Seoul
Chief MD, Gangnam
Duk-ha Kim
The trust our patients have placed in this clinic was built on conviction and principle. We intend to hold to both, unchanged, through the next hundred years.
Vascular and redness laser category guide
Redness Laser
Redness laser is a booking category rather than a single machine, and the first thing to settle is which kind of redness is being treated: the ROSCO global consensus lists light-based options for persistent erythema and for telangiectasia, and does not recommend them for transient erythema and flushing.
- Category, not one device
- Excel V, Genesis Toning, Cosjet Laser, Clear Coco and Redness LDM listed under one heading
- What the light is aimed at
- Oxyhaemoglobin, with absorption peaks at 418, 542 and 577 nm
- Not recommended for
- Transient erythema and flushing (ROSCO global consensus algorithm)
- Size of the comparative evidence
- IPL versus pulsed dye laser: 4 studies, 141 participants in total
What does ‘redness’ mean when it appears as a treatment menu item?
It is a complaint, not a diagnosis, and the menu heading covers several different findings. The Gangnam menu lists Excel V, Genesis Toning, Cosjet Laser, Clear Coco and Redness LDM under this one heading — a mix of manufacturer product names, in-house programme names, and one item that is not a laser at all. The clinical literature organises the same territory differently: it separates redness by whether there is a physical target for light to act on, because the chromophore involved is oxyhaemoglobin inside blood vessels, with absorption peaks in the visible spectrum at 418, 542 and 577 nm. The ROSCO global consensus then assigns different first-line options to transient erythema, persistent erythema and telangiectasia. So the question that actually decides your treatment is which finding you have, not which item name you tapped.
Sources: ROSCO global consensus on rosacea management, Br J Dermatol 2017Lasers Med Sci review — oxyhaemoglobin absorption and vascular targeting
Transient flushing, persistent erythema, telangiectasia — why does the difference change the answer?
Because the consensus algorithm gives each of the three a different list of options, and one of them is not a light-based treatment at all. ROSCO is a global consensus produced by 17 dermatologists and 3 ophthalmologists through a modified Delphi process with agreement set at 75% or more. In its algorithm, persistent erythema carries IPL and pulsed dye laser among its options, and telangiectasia carries IPL, pulsed dye laser, lasers and electrodesiccation. For transient erythema and flushing, light-based therapy is not among the recommended options. The physical reason follows from the mechanism: a visible telangiectatic vessel is a fixed structure holding blood that can absorb the chosen wavelength, while a flush that comes and goes with triggers leaves nothing fixed to aim at. If your complaint is that your face goes red and then settles again, the item under this heading is not what the consensus points to.
Sources: ROSCO global consensus on rosacea management, Br J Dermatol 2017Lasers Med Sci review — oxyhaemoglobin absorption and vascular targeting
How can light act on blood vessels and largely spare the skin around them?
Through a chromophore that absorbs the chosen wavelength more strongly than the surrounding tissue. The review cited here states that oxyhaemoglobin demonstrates discernible absorption peaks within the visible spectrum at wavelengths of 418, 542 and 577 nm — those peaks are the reason vascular devices cluster around particular wavelengths rather than being tuned freely. Wavelength also sets depth, which is why the same review divides the work between device classes: KTP-range light in the green part of the spectrum is used against the superficial vascular component, and 1064 nm Nd:YAG reaches the deeper component. Two consequences follow for a consultation. The treatment needs a vessel holding blood to absorb the energy, and the wavelength has to match the depth at which that vessel sits, which is a judgement made by looking at your skin rather than by reading a menu.
Sources: Lasers Med Sci review — oxyhaemoglobin absorption and vascular targeting
Why do two wavelengths inside one machine have different indication lists?
Because the indication follows the wavelength, not the housing the wavelength sits in. Cutera’s official page for excel V lists them separately: the 532 nm wavelength is listed for benign vascular lesions, facial and leg telangiectasia and poikiloderma of Civatte, alongside benign pigmented lesions; the 1064 nm wavelength is listed for telangiectasia, rosacea, venous lakes, leg veins and spider veins, alongside wrinkles. Read next to the physics, the split is consistent — the shorter wavelength sits near the stronger oxyhaemoglobin peaks and is described for superficial work, while 1064 nm is the wavelength described for the deeper component. This is why ‘which machine’ is the wrong question to bring to a consultation. Two appointments on the same platform can be two different treatments, and the answer you need is which wavelength is planned for the finding you have.
Sources: Cutera excel V — official indications by wavelengthLasers Med Sci review — oxyhaemoglobin absorption and vascular targeting
Is a toning-style laser doing the same thing as a vessel-targeting laser?
No, and this is the most commonly blurred point on the whole menu. Cutera describes Laser Genesis as a non-ablative 1064 nm Nd:YAG treatment in which high repetition rate, micro-second pulses and an 8 mm spot size enable rapid energy delivery for controlled dermal heating; the stated targets are the microvasculature and collagen, and the listed indications include redness, rosacea and diffuse erythema. Controlled dermal heating delivered across an 8 mm spot is a different proposition from concentrating absorbed energy inside one visible vessel — it is bulk heating of the dermis, not vessel destruction. Both approaches can appear under a single redness heading on the same menu, and both can be relevant, but they are not interchangeable bookings: the settings, the sensation and the kind of finding they are aimed at all differ, and a quote for one is not a quote for the other.
Sources: Cutera Laser Genesis — official treatment pageCutera excel V — official indications by wavelength
Where does an international guideline actually place light-based treatment?
As one of several first-line options for two specific features, agreed by a structured expert process rather than measured in a trial. The ROSCO consensus was produced by 17 dermatologists and 3 ophthalmologists using a modified Delphi method, with consensus defined as agreement of 75% or more, and its output is a management algorithm organised feature by feature rather than by a single diagnosis label. IPL and pulsed dye laser appear among the options for persistent erythema; IPL, pulsed dye laser, lasers and electrodesiccation appear for telangiectasia. What a consensus document does not do is measure effect size — it records where experienced clinicians agree an option belongs. That is why the appearance of a laser in an algorithm should not be read as evidence of how well it works, and why the next section looks at what has actually been measured.
Sources: ROSCO global consensus on rosacea management, Br J Dermatol 2017
How much comparative evidence is there behind IPL and pulsed dye laser?
Much less than the visibility of these treatments suggests, and it is worth knowing the exact size. A 2024 meta-analysis in J Cosmet Dermatol pooled four studies with 141 participants in total: three prospective split-face studies and one retrospective study. Clearance above 50% showed no difference between the two groups. Clearance above 75% was reported in 77.78% of IPL-treated cases against 66.67% of pulsed dye laser cases. Change in erythema index showed no statistically significant difference between the two. Pain was lower with pulsed dye laser. The authors state the limitations themselves: four studies, 141 participants, heterogeneous treatment parameters between studies, and follow-up duration not reported in most of the included studies. That last limitation is the reason this page quotes no figure at all for how long a result holds or how often redness comes back — the pooled evidence does not contain it, and a number offered elsewhere is not coming from this analysis.
Sources: IPL vs PDL meta-analysis, J Cosmet Dermatol 2024ROSCO global consensus on rosacea management, Br J Dermatol 2017
How long does the effect last?
How long a result holds is exactly what the pooled evidence does not report. The 2024 meta-analysis behind IPL and pulsed dye laser draws on only four studies and 141 participants, and most of the included studies did not report a follow-up duration at all — so no figure exists in that analysis for how many months a clearance lasts or how often the vessels return, and nothing quoted elsewhere is coming from it. What is documented instead is which finding a treatment is meant for: the ROSCO consensus places IPL and pulsed dye laser among first-line options for persistent erythema and for telangiectasia specifically, and does not recommend light-based therapy for transient flushing, since flushing itself is not a fixed vessel to target. That distinction matters more for planning than a duration figure would, because retreatment need depends on which finding you actually have, how many new or recurring vessels form afterward, and your own vascular tendency — none of which a four-study pool can settle. Ask the clinic which finding they are treating, how many sessions their own protocol plans, and what they have observed in their own follow-up rather than in the published pool.
Sources: IPL vs PDL meta-analysis, J Cosmet Dermatol 2024ROSCO global consensus on rosacea management, Br J Dermatol 2017
What changes if your skin is not pale?
The competition for absorption changes, and with it the risk calculation. The strongest oxyhaemoglobin peak of the three is at 418 nm, but the review notes that melanin competes for absorption at that wavelength, carrying a risk of pigmentary change — which is exactly why the strongest peak on paper is not the wavelength reached for on pigmented skin. Longer wavelengths are absorbed less strongly by melanin, and 1064 nm Nd:YAG is the wavelength most often discussed for deeper vessels and for darker Fitzpatrick types. The published support for that in pigmented skin is thin and should be read as such: the report cited here is a letter to the editor describing a case series of ten patients, all women, 40% Fitzpatrick III and 60% Fitzpatrick IV, treated with a 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser, of whom 80% were rated ‘excellent’, with no post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation or purpura reported. Ten uncontrolled cases with no reported follow-up period record what happened to ten people; they do not establish that a wavelength is safe for a population. Your skin type belongs in the consultation as an open question, not as a settled one.
Sources: Lasers Med Sci review — oxyhaemoglobin absorption and vascular targetingSkin Res Technol 2023 — 1064 nm in Fitzpatrick III-IV, case series
What should be settled before booking, especially if you are travelling?
Which finding is being treated, which mechanism follows from it, and what happens after you fly home. Ask the clinic to name the finding — transient flushing, persistent erythema or telangiectasia — because the consensus algorithm assigns different options to each and does not recommend light-based therapy for transient erythema and flushing. Ask which device each menu item books, which wavelength will be used, and whether the approach is vessel targeting or dermal heating, since those are different mechanisms rather than different strengths. Ask for the device name, wavelength and settings in writing, so that any clinician you see later knows what was done. Then ask what is not known: the pooled comparison does not report follow-up duration in most of its studies, so no reliable figure exists for durability, and anyone quoting one is going beyond the published analysis. The following is general pre- and post-procedure safety practice rather than a finding of the sources cited here — tell the clinic about recent sun exposure or tanning, current medicines, pregnancy or breastfeeding, a history of keloids or abnormal healing, any pigmentation problem after a previous procedure, and any laser, peel or energy treatment in recent weeks; and contact the clinic promptly for blistering, a suspected burn, pain that increases instead of settling, drainage, spreading redness or warmth, a crust that does not heal, or a treated area that becomes darker or lighter than the skin around it.
Sources: ROSCO global consensus on rosacea management, Br J Dermatol 2017IPL vs PDL meta-analysis, J Cosmet Dermatol 2024
Which item targets a vessel, which one heats the dermis, and which one is not a laser?
Read this as a map of what each cited primary source lists, not as a ranking. The rows come from different kinds of document — two manufacturer indication pages, a consensus algorithm and a pooled analysis of four studies — so they cannot be lined up as if they came from one trial. Where no primary source was verified, the row says so instead of filling the gap.
| Item or approach | Energy and wavelength | What the cited source lists it for | What it is not |
|---|---|---|---|
| 532 nm (excel V) | 532 nm laser, green part of the visible spectrum | Benign vascular lesions, facial and leg telangiectasia and poikiloderma of Civatte, alongside benign pigmented lesions, on the manufacturer page | Not the wavelength described for the deeper vascular component; shorter wavelengths also face stronger melanin competition |
| 1064 nm (excel V) | 1064 nm Nd:YAG, vessel targeting | Telangiectasia, rosacea, venous lakes, leg veins and spider veins, alongside wrinkles, on the manufacturer page | Not an option the consensus recommends for transient erythema and flushing |
| Laser Genesis | Non-ablative 1064 nm Nd:YAG; high repetition rate, micro-second pulses, 8 mm spot size | Controlled dermal heating aimed at the microvasculature and collagen; listed indications include redness, rosacea and diffuse erythema | Not a vessel-destroying treatment — the mechanism described by the manufacturer is controlled dermal heating |
| IPL | Broadband light, not a single-wavelength laser | Listed in the consensus algorithm for persistent erythema and for telangiectasia; in the pooled analysis, clearance above 75% in 77.78% of cases | Not shown to differ significantly from pulsed dye laser in erythema index change in that analysis |
| Pulsed dye laser | Vascular laser used as the comparator against IPL in the pooled analysis | Listed in the consensus algorithm for persistent erythema and for telangiectasia; clearance above 75% in 66.67% of cases, with lower pain than IPL | Not ranked above or below IPL by that analysis — the erythema index difference was not statistically significant |
| Redness LDM (menu name) | Ultrasound at 1, 3 and 10 MHz — LDM stands for Local Dynamic Micromassage | The manufacturer’s official indication list includes conditions such as acne, atopic dermatitis, scars and psoriasis | Not a laser, and erythema, flushing and rosacea are not on the manufacturer’s indication list |
| Clear Coco, Cosjet Laser (menu names) | Not verified in this guide | No manufacturer or regulatory primary source was verified for these names while preparing this page | Not described here as procedures — ask the clinic which device and which wavelength each name books |
The percentages come from one meta-analysis of four studies with 141 participants in total, with heterogeneous parameters between studies and follow-up duration unreported in most of them; they are not an individual prediction, and this page quotes no figure for durability or recurrence because the pooled evidence does not report it. Manufacturer indication lists describe what a device is marketed for in one market; model names are deliberately not matched to clearance numbers here, because a marketing name and a registered device name are frequently not the same record. The consensus algorithm does not recommend light-based therapy for transient erythema and flushing.
Sources: Cutera excel V — official indications by wavelengthCutera Laser Genesis — official treatment pageROSCO global consensus on rosacea management, Br J Dermatol 2017IPL vs PDL meta-analysis, J Cosmet Dermatol 2024Wellcomet — LDM official device page
Medical care at Abijou
Care is provided by the medical team at the branch you select. These clinicians lead the three branches linked from this guide; confirm the doctor assigned to your visit with that branch.
Chief MD, Myeongdong
Cheol-su Yoon
I want to be thinking about how the patient feels right up to the last moment of the procedure.
Chief MD, Hongdae
Jae-wook Kim
I will give my best with the attentiveness to catch even the smallest change.
Listed branch medical team — not a medical-review byline for this article.
Frequently asked questions
Is rosacea the same thing as having a red face?
No — rosacea is a clinical diagnosis, while a red face is an appearance with several possible causes. The distinction has practical consequences because the ROSCO consensus builds its algorithm feature by feature rather than by the diagnosis label alone: persistent erythema and telangiectasia each carry their own listed options, and transient erythema and flushing are handled separately, without light-based therapy among the recommendations. Which features you have is decided by a clinician examining your skin, and that judgement, not the menu name, is what selects the treatment.
Is a ‘vascular laser’ the same thing as a ‘redness laser’?
They name the same idea from two directions: ‘vascular’ names the target, ‘redness’ names the complaint. The target is oxyhaemoglobin in blood, which shows absorption peaks at 418, 542 and 577 nm, and the wavelength chosen decides the depth reached — green-range light for the superficial component, 1064 nm Nd:YAG for the deeper one. The two words stop being interchangeable at the booking desk, because a menu heading called redness can also contain a dermal-heating laser and, at this branch, an ultrasound device, neither of which targets a vessel in that sense.
If 418 nm is the strongest absorption peak, why is it not the wavelength used on my face?
Because melanin competes for absorption at that wavelength, and that competition carries a risk of pigmentary change. The review that lists oxyhaemoglobin peaks at 418, 542 and 577 nm identifies the shortest of the three as the one where melanin absorption becomes a problem, which is why practical vascular work uses wavelengths further along the spectrum — KTP-range green light for superficial vessels, 1064 nm Nd:YAG for deeper ones. Absorption by the intended target is only half of the calculation; what else in your skin absorbs the same light is the other half, and it is why skin tone is part of wavelength selection.
IPL or pulsed dye laser — which does the evidence favour?
Neither, at the level of evidence currently published. The 2024 meta-analysis comparing them pooled four studies with 141 participants in total: three prospective split-face studies and one retrospective study. Clearance above 50% showed no difference between the groups; clearance above 75% was reported in 77.78% of IPL cases and 66.67% of pulsed dye laser cases; change in erythema index showed no statistically significant difference; pain was lower with pulsed dye laser. The authors name the limits themselves — four studies, 141 participants, heterogeneous parameters and follow-up duration not reported in most of them — so this is a small comparison, not a ruling.
Is Genesis-style toning just a gentler version of a vessel-targeting laser?
No, it is a different mechanism rather than a lower setting of the same one. The manufacturer describes Laser Genesis as non-ablative 1064 nm Nd:YAG treatment in which high repetition rate, micro-second pulses and an 8 mm spot size enable rapid energy delivery for controlled dermal heating, with the microvasculature and collagen as the stated targets. Vessel targeting concentrates absorbed energy inside a specific vessel; controlled dermal heating spreads energy through the dermis under a broad spot. Because the mechanisms differ, the two cannot be swapped at the booking desk, and the sensation, the settings and the kind of finding each is aimed at do not transfer between them.
Is a redness laser the same machine as a pigmentation laser?
The platform can overlap while the target does not. The manufacturer page for excel V lists 532 nm for benign vascular lesions, facial and leg telangiectasia and poikiloderma of Civatte, and also for benign pigmented lesions — one wavelength on one device appearing under two different headings. What changes between the two bookings is the chromophore the treatment is aimed at, oxyhaemoglobin inside a vessel or pigment in a lesion, and therefore the settings and the assessment that has to happen first. A quote labelled pigmentation and a quote labelled redness are not two prices for the same booking even when the same machine is switched on.
Does it hurt?
The sources cited here give one comparative statement and no pain score: in the pooled analysis of four studies, pain was lower with pulsed dye laser than with IPL. No numeric scale, no anaesthetic protocol and no per-device figure is available from the primary sources used on this page. Sensation in practice depends on the device, the settings, the area treated and whether topical anaesthetic is used, so ask the treating clinic what their protocol involves rather than working from a general description.
What is the downtime, and can I fly home a few days later?
The sources cited on this page do not report downtime figures, so this guide gives no recovery timeline. What can be said is that the pooled comparison did not report follow-up duration in most of its included studies, meaning the period after treatment is precisely where the published evidence is thinnest. Practical steps before travelling: get the device name, wavelength and settings in writing, ask what reaction is expected and for how long, ask what to do if the treated area becomes darker rather than settling, and confirm how to contact the clinic from abroad. The warning signs listed in the section above are general post-procedure safety practice rather than a study finding.
How many sessions will I need, and how far apart?
No session count can be quoted from the sources on this page. The pooled comparison of IPL and pulsed dye laser reported clearance proportions across four studies with heterogeneous parameters and unreported follow-up duration in most of them; the consensus algorithm lists options feature by feature without specifying a number of sessions; and the manufacturer pages describe indications rather than protocols. The interval and the count therefore belong to a clinician who has examined the finding, and a number quoted before that examination is a sales estimate rather than a plan drawn from evidence.
When should this be postponed or reconsidered before booking?
Most clearly when the main complaint is transient flushing rather than a fixed visible change, because the ROSCO consensus does not include light-based therapy among the recommended options for transient erythema and flushing. Beyond that sourced point, the following is general pre-procedure practice rather than a study finding: active infection or inflammation in the treatment area, recent sun exposure or tanning, pregnancy or breastfeeding, photosensitising medicines, a history of keloids or abnormal healing, any pigmentation problem after a previous procedure, and any laser, peel or energy treatment in recent weeks should all be declared so the clinician can decide.
What should make me contact the clinic after a session?
Any reaction that goes beyond the expected redness, and in particular any change in the colour of the treated area. This checklist is general post-procedure safety guidance rather than a finding of the sources cited here: blistering, a suspected burn, pain that increases instead of settling, drainage, redness or warmth that spreads, fever, a crust that does not heal, or a treated area that becomes clearly darker or lighter than the surrounding skin. One point is sourced — shorter wavelengths compete with melanin for absorption and carry a risk of pigmentary change — so a colour change is worth reporting promptly rather than waiting to see. Seek emergency care for breathing difficulty, fainting, or sudden swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue or throat.
Is the device used on me approved for treating redness?
That has to be checked device by device, because an indication is granted to a named device in a named market. Manufacturer pages state what a device is marketed for — excel V lists telangiectasia and rosacea under its 1064 nm wavelength, and Laser Genesis lists redness, rosacea and diffuse erythema — but a marketing page is not a national registration, the name used on a clinic menu is often not the registered device name, and this guide deliberately does not match model names to clearance numbers. Ask which device and model will be used, how that unit is registered in Korea, and for which indication.
How do I compare redness treatment quotes between clinics?
Align what sits inside each quote before comparing the amounts. Confirm which device and wavelength the item books, whether the mechanism is vessel targeting or dermal heating, and whether the item is a laser at all — one item under this heading at this branch is an ultrasound device. Then confirm the treated area and whether it is full face or spot only, the number of passes, whether the figure covers one session or a package, and whether assessment and follow-up are included. Two quotes built on different mechanisms are not two prices for the same treatment. This guide does not publish prices, so ask each clinic for the itemised content behind the figure.
Who is this suitable for, and does it work within a short trip to Korea?
Suitability is decided by the finding a clinician identifies in person, not by the item name on a menu. The consensus algorithm points light-based options at persistent erythema and at telangiectasia and does not recommend them for transient flushing, so establishing which you have is the first step rather than a formality. For a short trip, two honest limits apply: the comparative evidence is four studies with 141 participants and does not report follow-up duration in most of them, so no one can tell you reliably what the state will be weeks after you land; and any colour change after treatment is best assessed by the clinic that treated you. Give the clinic your travel dates, skin type, medicines and previous treatments, and have the treatment and the follow-up judged together.
How Abijou works
We started in Gangnam in 2006 and the network now runs 17 branches across Korea. The line we work to is skin transformation woven into everyday life — care you can keep up with, rather than one dramatic change.
- Across the 17 branches in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon and Busan: over 1,000 medical professionals and more than 350 certified medical devices
- Authentic products only, in appropriate amounts — the treatment is fitted to the condition, not to a package
- Prices are quoted from each branch’s published price list as it stands
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