The New Vbeam Prima Is Here (Rosacea Sufferers Rejoice!)

In case you're not familiar, Vbeam is a type of pulsed dye laser that treats skin issues related to blood vessels. Whether you have rosacea, spider veins, or port-wine stains, a Vbeam laser is a great treatment option. It has been FDA-approved and used to treat these conditions for more than 20 years. Now, there's a new and improved Vbeam laser out, called the Vbeam Prima. Here's everything you need to know about it.

How is it new and improved?

The new Vbeam Prima has an additional laser wavelength (1064 nm) to treat larger and deeper blood vessels. So it’s now two lasers in one. In addition, the original 595 nm laser technology has been improved, making it more effective in delivering greater energy to the tissue. The spot size of the laser is also larger, which increases the speed of treatment and delivers the energy more evenly to the skin. On top of that, the laser is even more safe to use with the addition of a contact cooling handpiece. This handpiece protects the skin by keeping it cool as the laser energy is delivered to the target.

Who is the ideal candidate?

Anyone with unwanted redness, rosacea, port wine stains, or facial or leg spider veins is a good candidate. I also use this laser to help resolve bruising after surgical or minimally invasive procedures. It’s also helpful in treating redness associated with acne as well as red stretch marks and scars.

Does it hurt?

Pain is always variable from one individual to another but most patients find this treatment only mildly uncomfortable and very tolerable. We don’t use numbing cream for the treatment, since it's unnecessary and can also cause the blood vessels to become smaller and therefore more difficult to treat.

Is there downtime?

Redness, mild swelling, or puffiness can occur and will last 1–3 days. Bruising, though less likely, can also occur and can last several days to a week.

What other topicals or skincare products should you use with it?

For rosacea patients, it depends on the severity and type of rosacea. Some patients can use topicals like rhofade and finacea to decrease redness. For others, an oral antibiotic can decrease pimple-like rosacea lesions or inflammation. For patients with acne, I would treat with antibiotics; oral contraceptives; and topicals such as retinoids, topical dapsone, benzoyl peroxide, and sulfa-based products. Again, it would depend on the severity of the condition.  

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