{"id":4330,"date":"2026-11-05T11:42:44","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T11:42:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.lumenis.com\/aesthetics\/?p=4330"},"modified":"2026-11-05T11:42:44","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T11:42:44","slug":"beyond-redness-advanced-light-based-treatment-for-rosacea-management-with-stellar-m22","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lumenis.com\/aesthetics\/beyond-redness-advanced-light-based-treatment-for-rosacea-management-with-stellar-m22\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond Redness: Advanced Light-Based Treatment for Rosacea Management with Stellar M22\u2122"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Endorsed by: Matteo Tretti Clementoni MD, James Chelnis MD & Dorina Cheles MD<\/p>\r\n

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Introduction<\/h2>\r\n
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Rosacea, a multifactorial chronic inflammatory skin disorder, presents primarily on the central face as persistent Erythema, recurrent flushing, Telangiectasia (dilated capillaries), papules and pustules, and in some cases, thickened or nodular skin1,2<\/sup>. Patients may also experience burning, itching and stinging, all of which may impair their quality of life3<\/sup>. Anxiety, depression, and social withdrawal are also reported by patients 3,4<\/sup>. While Rosacea is most prevalent among fair-skinned women over the age of 30, it is increasingly recognized among individuals of Asian, African, and Latin American descent5<\/sup>.<\/p>\r\n

Rosacea can be managed by topical agents, such as alpha-adrenergic agonists antiparasitics, and antibiotics that can temporarily reduce facial redness through vasoconstriction, but these effects are often short-lived 1,6\u20138<\/sup>. Oral medications that provide systemic anti-inflammatory action are also available but demonstrate limited efficacy against persistent background redness or visible Telangiectasia and can be accompanied by systemic side effects 9\u201311<\/sup>. Light-based therapies, such as laser and Intense Pulsed Light<\/a>, are effective treatment options for rosacea, particularly for reducing redness and visible blood vessels. Long-term management includes gentle skincare and photoprotection1<\/sup>.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\"Dermoscopy
Figure 1 |<\/b> Dermoscopy of Rosacea: characteristic polygonal vessels (magnification x10)22<\/sup>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section>\r\n
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Subtypes of Rosacea<\/h2>\r\n
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Of the numerous types of rosacea, two types are amenable to treatment with light-based therapies12\u201315<\/sup>:<\/p>\r\n

Erythematotelangiectatic Rosacea (ETR)<\/strong> is characterized by persistent facial redness (non-transient erythema), flushing, and visible Telangiectasia (dilated blood vessels), primarily on the cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead. Patients often report heightened skin sensitivity, burning, or stinging sensations. Triggers include heat, alcohol, spicy food, and stress, all of which can exacerbate symptoms. ETR, particularly the fixed background redness, can be difficult to treat, and is often resistant to topical or systemic therapy. Recommended treatment frequently includes pulsed light and vascular laser treatments to reduce visible vessels.<\/p>\r\n

Papulopustular Rosacea (PPR)<\/strong> is characterized by acne-like breakouts, including inflammatory papules and pustules, that appear in the background of erythema. Unlike acne vulgaris, it typically lacks comedones and affects older adults. PPR is more common in middle-aged women and can overlap with ETR. This subtype often responds well to topical and oral anti-inflammatory agents.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\"Faces
Figure 2:<\/b> Subtypes of Rosacea - Erythematotelangiectatic Rosacea (left), Papulopustular Rosacea (right). DermNet.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n<\/section>\r\n
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Pulsed Light for Rosacea Treatment<\/h2>\r\n
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Light-based therapies, especially pulsed light, a non-laser light therapy, are effective, non-invasive, safe options for treating the vascular components of Rosacea observed in ETR and PPR. Pulsed light treats the redness and flushing of Rosacea. For many patients, it significantly improves both the physical signs of Rosacea and the overall quality of life.<\/p>\r\n

Pulsed light emits high-intensity pulses of broad-spectrum light that cause thermal injury to specific targets, such as blood vessels, largely without damaging surrounding tissues. For Rosacea, the filtered Pulsed light pulse is focused on an area of skin with dilated blood vessels. The blood (hemoglobin) in the vessels absorbs the energy and converts it to heat, thereby heating the vessel wall and causing it to collapse or coagulate. Pulsed light is generally gentler on the skin than laser therapy (e.g., Pulsed Dye Laser) and typically does not result in bruising, reducing recovery time to a minimum. The damaged vessels are removed by the body\u2019s natural healing processes over days to weeks. More and more of the superficial vasculature is destroyed or remodeled with each treatment, reducing redness. A full treatment course can dramatically reduce overall facial flushing and redness. A typical treatment course consists of 3-6 sessions spaced about one month apart, depending on the severity of redness and the skin\u2019s response, with maintenance treatments every 6-12 months to sustain results. Vessels of varying sizes and depths can be targeted in one session due to the broad spectrum and wavelength range of pulsed light. Shorter wavelengths in the pulse target small superficial red vessels, while longer wavelengths penetrate deeper, reaching some of the larger, deeper Telangiectasia.<\/p>\r\n

Beyond targeting blood vessels, intense pulsed light has anti-inflammatory effects and supports barrier repair, thus improving skin quality. The results are generally longer lasting compared to topical agents, and side effects, such as transient redness or mild swelling, are typically mild and self-limited. Importantly, Pulsed light can complement pharmacological therapies.<\/p>\r\n

Pulsed light has also been noted to stimulate collagen remodeling due to its gentle heating effect, resulting in improved skin texture, and reduced pore size and fine lines in the dermis. In rosacea patients, this collagen boost may also result in skin that is less reactive and vessels that are less prone to dilating. Some patients with coexisting issues such as sunspots or uneven pigmentation often report improvement with Pulsed light, since certain filters target melanin.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section>\r\n

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Stellar M22\u2122 Pulsed light for Rosacea Treatment<\/h2>\r\n
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Stellar M22<\/a> is a modular system comprising four high-end technologies that provide treatment options for more than 30 skin conditions, including photorejuvenation, pigmentation, vascular lesions, rosacea, scars, textural issues, and hair removal. Stellar M22 pulsed light module delivers multiple sequential pulsing, as single, double or triple synchronized pulses, protecting the epidermis and improving the efficacy of vascular lesion clearance. The tissue cools between pulses, allowing more energy to safely reach the target, while reducing incidence of skin damage in vascular lesion treatment.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section>\r\n

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Support for Stellar M22 Pulsed Light<\/h2>\r\n
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  1. Numerous trials have demonstrated significant positive effects of pulsed light on rosacea symptoms, with visible clearing of redness16<\/sup>. Patients often report a decrease in flushing frequency, a decrease in the intensity and severity of these episodes, and a marked sustained reduction in erythema following a full course of pulsed light therapy.<\/p><\/li>\r\n

  2. Pulsed light provides improvement in rosacea symptoms equivalent to that achieved with pulsed dye laser 10,17<\/sup>.<\/p><\/li>\r\n

  3. Post treatment responses are transient16<\/sup>, with temporary redness, swelling, or change of pigmentation. There are no reports of serious or systematic complications.<\/p><\/li>\r\n

  4. Patients are highly satisfied with the improvement in appearance (less redness, more even skin tone) and often report accompanying improved confidence and improvement in quality-of-life scores post-treatment. Many patients often return for yearly maintenance after seeing the results of pulsed light treatment.<\/p><\/li>\r\n

  5. Improvement in Rosacea resulting from pulsed light can last for a few months. While the condition may gradually recur without ongoing therapy, it usually does not return to its original severity for a long time and can be effectively controlled with maintenance treatments (every 6-12 months).<\/p><\/li>\r\n

  6. Unlike topical and oral medications, pulsed light does not demand ongoing refills and daily use. This is critical in building a treatment plan for patients that encourages compliance over long periods of time.<\/p><\/li>\r\n

  7. Many dermatologists consider pulsed light as a first-line treatment for ETR. Experts include laser\/pulsed light as a standard option for persistent redness and Telangiectasia, often in combination with medical therapies for a holistic approach.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/section>\r\n

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    Clinical Data<\/h2>\r\n
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    Clinical experience data is collected during treatments analyzed by WiZ software (by Lumenis). The Stellar M22 may be1<\/sup> connected with WiZ capabilities through an external device (the \u201cWiZ Box\u201d), that powered by IoT technology. WiZ enables clinicians to optimize business, clinical, and operational performance using real-time data. It gives clinicians a competitive edge by enabling them to benchmark the performance of their Stellar device against data from other clinics. Additionally, WiZ offers remote connectivity for VIP service and support, as well as 24\/7 device monitoring with proactive and predictive maintenance helping to drive maximum device uptime.<\/p>\r\n

    The treatments analysis presented below includes anonymized patient demographics, the distribution of clinical indications, and the most common filters used for rosacea and telangiectasia treatment. In total, 297,547 treatments were recorded between December 2020 and April 2025 in the U.S. Market, of which 51,890 treatments were performed under the vascular lesions\u2019 application category.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

    1<\/sup> Per regulatory approval in the relevant territory.<\/p>\r\n

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    Patient\u2019s Demographics<\/h3>\r\n
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    The overall age distribution of patients treated with Stellar M22 (N=82,817) is shown in Figure 3.A. The largest group age 30-39 years (29%), followed by 40-49 years (27%) and 50-59 years (17%). Younger adults (20-29 years) represent 16%, while patients aged 60 years and above account for 11%.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

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