Couperose & Rosacea
Triggers, symptoms and treatment with laser

What exactly are couperose and rosacea, how do they develop and what is the difference?
Couperose and rosacea (also known as copper rose, senile acne or rosacea) are chronic diseases of the facial skin. They are caused by a genetic weakness of the connective tissue layer in the face.
Women suffer from rosacea around three times as often as men, although the disease often takes a more severe course in men. The risk of developing the disease is highest between the ages of 30 and 50. A fair complexion is an additional risk factor. Couperose and rosacea are not contagious.
Most doctors today assume that couperose is not a separate clinical picture, but an early form of rosacea. Couperose or the early stages of rosacea are noticeable in the form of redness, which is caused by dilated veins on the face. Later on, feelings of tightness, itching, dryness and increased sensitivity of the facial skin can also occur.
What triggers rosacea?
Rosacea can be triggered by a number of different factors. These include heat and cold, aggressive skin care products and the consumption of alcohol, nicotine and caffeine. In addition, spicy food and emotional factors can also trigger rosacea. However, the triggers only lead to the outbreak of the disease if there is a corresponding genetic disposition.
Severity of rosacea
The course of rosacea is divided into three phases by doctors. In the first phase, the enlarged veins are visible as redness. In the second phase, rosacea takes the form of a visibly inflammatory skin disease. The redness expands on the face and papules and purulent pustules form. In the third phase, rosacea reaches its most intense degree of severity. It is characterized by proliferating sebaceous glands and a leathery coarsening of the skin structure. The nose is often particularly badly affected and shows a tuberous deformation in the final stage.
Long-term treatment with IPL laser
Intensive pulsed light therapy is considered a treatment method for rosacea with very good cosmetic results. The treatment results are superior to drug treatments and surgical interventions. It is a laser therapy. The common abbreviation, IPL laser, is derived from the English term “Intense Pulsed Light”. During treatment, the laser irradiates the affected capillaries in a controlled manner with intense pulses of light. As a result, the blood vessels are welded together or obliterated. The result is a visible improvement in the appearance of the skin.
In addition to the cosmetic effects, the IPL laser also has a positive effect on the rate of inflammation. The treatment method can be used at all stages of the disease. Treatment with the IPL laser should begin in the fall or winter. This is when the concentration of melanin in the skin is at its lowest. Melanin is responsible for a tanned complexion. It absorbs the light energy of the IPL laser and weakens its effect.
Intensive pulsed light therapy is a painless treatment for the patient. At most, there may be a slight stinging sensation, but this remains well below the pain threshold. A treatment only takes a few minutes. Four to five sessions are required for lasting success. Other laser systems such as copper vapor lasers, argon ion lasers or KTP lasers are not suitable as an alternative to the IPL laser. They are characterized by an unnecessarily increased risk of scarring, which is not the case with intensive pulsed light therapy.