IPL Facial Matting

[clsykes00]

How do I know if facial matting is getting worse due to IPL? I am on my 4th treatment (5th tomorrow) and still see a ton of patches of very fine vessels in my cheeks. Patches seem to crop up as well (3 weeks after my laser).

Thanks,
Trey

[drnase]

Facial mattting only occurs when the blood vessels explode. No photoderm equipment that I know can do this. Facial telangiectatic matting is quite common to pulse dye laser treatments. But please keep us posted on your results and keep your physician informed.

[clsykes00]

Thanks so much! What does a burst blood vessel look like? Is that a bruise or purpura?

Thanks again!

My progress:
I have had 3 aura tx in the fall of 2004. This was before I knew anything about proper ways to treat rosacea. "Just followed the doctor's orders!"

Then made another mistake by having PDL with levulan (left on for 3 hours). Huge mistake. No bruising resulted, but wow did the treatment ever irritate my skin.

Now, I am on my 4th going on 5th tx with IPL. I'm seeing a physician that uses an older machine (dated 2000) but has been Dr. Bitter Sr trained. I do have some concern about the power level she is using (this is where the matting questions started worrying me). But, the tx dont really hurt, just very light snaps.

This is what my problems were before tx:
- red complexion
- broken blood vessels on right cheek, and nose
- excessive sebum
- inflamation
- little bumps on my cheeks that are not symetrical but are skin colored (don't know what they are to be honest but think they might be over producing sebacous glands; not necessarily seb hyp in the traditional sense because they aren't circular or donut shaped)
- p&p

Benefits to date:
- red complexion is not nearly as noticable
- flushes dont last as long
- prominent broken blood vessels are almost gone
- inflamation has reduced but still going strong
- reduced scars (had a couple very shallow scars on my left cheek that are disappearing; didn't think of this as a benefit going in to all this)

Trying desperately to find treatments for:
- those little bumps on my cheek
- sebum production reduction
- inflamation
- p&p

With the above problems still around, I think my next move is accutane. I just am trying to find out more info about accutane to make sure I do it right. I really want to make sure that I give myself the best chance to reduce my sebum production.

I will post this on another topic area more targeted for treatment progress.

Thanks again Dr. Nase. Oh, I talked to Syed about Green Tea Extract. What a nice man! Took my picture and really did some good analysis on it quickly to customize my solution.

Thanks again,
Trey