Birthmarks & capillaries

BBL is ideal for small facial capillaries and veins, Rosacea, vascular birthmarks and even Campbell de Morgan spots (the small red lesions often appearing on the body as we get older). Vascular birthmarks include such things as port wine stains and haemangiomas, which are red, pink or bluish discolourations. They are often present at birth although they may also develop over time and with age. They are made up of many blood vessels grouped together under the skin. Small spider veins often appear on the face and other parts of the body with increasing age or as a result of sun exposure, accidents or medication.

BBL generates pulsed light, which safely destroys unsightly blood vessels so they fade and slowly disappear. Treatment is applied by placing a hand held treatment unit on your skin over some cooled gel. The treatment does not require injections or surgery.

We usually begin with a test dose on a small area to adjust treatment settings and to ensure that the full treatment will give the best results. Some small lesions will disappear in 1 or 2 treatments but it is common to need between 3 and 5 sessions. Veins around the nose, rosacea and Port Wine Stains often need several treatments before complete resolution. BBL treatments for veins and redness are usually done at 3 – 4 week intervals to ensure optimal results.

Short-term side effects may include a slight reddening of the skin, localised swelling or mild bruising, which usually disappear within a few days. Very occasionally there may be some blistering. Hypo and hyper-pigmentation are also possible, however your doctor will advise you if any precautions need to be taken.

BBL is not an effective treatment for leg veins. To see information on leg veins please go to the Leg Veins page.