Vbeam

How it works

Vbeam, from Candela, is a pulsed dye laser emitting 595 nm light, a yellow wavelength that hemoglobin absorbs strongly. A burst of cryogen spray cools the skin just before each pulse, which helps protect the surface. The laser has long been used for facial redness, small vessels and some red marks. Settings can be chosen to cause visible purple bruising or kept gentler with no bruising, and the choice affects both recovery and the number of visits.

Good to know

• Higher-energy settings can leave bruising for a week or more, while gentler settings may need more sessions, so the pulse approach shapes the plan.
• Dynamic cooling is built in and is not usually a separate charge.
• Red scars and marks are sometimes treated with the same system and are typically quoted per area.
• Candela also makes PicoWay, so confirm Vbeam by name.

How Vbeam affects a treatment quote

On Vbeam, session count and bruising are linked. A plan with fewer, stronger pulses means more downtime, and a plan with more gentle sessions means more visits. Both can be sensible, so ask the clinic which approach its quote assumes.

Next, ask what area the figure covers. A full-face session, a nose-only session and a few discrete marks are different line items. Ask whether the price is per session or for the set, and whether touch-ups are covered. Numbing is sometimes not needed, so ask whether it is on the estimate. Tax and aftercare products should each be spelled out. The doctor decides the settings after examining the skin.