Laser Clinic

Treatments currently offered at the Laser Clinic on the Ulster Hospital site include:

• Port wine stains and other vascular lesions such as thread veins and spider naevi
• Brown marks both hereditary and acquired
• Hair removal in white, asian and black skin
• Removal of multi-coloured tattoos

 

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• Pre Operation and Consultation

  Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your appointment time and ensure you visit the Admissions Office (ground floor) before entering the Laser Clinic. If you have been advised to apply local anaesthetic cream, such as EMLA, please follow the instructions below:

  N.B. Please do not bring any other children to your laser clinic appointment unless they are receiving treatment. We have no facility to care for children when a patient is receiving treatment.

  • It would be advisable to buy a tub of Vaseline (Petroleum jelly) before attending for your first laser treatment, as this will be required for post laser treatment care
  • Do not apply moisturising cream or make up on the day of your appointment to the area to be treated
  • Do not apply fake tan to the area to be treated for a minimum of 10 day prior to your appointment
  • The area to be treated should not be sun-tanned: and for at least 4 weeks prior to your appointment keep this area out of direct sunlight. Use sun block SPF30+ with a high UVA rating and wear a brimmed hat or cap
• For Hair Removal Patients

  Please shave the area to be treated the day prior to your appointment. For optimum results from laser treatment, waxing and plucking should be stopped. Shaving/depilatory creams (i.e. Immac) should be used instead.

  Please click here for further information before your first hair consultation with the Laser Sister.

• EMLA Cream Instructions

  EMLA cream (5g) can be obtained via GP prescription or purchased ‘over the counter’ in larger chemists. Apply EMLA cream to the area being treated, maximum 2 hours prior to appointment. Rub EMLA in well and reapply every 20 mins until your appointment. The EMLA will be washed off (with water) prior to your treatment.

  • Adults must not use more than 10g (2 small tubes) of EMLA per appointment
  • Children must not use more than 5g (1 small tube) of EMLA per appointment.
  • EMLA must not be left on for longer than 2 hours

  Please contact the Laser Clinic on (028) 9056 1428 if you have a cold sore/chicken pox for advice prior to treatment.

• Consultation Information

  Please view our consultation information for specific conditions that we treat:

  Brown Marks

  Tattoo Removal

  Acne

  Post Operative Information

  Pulsed Dye Laser/Apogee 1064/Cynergy Mulitplex/Intense Pulsed Light (Treatment of Vascular Lesions or Photo-Rejuvenation)

  • You may be left with blackening or redness or both which can last up to two weeks
  • Swelling around the eyes is normal and may last for up to one week
  • Crusting or oozing is uncommon but can occur
  • On the evening of the treatment, apply a simple moisturiser such as Petroleum Jelly (ie Vaseline)
  • On the day following the treatment, you may apply simple moisturiser and make up (foundation or concealer) as normal
  • The only exceptions are if crusting or oozing occurs, in which case Vaseline should be applied to the area in question twice daily.  Prior to application, wash and clean the area with water and cotton wool or a clean flannel: this should be continued until crusting and weeping stops and then follow instructions described above
  • Make up and simple moisturiser should not be applied to any areas while they are either crusting or weeping
  • The treated area should be kept out of direct sunlight for a minimum of 6 weeks- wear a hat or cap, cover with clothing, and moisturiser with sun block SPF30+ (after 3-4 days)
• Laser Treatment

  Most children have laser treatment under general anesthetic, but some might have local anesthetic if the area to be treated is small. Children normally receive treatment from the age of 2 years.

• What is Laser Treatment and how does it work?

  Laser Treatment uses a narrow beam of light that is absorbed by the red colour of blood vessels in birthmarks, making them lighter in colour. This is called Selective Photothermolysis, which means that a specific area (selective) of tissue containing blood vessels is treated (lysis) using light (photo) that then produces heat (thermo). Each time the laser beam touches the skin, it treats a small area only a few millimeters across. We call this a laser ‘dot’ and most children have lots of ‘dots’ in one treatment.

• How long does the Laser Treatment take?

  In our experience, the best results occur when a series of treatments, usually between five and ten treatments take place over a few years. For small birthmarks, the number of treatments may be much less.

• What happens afterwards?

  If your child has treatment using local anesthetic, they will be able to go home immediately. If your child has a general anesthetic, he or she will need to stay at the clinic until they have woken up completely. Your child’s skin will look sore and bruised after each treatment. His or her skin will need to be carefully looked after for two-three weeks after each appointment. Your child will need to wear high factor sun block for the whole course of the treatment as sunlight can darken the birth mark making it harder to treat. You will receive full instructions after each treatment.