Venus Lake Treatment With Laser
Do You Have a Blue Spot On Your Lip?
If you have a blue spot on your lip that looks like the one in the photo you likely have a venous lake. The blue spot may start small and grow slightly over time. Typically they are soft to the touch and can occur on the lip, ears or face. They are more commonly found in individuals over the age of 50 who have had significant sun exposure during their life. The sun exposed areas are prone to this type of vascular damage because the sunlight weakens the walls in the lip area causing blood to pool into a small blue spot on the lip. There are other names associated with a venous lake that include; phlebectasis, senile hemangioma of the lip and vascular dilatation.
Venous Lake or Skin Cancer?
A Venous lake can look like skin cancer known as melanoma or basal cell carcinoma. It is very common for a dental professional to notice the blue spot on the lip first, or for someone to bring this to the attention of their dentist for aesthetic reasons because they don’t like the way it looks. To determine if the blue spot is malignant or vascular they will often use a technique known as a compression test or diascopy. This involves using one or two glass plates to squeeze the area of the blue spot to see if the blood can be displaced. If it is vascular the compression will cause the blood to empty from the spot when it is squeezed. A fixed malignant growth would not react this way. If there are other indications associated with the blue spot such as crusting or uneven boarders the doctor may request further testing to be done.
How To Get Rid of a Venous Lake
Procedures for a venous lake treatment have advanced significantly with the use of lasers. Early treatments involved surgically cutting out a venous lake which often left a scar. Eventually this lead to doctors attempting to freeze the area (cryosurgery), very similar to the way a wart is frozen to be removed. Today the best venous lake treatment is with a laser. A laser will use an intense pulsed light to cauterize the area and remove the venous lake. A laser treatment will cause little to no scarring and very often the venous lake never returns.
What Does Laser Treatment Feel Like?
The entire process literally takes only seconds to complete. You will likely feel two to three zaps from the laser. Often a cooling vacuum is used so you barely feel any burning sensation. Following the laser treatment the area may turn white and become crusty. The healing process takes about 2-4 weeks. During this time your lips are exfoliating the dead skin cells so the normal healthy looking cells eventually return to your lip. To avoid crusting and help accelerate the healing process a nourishing cream such as HealFast Repair can be used. By applying a cream like this to your lip several times throughout the day you can accelerate the healing process, prevent scarring and reduce the white crusty look that may appear.
How Much Does Venous Lake Laser Treatment Cost?
These days some dental professionals may offer laser treatments. However, because a venous lake is a vascular condition it may be a good idea to get treatment from a vein specialist. If you are in New Jersey Dr. Nackman of NJ Vein Care offers treatment for around $250 for the initial procedure. Doctors in other areas may charge $500 up to $750 for the treatment. Typically only one treatment is necessary. Insurance does not typically cover the cost of this service. However, some doctors will work with you on price of a venous lake treatment if you explain your situation.
