Treating Rosacea with the Aerolase Neo: Insights from Cheri Frey, MD

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Rosacea is an inflammatory condition that affects the blood vessels and the area around the hair follicles, and it often shows up as a mix of redness, flushing, papules, and pustules. In this video, Cheri Frey, MD, a dermatologist at Howard University in Washington, DC, explains how she uses the Aerolase Neo to address several of these features in one device.

The Neo is a 650-microsecond 1064 nm laser. Because of how deeply the 1064 nm wavelength penetrates, Dr. Frey uses a lower fluence to reach inflammation at the base of the hair follicle while also targeting hemoglobin to reduce visible redness. She adjusts her energy depending on whether she’s treating flushing or papulopustular rosacea, then goes back to individual lesions with additional energy.

Why Dr. Frey uses the Neo for rosacea

• No numbing required. Her rosacea patients tolerate treatment without topical anesthetic, which avoids added background redness from numbing cream and gets patients into treatment faster.
• Shorter intervals. She typically treats every two to three weeks rather than every four to six, so a full series takes less time.
• All skin types. The short pulse duration minimizes collateral heat. Dr. Frey reports that with appropriate settings she rarely sees hyper- or hypopigmentation, even in darker skin, and treats Fitzpatrick types I through VI.
• Delegable and portable. The compact device moves easily between rooms or offices, and the treatment can be delegated to other providers in the practice.

Presented by Dr. Cheri Frey, MD

Board-certified dermatologist, assistant professor of dermatology at Howard University, and Chair of the dermatology section of the National Medical Association. Dr. Frey practices medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology at Howard University in Washington, DC.