Telangiectasias are small dilated blood vessels near the surface of the skin or mucous membranes, measuring between 0.5 and 1 millimeter in diameter. They can develop anywhere on the body but are commonly seen on the face around the nose, cheeks, and chin.

Telangiectasias on the face are often treated with V-Beam laser. Laser therapy uses a light beam that is pulsed onto the veins in order to seal them off, causing them to dissolve. These light-based treatments require adequate heating of the veins and the laser is equipped with a skin cooling device, the Dynamic Cooling Device that allows predictable and controlled cooling of the upper layer of skin. Thus darker skin types may be treated, treatments are less painful, and higher laser energies (fluences) may be safely used. V-beam is used to treat a variety of conditions: rosacea, facial, neck and chest redness, broken blood vessels, sun damage, leg veins, keloids and hypertrophic scars, vascular birthmarks in children such as port-wine stains and hemangiomas, warts, and stretch marks.

Usually 2 to 4 treatments are recommended. Treatments are done in the office and last 10 to 20 minutes. There may be mild discomfort with the treatment but no anesthesia is required.

Immediately following V-beam laser treatment the area is red and may be mildly swollen. This lasts a very short time and may be alleviated with ice packs. Occasionally, the very mild swelling may last for several days. The majority of patients return to normal activities immediately after treatment.

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A port-wine stain is a vascular birthmark consisting of superficial and deep dilated capillaries in the skin which produces reddish to purplish discolouration of the skin. They are so called for their color, resembling that of port wine. It is part of the family of disorders known as vascular malformations, specifically an arteriovenous malformation.

Port-wine stains are present at birth and persist throughout life. The area of skin affected grows in proportion to general growth. Port-wine stains occur most often on the face but can appear anywhere on the body. Early stains are usually flat and pink in appearance. As the child matures, the color may deepen to a dark red or purplish color. In adulthood, thickening of the lesion or the development of small lumps may occur.

Many treatments have been tried for port-wine stains including freezing, surgery, radiation, and tattooing; port-wine stains can also be covered with cosmetics. V-Beam lasers have made the biggest impact on treatment, because they are the sole method of destroying the cutaneous capillaries without significant damage to the overlying skin.

Stains on the face respond better than those on the trunk or limbs. Older stains may be more difficult to treat. Several treatments are needed to obtain desirable results.

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