After the blood vessels are treated with laser energy, they sometimes swell up slightly, and the body moves in to begin the job of removing the treated vessels.
Sometimes portions of the vessels will seal off immediately, and a bit of blood stays behind in the treated vessels, causing temporary red or purple coloration. If this happens, the blood in the vessels is usually reabsorbed along with the vessels themselves by the body over a period of several weeks to a couple of months on the legs, without needing any additional treatment.
Because the CoolGlide laser can produce a longer, gentler pulse there is much less chance of bruising compared to treatment with first and second generation lasers. Patients who have previously been treated with dye lasers are always impressed by the fact that they look good immediately after CoolGlide treatment, with little or no discoloration of the skin.