redness and hyper pigmentation, with minimal downtime.
(www.candelalaser.com)

www.dmgnc.com