Spider Vein Removal - Treatment with Laser

	How Do Lasers Work?
	What Is the Procedure like and Does it Hurt?
	When Can I Expect Results?
	Am I a Good Candidate?
	Advantages and Disadvantages

How Do Lasers Work?

In recent years, lasers have become the gold standard for spider vein removal. Lasers direct focused pulses of light onto the veins. The light’s wavelength is carefully calibrated to target only the pigment in the designated blood vessel and as a result, it doesn’t damage surrounding skin tissue. The heat generated by the light becomes absorbed by the vein’s lining, which causes the vein to collapse and seal. Eventually, the vein disappears—and fades away.

What Is the Procedure like and Does it Hurt?

Laser treatments for spider veins generally take less than 20 minutes. The procedure will be done in your physician’s office or clinic and will be performed by either your physician or a specially trained technician. The laser pulses will be delivered onto your skin with a special hand-held device that simultaneously sends heat into the target veins while cooling the skin’s surface helping to minimize any pain. Expect to feel a slight tingling sensation during the procedure. Usually, no anesthetic is needed, but if you’re particularly sensitive, your physician may recommend a topical local anesthetic.

After the procedure, you can return to your regular daily activities. For a few days, the treated area of your skin may appear slightly reddened and “scratched,” and perhaps a bit swollen. These minor side effects should disappear within a few days.

When Can I Expect Results?

Soon after treatment, you’ll notice the spider veins turn from a dark blue to a light red. The veins won’t dissolve and disappear for at least two to four weeks—or perhaps longer.

Many people require more than one treatment session. How many sessions you’ll need will depend on the size and number of veins you’re having treated. Your physician will probably recommend spacing your sessions four to six weeks apart to make sure each laser procedure has had long enough to take effect.

Am I a Good Candidate?

Laser treatments for spider veins are safe for almost everybody. About the only exceptions are people with diseases of the blood vessels. Be sure to give your physician a full health history at your consultation.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Laser therapy has both advantages and disadvantages over sclerotherapy for getting rid of spider veins. Its main disadvantages are that it can’t be used to treat deeper veins and that it may be slightly more expensive. On the other hand, laser therapy offers many advantages over sclerotherapy for the treatment of spider veins. These advantages include the following:

fewer side effects
faster procedure
quicker recovery
almost zero downtime
less potential for harming the surrounding skin tissue
less painful
safer for use on the face

Your physician will discuss the risk and benefits of all the various procedures and will help you decide which treatment or combination of treatments is right for you and your skin’s needs.

Laser Treatment for Getting Rid of Veins

How Do Lasers Work?

What Is the Procedure like and Does it Hurt?

When Can I Expect Results?

Am I a Good Candidate?

Advantages and Disadvantages