Cool Touch Laser and Veins in Face and Leg

May 14, 2002

Hi,

I wanted to pass along an article I saw in the May 2002 issue of E-

Skin and Allergy News.

Take care,

Matija

Promising in small study

Leg, Facial Veins Respond Well To Treatment With CoolTouch

Sharon Worcester

Tallahassee Bureau

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — A 1,064-nm neodymium:YAG laser with cryogen

spray cooling, variable pulse width, and 6-mm spot size was effective

for the treatment of leg and face veins.

A total of 41 leg vein sites in 30 patients with leg telangiectasias

and reticular veins were treated in a recent study. In 23 patients

who completed the study, 85% of the patients had at least 75%

improvement in the appearance of the veins, and 95% had at least 50%

improvement, Dr. Cindy Y. Li reported at the annual meeting of the

American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery.

The patients, who had Fitzpatrick skin types I-V, were treated a

maximum of three times with the CoolTouch laser set at 115 J/cm2.

Smaller veins (0.3-1.5 mm) were treated using a 25-millisecond pulse

width, and larger reticular veins (1.5-3.0 mm) were treated using a

50-100 millisecond pulse width. Patients were evaluated at 1 week and

1 month post treatment to determine if additional treatment was

required, and again at 2 and 3 months to evaluate outcomes, said Dr.

Li of Boca Raton, Fla.

The same treatment parameters were used for 17 patients with

Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV who underwent treatment of face veins,

including 24 telangiectasias of the cheeks, nose, and chin, and 8

periorbital reticular veins. However, those patients were treated

only once and evaluated only at 1 month post treatment.

A total of 32 sites were treated, and 97% of patients experienced 75%-

100% improvement. No scarring or purpura was noted, Dr. Li said.

Side effects in this study included severe pain in three patients who

dropped out as a result, postinflammatory hyperpigmentation in six

patients, burns in three patients (with no blisters or permanent

scarring), and facial swelling in the nose area in two patients who

had a large number of blood vessels treated in that area. Transient

urticaria was also experienced by some patients.

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