Energy and light / TREATMENT GUIDE
Vascular lasers (PDL, KTP, Nd:YAG)
Lasers tuned to a wavelength that blood absorbs, used to close facial spider veins, rosacea redness, red scars and leg veins too small to inject.
- Appointment
- 15 to 30 minutes
- Typical social recovery
- A few days
- When results may appear
- 2 to 6 weeks
- How long they may last
- Years for treated vessels; new ones can appear
- Typical course
- 1 to 3
- Relative cost
- $ · Moderate relative cost
Ranges vary by person, product, area and technique. Cost symbols are editorial comparisons—not quotes. Ask for the full course and follow-up cost.
How it works
The vessel wall absorbs the heat and seals shut, and the body reabsorbs it over weeks. Larger, deeper vessels use longer wavelengths.
Four illustrative steps. Select a step to highlight it; the optional anatomy view explains the same mechanism.
Recovery, in practical terms
Redness or bruise-like marks for 3 to 10 days depending on the settings.
What it can feel like: Mild to moderate.
What people discuss
Broken capillaries, rosacea, red stretch marks, port-wine birthmarks.
Reasons to pause
A tan, blood thinners, some medicines.
This list is not exhaustive. A clinician must assess your health, medications, skin and goals.
Risks worth understanding
- Bruising
- Pigment change
- Blistering, rarely
Ask your clinician
- Which laser for my vessel size?
- Will I bruise?
Sources, approval context & editorial limits
Authorization is specific to the device and intended use.
Sources support regulatory and safety context; not every efficacy claim or range has been independently verified.
Educational information, not medical advice or a personal recommendation. Independent clinical review is pending. A qualified clinician must assess individual suitability. Timings, relative costs and visuals are illustrative, not guarantees.
Read the editorial policyCompare different approaches
Related catalogue tags, not recommendations.
- Injectables
Exosomes and regenerative serums
Products marketed as containing cell-derived particles or regenerative ingredients.
No FDA-approved exosome products
A few days recovery - Energy and light
IPL and broadband light (photofacial)
Flashes of filtered broad-spectrum light, not a laser, absorbed by brown pigment and red vessels to clear sun spots and flushing.
A few days recovery - Energy and light
LED light therapy
Panels or masks of low-level red, near-infrared or blue light that nudge skin cells: red for repair and collagen, blue for acne bacteria.
Usually minimal recovery