It was 1986 that the VBeam was originally FDA approved to treat red skin lesions. That’s almost 30 years ago. It’s been a good run, but it’s time to give up the number one spot to the Excel V laser. There are several reasons that the VBeam is inferior to the Excel V which will be elaborated below.
The Excel V is actually 2 lasers, a 532 nm KTP laser and a 1064nm YAG laser. (The Vbeam is a 595nm Pulsed Dye Laser). With the 2 wavelengths, several more possible treatments are available that the VBeam cannot do. Typically, the longer the wavelength, the deeper the laser is capable of going. So basically, by the addition of the 1064 laser, spider veins, and deeper blue vessels of the face and legs can now be treated.
In clinical studies, the 532 wavelength has been shown to have a 5 times higher affinity for oxyhemoglobin than the 595 wavelength. What that means is the Excel V’s laser is much better absorb by the red color (hemoglobin)
in the vessels being treated, resulting in more heat getting into the vessels, and thus, better outcomes. Side by side studies of the 2 lasers confirm this.
Cooling is necessary to protect the skin with both lasers. With the VBeam, a blast of cryogen is sprayed simultaneously with the laser pulse. This technology is called DCD, Dynamic Cooling Device, and is not perfect. If the laser is not held perpendicular to the skin, the cooled area might not correlate to the exact area of the laser pulse and therefore possible complications can result. The Excel V has a sapphire cooling tip that allows for cooling of the exact area that is treated. It also allows for pre, parallel, and post pulse cooling, leading to a safer and more comfortable treatment, with less risk to the skin.
Several user improvements make for a shorter, more time efficient treatment for both the physician and patient. The warm up time for the VBeam can be 20 minutes, but for the Excel V, it is less than 1 minute. Changes during the treatment with either spot size, power, or pulse duration, all require recalibration by the VBeam, but are pretty much done on the fly (Real Time Auto-calibration) with the Excel V. Changes to spot size are frequently done during laser treatments, and with the VBeam, this requires removal and replacement of the handpiece compared to the Excel V which is just done by hitting a button on the computer interface. There are much more spot sizes available with the Excel V vs the VBeam as well, allowing for more accurate treatments.
The following can be treated with the Excel V:
- Telangiectasias
- Angiomas
- Rosacea
- Generalized redness
- Blue vessels around eye, forehead, temple
- Port wine stains
- Vascular lakes
- Spider Veins
- Reticular Veins
- Scars
- Skin tags
- Bruising
- Redness associated with acne
- Activation of Levulan
- Hair removal in small areas for all skin types (even type 5 and 6)
- Benign pigmented lesions
- Photofacial
The Excel V has now replaced the VBeam as the Gold Standard for treating all vascular lesions. It’s safe, diverse (2 lasers), and gives more effective treatments, making it an easy choice for both patients and physicians.
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