1st appointment with Dr Crouch

[lucy_nic87]

So I had an inital consultation with Dr C today about ipl treatment. what a nice guy! Literally spent an hour answering all my questions. I feel reassured that I am going to the right man. I had a test patch sort of near my armpit, anyone else ever have it there?! A few hours later and you cant tell where i had it. He said the majority of his patients need only 2-3 ipl in the first year to get clearance of redness but that it has minimal impact on flushing. Has anyone found improvement with flushing from ipl? He recommended the Yag laser for that but I was a bit concerned about the 2-4 weeks increased flushing before seeing any improvement.
Whats everyone think?

[lucy_nic87]

Anyone? Any improvement In flushing after ipl?

UOTE=lucy_nic87;268440]So I had an inital consultation with Dr C today about ipl treatment. what a nice guy! Literally spent an hour answering all my questions. I feel reassured that I am going to the right man. I had a test patch sort of near my armpit, anyone else ever have it there?! A few hours later and you cant tell where i had it. He said the majority of his patients need only 2-3 ipl in the first year to get clearance of redness but that it has minimal impact on flushing. Has anyone found improvement with flushing from ipl? He recommended the Yag laser for that but I was a bit concerned about the 2-4 weeks increased flushing before seeing any improvement.
Whats everyone think?[/QUOTE]

[Ghost]

Anyone? Any improvement In flushing after ipl?

UOTE=lucy_nic87;268440]So I had an inital consultation with Dr C today about ipl treatment. what a nice guy! Literally spent an hour answering all my questions. I feel reassured that I am going to the right man. I had a test patch sort of near my armpit, anyone else ever have it there?! A few hours later and you cant tell where i had it. He said the majority of his patients need only 2-3 ipl in the first year to get clearance of redness but that it has minimal impact on flushing. Has anyone found improvement with flushing from ipl? He recommended the Yag laser for that but I was a bit concerned about the 2-4 weeks increased flushing before seeing any improvement.
Whats everyone think?

[/QUOTE]

Lucy, those are two different questions. In the first instance you are concerned about increased flushing before seeing improvement in red. Dr C already told you that ipl has no effect on flushing. You say he recommended YAG, but it increases flushing before any improvement. Sorry, but that sounds like bollocks to me. Something that is going to increase flushing is not going to take it away. (more on that later)

In your second question you asked about improvements after ipl. Dr C told you there wouldn't be improvements in flushing with ipl.

I don't know anyone face-to-face who has had rosacea and flushing and who has had ipl and yag. I can only speak for myself. IPL is a waste of money for rosacea. It is hair removal system that got lucky with marketing.

IPL can toast off bacteria and surface mites and allow your skin to look better temporarily.

IF your rosacea is from demodex mites the mites have to be exterminated. As in any war, the enemy, the mites, can be nuked away, but at great expense. The other method is the ancient method of starving the enemy. Cut off the enemies' food supply and they will die. This is why the low-carb/no sugar diet works so well for so many with demodex rosacea.

As long as the bugs inside your skin where ipl or anything won't kill them they will grow back.

Something like vbeam or other tricks derms have for scarring might be of value later once the rosacea is gone (or once you know how to handle it).

As for flushing, if you're at all like me (and many other rosacea - flush victims) you'll discover that once you do the low-carb (no grains) no sugar diet that you have spontaneously stopped flushing.

Happened for me.

I'm not even charging for this life-saving information!

G

[lucy_nic87]

Lucy, those are two different questions. In the first instance you are concerned about increased flushing before seeing improvement in red. Dr C already told you that ipl has no effect on flushing. You say he recommended YAG, but it increases flushing before any improvement. Sorry, but that sounds like bollocks to me. Something that is going to increase flushing is not going to take it away. (more on that later)

In your second question you asked about improvements after ipl. Dr C told you there wouldn't be improvements in flushing with ipl.

I don't know anyone face-to-face who has had rosacea and flushing and who has had ipl and yag. I can only speak for myself. IPL is a waste of money for rosacea. It is hair removal system that got lucky with marketing.

IPL can toast off bacteria and surface mites and allow your skin to look better temporarily.

IF your rosacea is from demodex mites the mites have to be exterminated. As in any war, the enemy, the mites, can be nuked away, but at great expense. The other method is the ancient method of starving the enemy. Cut off the enemies' food supply and they will die. This is why the low-carb/no sugar diet works so well for so many with demodex rosacea.

As long as the bugs inside your skin where ipl or anything won't kill them they will grow back.

Something like vbeam or other tricks derms have for scarring might be of value later once the rosacea is gone (or once you know how to handle it).

As for flushing, if you're at all like me (and many other rosacea - flush victims) you'll discover that once you do the low-carb (no grains) no sugar diet that you have spontaneously stopped flushing.

Happened for me.

I'm not even charging for this life-saving information!

G[/QUOTE]

Hey ghost
I am doing low carb and sugar already and I understand the logic behind it regarding demodex mites. Although dr c says he doesn't usually seen significant reductions in flushing after ipl I have read other anecdotal reports of it being beneficial. I just wondered if anyone on the forum had that experience which is why i posted. I will need ipl to mop up the redness that I currently have anyone but if it were to help with flushing also that would be a bonus.
I was also a little wary of the yag laser improving flushing after increasing it and opted not to have it done that day. But dr c explained it in terms of de-sensitising the vessels by sort of wearing them out with temporary increased flushing

[Judworth]

Hello Lucy,

I had 13 IPL's from 2003-2009, they were very successful in almost stopping my flushing and keeping the redness at bay.

The last two didn't make any difference to my condition & I felt that this treatment had run it's course.

Yes, they certainly kept my flushing at bay, but I simply couldn't continue putting myself & my skin under this intense regime.

I 'may' consider IPL to help the look of rosacea 'if & when' my rosacea truly calms down.

Hugs Judy

[antwantsclear]

I am unconvinced that the YAG treatments work for flushing. It made my flushing worse - it did not get better 4 weeks later. There are also other risks with YAG such as puncturing a hole in the skin (though this is more rare a risk than simply making the flushing worse).

[lucy_nic87]

Hello Lucy,

I had 13 IPL's from 2003-2009, they were very successful in almost stopping my flushing and keeping the redness at bay.

The last two didn't make any difference to my condition & I felt that this treatment had run it's course.

Yes, they certainly kept my flushing at bay, but I simply couldn't continue putting myself & my skin under this intense regime.

I 'may' consider IPL to help the look of rosacea 'if & when' my rosacea truly calms down.

Hugs Judy

Thanks for your input Judy. Great to hear that ipl helped with your flushing but sorry to hear the last couple werent successful. it seems to turn out that way for a few folks.

[y-gwair]

Has anyone found improvement with flushing from ipl? He recommended the Yag laser for that but I was a bit concerned about the 2-4 weeks increased flushing before seeing any improvement.
Whats everyone think?

I'd be interested to know the reasoning behind this?