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BBL™ for Rosacea

A treatment with BBL™ will make your skin appear clearer, more even, and younger.

Treatment duration:	15 to 45 minutes
Type of procedure:	Outpatient treatment with intense pulsed light
Can be combined with:	Treatment of pigmentation
Recovery time:	None
Cost:	From €550.

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The aging process of the skin results in an increase in fine lines as well as the progressive sagging of subcutaneous tissue. Persistent redness also leads to unwanted changes in the skin’s appearance.

Thanks to recent technological advances in anti-aging medicine, these signs of aging can be effectively countered. In addition to laser treatment, intense pulsed light (IPL) has proven to be one of the most innovative non-invasive methods for rejuvenating the skin and significantly improving the complexion.

Latest generation IPL – Sciton® BroadBand Light (BBL)™

The BroadBand Light (BBL)™ from Sciton® is part of the successful JOULE™ platform, a system developed to safely deliver light based therapies. BBL™ is the most powerful and advanced IPL system currently available. Sciton® was founded in 1997 in Palo Alto, California, and has since been a pioneer in the field of laser and light technology for medical and cosmetic applications.

Sciton® BroadBand Light (BBL)™ – an innovative non-laser-based skin treatment

In contrast to a laser, which emits electromagnetic waves at a single, fixed wavelength, the pulsed light of the Sciton® BBL™ covers the entire wave spectrum of a xenon flash lamp. Through the use of powerful light filters, BBL™ precisely delivers the range of wavelengths necessary for the specific treatment. Because the xenon flash lamp discharges in short, visible, and concentrated light bursts with high energy density, BroadBand Light (BBL)™ is also referred to as a flash lamp.

BBL™ – effective for spider veins, couperose, and rosacea

Persistent redness and age-related skin conditions such as couperose or rosacea are caused by the dilation of capillaries below the skin’s surface. Treatment with BBL™ will make your skin appear clearer, more even, and younger. Other vascular changes, such as spider veins, can also be treated effectively and gently with BBL™.

Versatile, effective, and safe – the various applications of BBL™

Exchangeable light filters, which precisely limit the broad wave spectrum of the flash lamp, make BBL™ extremely flexible. Thus, BBL™ is ideally suited for a wide range of skin concerns. Excellent results can also be achieved when treating pigmentation spots and age spots with BBL™.

Book an appointment for a detailed consultation in our practice to find the right treatment method for you. In a calm and friendly atmosphere, Christiane Kersten or Peyman Bamdad will examine you and inform you about the procedure using BBL™. A consultation typically takes about 30 minutes.

FAQ – Treatment of Couperose and Rosacea

Tanned skin increases the risk of blisters, redness, or permanent unwanted pigmentation. Therefore, avoid extensive sunbathing four weeks before BBL™ treatment and refrain from using self-tanners two weeks prior. To prevent photoallergic or phototoxic reactions, it is also essential to stop taking any medication that might increase skin photosensitivity for at least one week before treatment. This includes some antibiotics (doxycycline, ciprofloxacin), anti-inflammatory painkillers such as diclofenac and ibuprofen, acne medications containing tretinoin (Retin-A) or isotretinoin (Aknenormin, Ciscutan, Roaccutan), St. John’s Wort preparations, and many psychotherapeutic drugs.
After a thorough skin analysis, the BBL™ treatment is performed on an outpatient basis at our practice. First, a cooling contact gel is applied to the skin areas to be treated. The flash lamp emits concentrated pulses of light via a handpiece. High-performance light filters limit the effective wavelength to the desired spectrum for each application. To ensure not only optimal treatment results but also your comfort, the sapphire glass applicator is continuously cooled while in contact with your skin. The light pulses penetrate the skin surface and are converted into heat when they reach the pigmented tissue. This allows the energy to be applied directly against rosacea, age spots and acne, while the skin surface and surrounding tissue remain unharmed. In addition BBL™ enhances collagen induction and promotes skin tightening.
A mild sensation of warmth and possible redness after a BBL™ session are harmless and usually subside within hours. If further sessions are required, avoid direct sunlight until the full course of treatment is finished to reduce risk of complications such as blisters or long-term pigmentation. Since skin is highly sensitive to UV light after BBL™, the treated areas must be protected for six weeks with high-SPF sunscreen.
Treating couperose and rosacea with BBL™ involves coagulating the capillaries that cause the redness. Focused light pulses penetrate your skin and are absorbed by hemoglobin, converting them to heat. The increase in temperature in the capillaries causes them to coagulate, effectively removing the tiny veins while sparing the skin’s surface and surrounding tissue.
When performed by an experienced specialist, such as Christiane Kersten or Peyman Bamdad, BBL treatment is very well tolerated. Temporary risks include mild redness and swelling that settle quickly. Hematomas can occur when very stubborn vessels are treated. In rare cases, mild burns may occur, resulting in blisters similar to sunburn. Healing can be aided with cold compresses and a moisturizer. Temporary pigment changes such as darker spots that crust over after two or three days can occur. These are also not permanent – the crust will fall off in one to two weeks, revealing healthy new skin underneath.