ABCs about PDLs: FAQs about the unique benefits and features of Pulsed Dye Lasers
At ShadeTree Dermatology, we proudly provide “refuge” or shade from the stressors of the day and the factors that stress your skin. But our offices in Cocoa Beach and Rockledge, Florida, are also excited to provide an array of light-based technologies to bring out and support your best, most confident skin. These technologies are not limited to pulsed dye lasers (PDLs).
Before & After Results
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What are pulsed dye lasers?
PDLs are a type of laser treatment uniquely designed to remove redness in the skin. They use beams of laser light directed toward highly targeted areas to destroy damaged skin and blood vessels without affecting the surrounding tissues.
What conditions are “treatable” with PDL?
This laser is often used to improve the appearance of red-hued lesions, such as birthmarks like port-wine stains. It also corrects red moles (cherry angiomas), visible capillaries, the redness of rosacea, and other vascular lesions. Our provider team can assess your skin and concerns to determine if PDL is right for you.
Just how does it work?
PDLs resolve the root source of facial redness: abnormalities in the blood vessels. In fact, this laser is drawn to the redness of the blood’s hemoglobin. The heat generated also causes coagulation, which inhibits the process responsible for red spots. Due to the unique engineering of PDL lasers, the outermost skin is avoided, and the light is absorbed by the blood vessels – properties that make it a particularly tissue-preserving, conservative, safe, and low-risk process. Only your concerns are treated, with nearby healthy tissue left intact.
What is treatment like?
If PDL treatment is right for you, you’ll be provided with eye protection. The device is then placed against the skin in the treatment zone. The laser is then activated, and settings are customized to your needs and comfort. The process takes around 30 minutes, depending on the size and number of areas to be treated. It is often described as a sensation like a brief snap of a rubber band. Cooling is also generally applied afterward to support comfort.
Do I have to take time off work?
PDL treatment is not associated with an extended recovery or downtime. However, it is not unusual for patients to experience some swelling, redness, tenderness, scabbing, and bruising at the treatment sites. We advise on products and steps to encourage healing and minimize any discomfort in the days following treatment.
When can I see results?
Just one treatment session may not make a huge difference in your skin’s appearance, but that changes after a series of three to five treatment sessions. You will start to see considerable improvements with each monthly session. Maintenance treatments may be scheduled annually to preserve those results and address any new redness.
Why should I choose ShadeTree Dermatology for my treatment?
Our teams in Cocoa Beach and Rockledge, FL, are led by a specialist, Dr. Vanessa Johnson. As a specialty practice, we combine considerable expertise with investments in advanced technologies. So, you can trust that your treatment will be performed safely, comfortably, precisely, and with your utmost satisfaction at heart. Call (321) 200-0346 to schedule your one-on-one consultation and experience what makes us different.
