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Spider veins are generally not a threat to your health, but they certainly can impact your quality of life. A collection of tiny, yet highly-visible, blood vessels on the nose and cheeks may have you wearing heavy makeup. On the legs, this web of red and purple veins may keep you in slacks, even during the warmest weather or fun, dress-up events. If you are tired of covering up spider veins, consider laser vein removal treatment at EsthetixMD Spa & Laser Center in Bend, OR.

Understanding spider veins

There are three types of problematic veins.

• Varicose veins are the sizeable ropey ones that bulge from the legs. They can cause swelling, pain, and skin ulcerations. Veins that can turn varicose are the large ones that return deoxygenated blood back to the heart.
• Reticular veins are smaller than varicose, but blue and noticeable. They usually appear on the backs of legs, around the knees. These are “feeder” veins that carry blood to small capillaries.
• Spider veins are capillaries; microvessels responsible for transporting blood between arterioles and venules.

The interesting thing about varicose, reticular, and spider veins is that they all originate from the same problem. Veins have a series of one-way valves. As muscle contractions push blood from extremities back toward the heart for a fresh supply of oxygen, these valves keep flow moving in the right direction. When vein walls weaken, valves cannot function properly. Blood pools in veins. The increased pressure pushes the vein toward the surface of skin. Without treatment, the process further weakens vein walls.

Causes of spider veins

Essentially, that is where the similarity between varicose, reticular, and spider veins ends. In addition to faulty vein valves, development of spider veins can be triggered by:

• Age. Incidence of spider veins increases after age 50.
• Heredity. The condition often runs in families.
• Hormonal fluctuations. You might notice spider veins at puberty or following menopause. Medications that contain hormones, such as birth control pills, contribute to spider veins.
• Pregnancy. In addition to hormonal changes, pregnancy increases the amount of blood in the body, causing veins to enlarge. Expect more spider veins with each pregnancy.
• Excess weight. Extra pounds increase vein pressure.
• Sedentary lifestyle. Too much standing or sitting, especially with legs crossed, causes veins to work harder.

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Sun exposure is the primary cause of spider veins on the face. Alcohol consumption is also a factor. It dehydrates skin and depletes vitamin A antioxidant levels. Smoking thins the skin and makes facial veins more noticeable.

Laser therapy explained

In the past, the treatment of choice for spider veins on legs was sclerotherapy. A chemical solution is injected into spider veins, causing them to die and be absorbed by the body. Sclerotherapy remains a viable leg vein treatment, and is offered at EsthetixMD Spa & Laser Center, along with a non-invasive option – laser vein therapy.

A laser is a medical device that uses a focused beam of light in a specific wavelength. Each different pigment in skin absorbs a varying wavelength of light. Thus, brown spots are treated with a different device than red spots. Since spider veins are primarily colored by hemoglobin in blood, we treat them with a special laser. As red tones absorb laser energy, spider veins are heated and destroyed, without harm to adjacent skin cells.

What to expect from the procedure

You begin with a consultation with the doctor. Then, if vein treatment is medically supported, the doctor supervises or performs the laser therapy. Because these veins are near the surface, the procedure is noninvasive and well tolerated, with minimal risk of side effects. In some cases, dyschromia (red and brown vein discoloration on the face) can be treated with our advanced laser technique.

Skin is cleansed, and a topical anesthetic cream is applied. Once skin is numbed, a cooling water-based gel is applied for lubrication. Your eyes are protected with light-blocking glasses. The clinician moves a mobile handpiece over the treatment area. You may hear clicking noises as the device emits bursts of laser energy, and you might feel warmth and a stinging sensation.

Depending on the area treated, a session takes 15 to 90 minutes. Skin is cleansed again, and it is pampered with an after-laser gel. You may experience mild redness or swelling, but there is minimal downtime. Wearing compression garments and limiting physical exercise speeds the recovery process. Improvement is gradual, but quite noticeable. Each case is unique, but usually a series of treatments over several weeks or months achieves the best results. Daily sun protection is essential to maintain a clear skin tone.

Would you like to learn more about spider vein removal treatment with sclerotherapy or lasers? Call EsthetixMD Spa & Laser Center in Bend, OR at 541-508-7907 to schedule a consultation.