Well you’ve finally done it – you’ve decided 2007 is the year for laser treatments! Maybe you’ve never been treated in the past or perhaps you were treated for a while, but then took a break from treatment and “forgot” to go back. We’ve all been there! Sometimes it’s a tough decision to go back when you’ve been away for a while, but you want to do what’s right to take care of yourself, and you’ve decided now is the time!
No matter what your situation is, it pays to do your homework and learn a little about what’s new in the world of laser treatments. In 2006 there were a two new laser machines that were introduced, the Perfecta by Candela and the Cynergy III by Cynosure, that are providing more effective treatment than ever before. Since there have been questions from our participants of our PWS list about both these machines, I thought it would a good idea to provide some basic information about them.
The Perfecta by Candela is the newest version of their very popular Vbeam machines. Many of us with port-wine stains have been treated with either the Aesthetica or the Platinum models and like those two models, the Perfecta also has a 595-nm wavelength. However, the Perfecta is the next step up. It has a new micropulse technology that delivers the laser energy divided up into eight smaller pulses instead of one big “zap”. This allows for better control over the heating of the target vessel so that the patient gets less purpura (the dark-purple coloration), but more energy delivered to the vessel. The Perfecta can also be programmed to produce a larger spot size so treatments don’t take as long – a real boon if there is a large treatment area. If the problem birthmark to be treated is a pigmented, nonvascular lesion, the Perfecta can treat that too. It has a compression handpiece that allows the operator to press the blood out of the target tissue. With less blood in the tissue, the laser’s energy will go to the pigment to target that, instead of the hemoglobin of the blood. Of course, the Perfecta is equipped with the DCD cooling device to control heat damage to the skin and provide for a more comfortable treatment! Like the other Vbeam machines, the Perfecta is safe to use on children as well. If you’d like to read a firsthand account of what a Perfecta treatment is like, check out Michael's Perfecta Experience.
The Cynergy III by Cynosure is an amazing new combination laser/pulsed light machine. It combines the Cynergy, a 595-nm wavelength pulse dye laser (to treat smaller red vessels) and the 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser (to treat larger facial and leg veins) with the Cynergy PL, a 560- to 950-nm pulsed light module. This machine sports a technology called MultiPlex Vascular, which allows the handpiece to shoot first the PDL, then the YAG, with spaces of time in between the two. This allows the YAG to penetrate deeper into the skin and treat deeper than before. The Cynergy III has the ability to be programmed for a wide range of spot sizes and powers, which allows the operator flexibility to accommodate the patient’s needs. The surface of the skin is cold-air cooled to control skin heating. At this time, the Cynergy III is not recommended for use on children. If you’d like to read a first-hand account of what it’s like to be treated with the Cynergy III, read Michael's Cynergy Experience.
So those are the Perfecta and the Cynergy III in a nutshell! Both are amazing machines, yet different from each other. So lay in a supply of DVDs, make sure there are frozen peas in the freezer, and pick up the phone!
