Swelling after V beam

[Anna123]

Hi,

I'm new to the forum and have a lot of questions I was hoping someone could help me with. I have read a lot of the postings on V beam already but still have some more questions. Please feel free to redirect me if my questions have been answered elsewhere.

I was dx with rosacea 4-5 years ago and had 5 V beam treatments (~2 months apart) at that time. I did not see any results. I had a couple of small bruises after the last 3 treatments but never any swelling beyond the day of treatment and was able to go back to work immediately. I now have a new dermatologist and asked him if the Gemini laser would be an option for me since the V beam didn't seem to work. He told me V beam is still the best option for my issues (permanent redness on forehead, chin, cheeks and nose and small visible blood vessels around the nose and cheeks) so I decided to try it again. I had my first treatment 4 days ago. I was shocked when I woke up the day after ; my face was completely deformed and swollen (but only minor redness and no bruising). I don't know the specifics of my treatment but the derm told me it was a very aggressive treatment. It is now day 4 and the swelling is not improving much. I have huge bags under my eyes and I'm freaking out! Is there a chance it could be permanent? I know supposedly the V beam does not damage surrounding tissue but this can't be good for you? There must be some major tissue damage to cause this kind of swelling and trauma

I did not request any time off from work because I have not needed it in the past but I clearly do now. I realize it varies from person to person but how long does this swelling typically last (if I decide to go for more treatments and need time off from work)? Are we talking a few more days or weeks? Will later treatments of equal intensity require similar healing time or can I expect to heal faster/slower with subsequent treatments? Despite the swelling I believe I can see some results but when should I see the full effect of the treatment? Will the results improve or diminish with time? Do you see the most significant improvement after the first treatment vs. later treatments?

Lots of questions, I know..... I probably have more, but I can't think of any at the moment. I feel like I need more information before I decide to continue with treatments.

Thanks!!!

[Yvette]

Hi there-


I'm sorry you are a bit swollen post Vbeam. This is common though and it will subside.

Swelling can be mild-severe - but there are a few things you can do (if you haven't already) to help. Are you sleeping upright? This is one thing that can make a big difference. This prevents some of the swelling to accumulate in the upper body, and especially the face where the procedure took place. Doing so until the swelling subsides (usually up to 3-5 days is beneficial). Taking Arnica tablets pre-post procedure can help. Periodically, icing the area (or cool compresses) can help. Call your Derm. to discuss the above - they may also have some other suggestions.

Wishing you a speedy recovery!

Yvette

[Yvette]

Hi again,

I forgot to add that for some a few days or more off work is adequate - it varies person to person. For me, I didn't have a lot of swelling but my settings were probably a lot lower. My swelling was mild and lasted a full day or two then subsided. I had mine done on Friday and went to work on Monday. I've had 2 Vbeams. I believe Melissa (Moderator) has had several Vbeams and she generally takes time off work. Like you said it likely depends on the settings used and the ability for the body to recover. Regarding results, I noticed my complexion was a little lighter about 2-3 weeks post procedure. I think the results are cummulative, but as you know, Rosacea isn't curable and "touch ups" will likely be required periodically after a series. Depending on flushing and vessels dialating or not, you will likely know when you need a touch up. Your Derm. can give you some guidance too based on his/her experience.

My best,

Yvette

[Melissa W]

Hi Anna,

Yvette is right, I do try and take at least 4 days off from work as I look a mess after my VBeam. I stay swollen for at least 3 -4 days and my face gets all splotchy red. Not a good look. After about 4 days I can cover it with makeup but still not completely. It takes a good 2 weeks for me to be able to cover the laser marks completely and then about 5-6 weeks for my face to be clear of the laser marks. My VBeam is for flushing and burning though and not for permanent red marks.

However, everyone does respond differently even if the settings remain the same. So, to be safe, I would suggest always leaving yourself with the option to take the time if you need it. I also always suggest to leave at least 2-3 months between VBeams as it is good to let your face heal completely before another treatment. And of course only to have another treatment if all went OK with the previous.

The Q and A stickies in the laser section might be helpful if you haven't already had a look at them. For permanent redness I believe that VBeam and KTP-532 and IPL are recommended but the reason for which one seems to be mostly trial and error. That is, what works for someone's permanent redness may not work for another. For example, one person may benefit from IPL where someone else has better luck with VBeam. Also, results are cumulative so the more you do the better the results (that's the common thought anyway) and maintenance of the results do usually require touchup (maintenance) treatments.

Welcome to the RF.

Best wishes,
Melissa

[Anna123]

Thanks Yvette and Melissa for your suggestions and answers!

I probably did not ice enough the first day of treatment and sleeping with my head elevated has been a real challenge. More than anything I just wanted to hear that this isn't unusual. I was just concerned since the reaction I had this time was so different from previous treatments. It is just scary to look in the mirror and not recognize your own face

I did get in touch with my derm today and his guess was this treatment was much more aggressive then what I have had in the past. He recommends a follow-up treatment in ~4 weeks and said waiting much longer then that can make it hard to "catch up". It seems like most people wait longer then that though. I may give it a couple of months like you suggested Melissa.

Thanks again!

Anna

[paperbag]

Anna123

man_from_mars just made a great post here

http://www.rosaceagroup.org/The_Rosa...ad.php?t=17173

with a link to a continuing medical education lecture on the web about lasers in dermatology, by renowned laser surgeon Dr. Thomas Rohrer from SkinCare Physicians of Chestnut Hill in Boston.

http://www.bu.edu/cme/modules/cutane...techNotes.html

is the main URL for all the different modules of the lecture.

There is a specific module on vascular lasers

http://www.bu.edu/cme/modules/cutane...ular/index.htm

Go to slide 17 of this module, and it specifically addresses swelling, or in medicalese, "edema". You can see a patient whose face swelled up about 10%. They say now they use ice and medrol (methylprednisolone) to treat the swelling.

I think this lecture is awesome and tells you almost everything you need to know, except ideal time between treatment. In the lecture, they say 2-3 months. My dermatologist, who is also an expert on lasers, says 6-8 weeks.

[Anna123]

Thanks for the links! The information was very helpful.

[sharijo]

Oh thank you so much! This was my first VBeam and was not really informed that this much swelling would occur. I was kind of terrified the next day.
It is now day 4, so I will try the sleeping upright and cold compress. I was worried there was permanent damage and I would look like I had the mumps for the rest of my life.....

Hi there-


I'm sorry you are a bit swollen post Vbeam. This is common though and it will subside.

Swelling can be mild-severe - but there are a few things you can do (if you haven't already) to help. Are you sleeping upright? This is one thing that can make a big difference. This prevents some of the swelling to accumulate in the upper body, and especially the face where the procedure took place. Doing so until the swelling subsides (usually up to 3-5 days is beneficial). Taking Arnica tablets pre-post procedure can help. Periodically, icing the area (or cool compresses) can help. Call your Derm. to discuss the above - they may also have some other suggestions.

Wishing you a speedy recovery!

Yvette

[IowaDavid]

To the OP: I've found using my low-level red light therapy unit after laser treatments in the past has significantly reduced my post-laser symptoms and, more importantly, has kept the results I have seen from laser from progressing backward into more symptoms, redness, and flushing.

I've had bad laser/IPL treatments and good ones, and have also had good treatments from which I saw reductions in redness and telangiectasia go south as my symptoms returned over a period of a few months. When I used RLT after treatments, I didn't see this regression.

Best,

David

[lansdude]

Oh thank you so much! This was my first VBeam and was not really informed that this much swelling would occur. I was kind of terrified the next day.
It is now day 4, so I will try the sleeping upright and cold compress. I was worried there was permanent damage and I would look like I had the mumps for the rest of my life.....

sharijo, you should find also that the more you have done, the less swelling you will have. i think this is because when people start, the rosacea is quite severe and so the destruction of the engorged blood vessels is much greater, making the consequential edema, which is removing the debris, more obvious and longer lasting. the swelling from my yearly "maintenance" v-beams goes rather quickly, mostly gone after one, pretty much completely after two days, but it does look like hell immediately after.