my first IPL for spider veins and broken caps!
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free skin care · Tue May 09, 2006 1:13 pm

Hello,

I just had IPL done this morning for my broken caps/spider veins, and it was a lot different than I expected. I think that different machines have different effects on different skin tones and textures, so there is really no way of telling how your own skin will react. I have tough, normal, olivey skin that is prone to broken capillary issues.
It was actually kind of painful, and I have a high threshold for pain--they used the strongest setting on me, so with every 'pulse,' i did a little jump, if you know what i mean. it is not a pleasant procedure, but it is certainly endurable.
I had absolutely no redness or really any reaction at all to this procedure, and cannot tell if in, say, 24 hours, this might change, but I will keep you all posted!
I will also let you know about my progress, i.e. if this treatment really works for this problem, since I have really really old veins that have been there since I was a young girl.
If it works, I'm all for going in for full-face photofacials for yearly maintenence!
i had just the area around my nose and my cheeks done, 2 treatments with the palomar "rejuve-lux" machine for $300.

best,
avalange Smile

on another note, i they had the full line of jane iredale makeup for my use there, and it is really exceptional--great, natural colors and lovely textures.

free skin care · Tue May 09, 2006 1:39 pm

Thanks for the update, avalange! I'm really thinking I'd like to get a few tiny capillaries zapped around my nose, and it helps to have an idea of what to expect pain-wise (and cost-wise).

Keep us posted!!

Mary Smile

free skin care · Tue May 09, 2006 3:05 pm

I'm very interested in this too, avalange. Please keep us posted.

free skin care · Wed May 10, 2006 5:03 am

HI!

Day 2, and I'm very impressed: about a 50% reduction in all redness and visibility of spider veins already!
This is unbelievable!
I was so worried before this treatment, because I thought that my skin would be red, raw, and bruised, etc.
But I literally went out without makeup yesterday about 5 hours after the treatment! My broken caps and spider veins were a bit darkened yesterday, but nothing too noticeable.
Today my overall complexion where the procedure was done looks creamier, less mottled, and completely calm. I was really ready for the worst, and was ready as well for no change in my problem areas from this treatment. I have realistic expectations in general, which might be why I'm so pleased!

I used PSF's 02 serum and ALA Complex as my only skin products (besides SC Sunblock yesterday and a bit of Jane Iredale makeup when I left the medspa, which I removed when I got home.) This might have made a difference in how my skin reacted.

A couple of things I was told or noticed:
DONT take aspirin or any vitaminerals before this treatment, since they can thin the blood and cause a reaction/bruising.
DONT use AHAs--they bring out spider veins and broken caps on people whose skin are prone to them.
DONT use hot water on your face, and don't exfoliate by rubbing!
Allergies in general cause these too, so make sure to keep them under control, and
there are two types of spider veins--ones that are always there and will only get worse, and ones caused by irritation that can go away on their own. Apparently this procedure helps both.
As far as retinol goes, HOPEFULLY I can go back to it soon, but I'm still going to wait a couple of days...

Overall, I am testament to the "no downtime at all" experience of photo-rejuvenation! I really think the kind of machine makes a huge difference, though--they used the new, Palomar "rejuve-lux" machine on me.
they snapped a polaroid of me so perhaps i can get a copy and post pics of my progress!

yours in solidarity,
avalange

free skin care · Wed May 10, 2006 7:23 am

I also take Arnica right before and for about a day afterward. It really helps the bruising. Ice down right after and heat the next few days help the darkened areas of pooled blood dissolve and fade away.
It also a good idea to do a once a year maintenance as the veins and caps do grow back.

free skin care · Fri May 12, 2006 8:20 am

I would also like to second IPL treatments. I've heard a lot about what some doctors will claim regarding this treatment (reduction of brown spots, less wrinkling etc...) in my case my doctor said that ALL it will do is lessen redness and veins, period! This is a doctor here in Sweden who is considered to be the expert in this field. He is also one of the developers of Restylane and Perlane both of which are Swedish developed products.

I had a series of 6 done with him and I could see a serious difference after 4. I continued for a total of six because I had bought a package and what a difference it made. I used to get very flush in the face when warm or just after showering. This was not the normal flush I would stay flush for 2 or so hours afterwards. Since having these treatments I have not had this at all. I still get a normal pink/red flush from showering or heat but it goes away when my body heat diminishes which is normal. Before I would look like a beet for up to 2 hours. Small red veins on my face are gone as well. I think this might have been because of this flushing syndrome although I never was diagnosed with Rosacea. I guess mine was something else.

Each treatment for me increased in intensity. It felt like a slight rubber band snapping against my skin. The first few times did not hurt at all but with each treatment it got more intense since it was targeting deeper and into certain more red areas. It never really hurt for me it just surprised me since I didn't expect it. He always said when I would feel it and then there would be a second or so delay and then I would feel it. Not really painful in the classic sense (I can think of A LOT more things painful than this!) but it was more of a surprise each time. Again this depends on how many treatments you have. The fewer the treatments the less the increase.

Either way I am very glad that I did this. It works well for redness, it does NOT however work on freckles, wrinkles etc... I don't care what they tell you. Even my doctor told me this.

free skin care · Sun May 14, 2006 5:18 pm

update:

Okay, after almost a week of noticing barely ANY evidence of this treatment other than a slight diminishment in broken caps, today, under some harsh flourescent lighting, I noticed red blotches all over my face where I remembered the laser being applied. Nothing noticeable at all--only if you looked up close would you see it. My spider veins that were treated are still lighter than usual, as I noticed on day 2, but I find it strange that my skin did not react until almost a week later! I did notice that the test spot that was done on my neck developed a nasty bruise for about a week afterward, and it is just going away now. Again, I will keep you posted with my progress, and let you know when (and, well, I hope NOT *if*) the redness goes away. I hope I did not induce it by using retinol too soon!

Best,
avalange

free skin care · Mon May 15, 2006 7:29 am

I was told not to use retinol for up to 2 weeks. I always get the bruising, that's how my skin reacts so I have to plan lots of downtime. Also, my eyes swell shut for 2-3 days. Great, huh? Going tommorrow for my maintenance IPL. Some med/spa give zanax and vicodin for the pain, I take my hubby. Then I can apply the ice packs all the way home.

free skin care · Mon May 15, 2006 11:36 pm

I had IPL treatments done more than a year ago...they are very worth it. The guy i went to cursed me about sunscreen saying it's the best way in preventing new ones in coming back. He was very right, for I haven't really been concerned about broken caps since considering I've been very cautious with my skin. It might take a little more treatments for you since you have old vein (Deeper in the skin), because I had some broken veins that were there the longest (fromyears ago) that he unfortunately never successfully removed. They are not nearly as noticable anymore though, so i am happy about that

free skin care · Fri May 26, 2006 12:17 pm

update:

I had my second ipl treatment for broken caps today.

I must say ladies, that the worse thing about this is that IT HURTS LIKE HELL.

I have a pretty high threshold for pain, but the combination of the light (intense and pulsed) and the pain (something like rubber band being snapped against your skin, but as hard as possible) is at the point of being unbearable, because it is so unexpected each time. I don't know how Annie R., for example, gets her full face done regularly!

This time, I was treated by an aesthetician (she is a RN), and she used a higher frequency on me but varied the wavelength. I'm not sure what this means, but I'm assuming that rather than a laser, which is merely adjusted for strength, IPL boasts different colors, frequencies, and wavelengths that can all be somehow tailored to one's skin type and condition. I would say that this is a plus, but that it also means that you need to be gtreated by someone who is intelligent and really knows about light frequencies.

Again, I left the office, put on my sunscreen (New IS Clinical TM mixed with skinceuticals, didn't even have to go for concealer, put some Jane Iredale blush on and some Dior mascara, and voila! I was ready do to some shopping before getting back to work. Not even a hint of redness, even up close.

For those of you with dry-normal-non-reactive skin, I would say that you can go back to work immediately after this treatment, but always insist on getting a test spot done on your face (and not on your neck, which is more sensitive) with the highest setting they are considering using on you before you go for it. That way you know how your skin is going to react, because it really changes over a matter of days, and you should be able to see how your skincare regime interacts with it. They informed me at the medspa that they normally do a test spot right before the treatment, but I insisted on it a week before the treatment and they were extremely accomodating. Another thing you might want to insist on is "layering"--don't just settle for one pass at each of your problem areas, since I was told that lower frequency-settings a higher number of times is the most effective way of going about this treatment. This time, my veins were treated twice after a five minute rest.

Also, about 4 days after my last treatment, I began using PSF retinol night cream again, and it did indeed bring out red splotches all over my face where the laser had been. I would counsel against using anythign but really gentle products for at least a week afterwards.

The aesthetician claimed that my veins and capillaries already looked darker and more present, which she claims is the sign that they will eventually go away--let us hope so!

One more thing--if you are only going for redness and/or broken capillaries, you do not have to wait the full amount of time for your skin to 'turn over,' since it is actually more effective the more you do this in a concentrated amount of time (meaning, wait at least two and a half weeks, not four).

Well, back to the grindstone, hopefully this, along with Annie R. and a few other EDS posters' experiences, will make IPL treatments--really the only option for getting rid of spider veins--a lot more transparent for those who are interested.

Best,
avalange

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