Hi - often people have posted that they have had laser treatment and that it has not helped with redness. Unfortunately not much info is given on the type of laser used i.e.: IPL (intense pulse dye laser) or PDL (pulse dye laser) etc and also who did the treatment i.e. derm or beauty therapist.

As laser treatment can be expensive. I thought it may help those contemplating this treatment to see what result others have had. I will start off by posting
1) what condition it was used to treat
2) the type of laser used
3) who performed the treatment
4) the number of treatments
5) the effect it has had


1) permanent redness to the cheeks and eyebrows caused by Ulerythema Ophryogenes and Atrophoderma Vermiculata
2) Candela VBeam (brand name) Pulse Dye Laser (type of laser)
3) Dermatologist
4) Two treatments - one five years ago and the other this year using the lastest model VBeam laser
5) with first treatment reduction of redness was only slight but enough to want me to try again. The second treatment (using the lastest laser) helped fade the redness noticably on cheeks and eyebrows however probably at least two more treatments will be needed to normalise the colour of these areas

1) KPRF
2) Cutera Laser Genesis
3) general practice doctor
4) 4
5) slight reduction in redness. Made my skin a lighter pink but other than that, not a whole lot. Didn't reduce flare ups. Laser Genesis is not a true powerful laser like the VBeam therefore laser genesis is not reccommended for KPRF.

1) Kprf
2) Intensed pulsed light
3) Trained dermatologist
4) 2
5) slight reduction in redness for a limited time, but nothing extraordinary


I want everyone to check out a new laser called photodynamic therapy, it may be our best hope for kprf. A gel is applied to the face, soaked in, then activated with the laser to provide relief within sebum glands. Seriously check it out guys, we need to hold off on any more Ipl, pulse dye, and other lasers and try the new ones.

thanks for your replies - don't know much about photodynamic lasers - did a google search and found this link:

http://www.thecenterforderm.com/proc...namic_therapy/

What is confusing though is that they talk about photodynamic therapy using the Vbeam laser (this is the one I had). Is photodynamic laser the same as Vbeam???? (because Vbeam is the name of a pulse dye laser made by Candela)

Apart from the above link there is a lot of info about it being using to treat cancer and some eye diseases. Have you come across any other articles that talk about it reducing redness?

Its good to share our info and experience with lasers because like you said there are advancements being made all the time - living in NZ I know that we are not at the cutting edge of these developments so am open to hear of more effective treatments being offered in other places as although the Vbeam worked for me it will take several applications and the down time of 2 weeks following treatment is quite long.

I see that it can treat KP but where did you read photodynamic can treat KPRF?

anne,
Do you know what model Candela VBeam you were treated with?

Everyone read this article
Short contact photodynamic therapy appears to be an important step in the treatment of acne, rosacea and sun damage. This combination treatment is also finding success in a variety of other conditions such as keratosis pilaris (severely dry skin), certain types of warts, molluscum (a non-cancerous skin growth), and excessive oiliness of the skin.
http://www.aad.org/public/News/NewsR...micTherapy.htm

Candela VBeam is the only thing worth the money.
It rocks, if the doctor knows how to use it.

Last treatment was done in July 06 and the derm advised me that it was the latest model out (it had a cooling systems that sprayed water on your face prior to each laser application - the first treatment done 4 years prior was using an older model which didn't have this facility)

I am happy with the VBeam result and my derm advised, and I have also read on the net, that it is the laser of choice for redness. Some of my redness is just from high colouring (nothing to do with KP) and the derm advised it doesn't really matter what has caused the redness basically if it is red the laser will target it.

The derm said that even in portwine stains biopsies have shown that there is only one red abnormal vessel to 99 normal ones so that is why they can blast things and not effect circulation in the area.

Because each treatment is targetting a few broken vessels in each area you tend to get a fading of the colour rather than patches appearing white and normal. I would like to have another treatment next year but when you work and have a family to run around after it is hard to set aside two weeks to go into hiding while your skin heals after treatment.

For me the VBeam would still be the laser of choice but like I said above I am open to any tests/results that show anything else can be of more help with the redness.

I wonder how long KP treated with photodynamic would last?

Good question - when lasers are used to treat blood vessels under the dermis the result is permanent in that the blood from these treated vessels is reabsorbed back into the skin. KP however is on the surface and is able to return as the hair follicules become plugged up again. It could end up an expensive solution for only temporary relief.

I always hesitate on commenting abut treatments for KPRF as mine has faded with age and I know that most of you on this forum have very active red KPRF. Mine was not diagnosed correctly until my 30's so I never tried to really treat it when it was at its worst in my teens and twenties. I still had a few bumps around my eyebrows and sides of my face though and have managed to get the skin in these areas smooth by regularly using a small amount of retina-a cream - the only thing to get rid of the redness under the dermis however has been pulse dye laser treatment.

From reading post by others on this board I think one way to deal with KP on the face is to use VERY VERY VERY CAREFULLY some form of AHA or retinoic acid. Unfortunately when you start using these they tend to inflame your skin more before it gets used to it so the tendancy is to stop them before they have a chance to work.

I presume a lot of you are still seeing a dermatologist - what treatment are they recommending for KPRF?

I wonder if perminate laser hair removal on the arm would stop the KP? I know when I had laser genesis, it smelled like burning rubber/hair and I didn't know what it was at first. I asked the doctor and she said it was all the microscopic hair follicules being singed on your face from the laser.

Our new hope for kprf is photodynamic therapy, thats it. Someone needs to get one of these treatments, i urge everyone to read the article. Never before has a laser claimed to treat kp, flushing, and facial redness. Ipl, vbeam, and laser hair are outdated compared to this new laser. The gel you apply to the face actually goes deep to the sebum glands, where the hair is trapped and inflamed, and then it is activated with laser. There was another thread where a lady was going to have one but she pussed out at the last moment eventhough pain is very minimal with this procedure.

I just found out that photodynamic therapy is done with v beam sometimes.
take a look at some results with it http://www.thecenterforderm.com/proc...namic_therapy/

It says the redness and flushing may be reduced by 80 to 90 percent. I dont know about you guys but thats miraculous.

Hi Dick - I have had the VBeam laser and it is great - it has been around awhile. You still need a few treatments though if your skin is really red. I have had 2 treatments with this laser but will probably need 2 more at least.

I still found that article a bit confusing though as I have never heard the VBeam called a photodynamic laser before.

The VBeam pulse dye laser appears to be the laser of choice to target redness this has been confirmed by several dermatologists I have talked to and also research on the net. Candela make the 'Vbeam' which is a pulse dye laser.

I am going to continue to persue treatment with this Laser until a better option comes along.