Treatments for Spider Veins

Spider veins are a common problem. Studies indicate that between forty and forty-five percent of men in America experience vein problems as they age, and between fifty and fifty-five percent of American women experience vein problems, particularly after pregnancy, childbirth. The good news is there are a number of different treatment options available to people who have spider veins on any area of the body. These treatments vary and there are several methods and techniques to remove them, whether they are in the lower regions of the body or on delicate areas, such as the face and around the nose. Some of the most common procedures include spider vein injections, and multiple laser treatments and therapies.

Spider Vein Injections

One common way of dealing with spider veins is through spider vein injections (also known as sclerotherapy). During sclerotherapy treatments, a technician will inject a solution containing chemicals or salts into the swollen vein. Once in the vein, this liquid makes the vein's lining swell and close off. After the vein is closed off, it will eventually die and be replaced by scar tissue, thus removing it from view. This process may take multiple sessions a few weeks to complete, depending on the severity of the spider veins. However, the actual spider vein injections take only about ten minutes to inject with the solution, per site. Spider vein injections are fast and minimally invasive.

Sclerotherapy has been in use for a long time. Some sources believe that the first attempt happened back in 1682, when a Swiss doctor caused blood coagulation in a vein by injecting acid into it. As time progressed, doctors used different types of solutions in an attempt to cure spider and varicose veins. During the 1800s, iodine, tannin and perchlorate of iron were used. During the early 1900s, carbolic acid and perchlorate of mercury were used. However, when these solutions caused unfortunate side effects, spider vein injections sank in popularity.

As time passed, doctors continued to research possible sclerotherapy solutions, and they eventually discovered safer possibilities. In 1946, STS (sodium tetradecyl sulphate) was developed, which was both safe and effective. This solution is still used today, and it remains one of the most popular solutions for spider vein injections. Other common solutions (or sclerosants) are polidocanol and hypertonic saline.

Because spider vein injections have been used for so long, there are a number of different ways that the procedure can be performed. One such way is foam sclerotherapy. During foam sclerotherapy, a standard solution is used, but it is mixed with a gas such as carbon dioxide, creating a thick foam. This foam is then injected into the spider veins, where it will encourage them to collapse. Turning the solution into a foam can help it to work more effectively because it hinders the medication from mixing with the blood and diluting, and it also increases the solution's surface area. This makes it very useful for spider veins that are especially thick or long.

Ultrasound Sclerotherapy Treatment

A further variation of sclerotherapy is ultrasound guided sclerotherapy. Ultrasound guided sclerotherapy was developed in the 1980s, and it uses ultrasound waves to help visualize the spider veins. This allows the doctor to have a clearer picture of the area and greater control and success during the spider vein injection procedure. Ultrasound imaging allows the doctors to view the injections and veins in real-time, which helps to ensure that all the offending veins receive treatment. Later in the recovery process, additional ultrasound scans can be used to help confirm that the treatment was successful and that the veins are fully closed.

Microinjection Sclerotherapy

Microinjection sclerotherapy is a form of spider vein injection which is used on especially fine spider veins. It uses a much smaller needle, which allows it the greater finesse and control that is needed when working on delicate veins.

Spider Vein Treatment Benefits

Spider vein injections require no anesthesia, and they cause minimal pain, although some patients report a cramping or burning feeling where the injections were performed. After the procedure, patients are able to perform most ordinary activities, although they will usually need to wear a compression garment for a period of time. In some cases, additional injections in the same place are desired. In these instances, the patient will need to wait for at least one month before receiving additional injections.

There are a number of different spider vein treatments which can help to remove spider veins, but spider vein injections can actually help to reduce a patient's chances of getting new spider veins, at least in that area. The injections do not just close the spider veins themselves; they can also close the hidden veins which are feeding blood into the offending spider veins.

Spider Vein Removal

When discussing spider vein treatments, it is not uncommon for the term “spider vein removal” to come up. This gives some people the mental image of an invasive surgery which physically removes the spider veins from the body. However, this is not the case. There are, in fact, procedures such as vein stripping which do physically cut veins from the body. Vein stripping and similar procedures are sometimes used to treat severe varicose veins, but these techniques are not applied to spider veins, in part because spider veins are so small.

When people discuss spider vein removal, they typically do not mean the literal removal of these veins. Rather, they mean procedures which reduce or remove the appearance of the veins. Most spider vein treatments are non-invasive and low-impact. They do not typically require actual surgery or involve large amounts of pain. They also tend to have very quick and easy recovery times.

Spider Vein Removal Fees and Risks

Spider vein injections also tend to be cheaper than some other forms of spider vein treatment. For example, it usually costs less to get injections than it does to undergo laser treatment. However, one possible downside to injections is that it may require a number of sessions in order to fully treat the spider veins. Additionally, some people raise questions regarding the safety of injecting irritant solutions into the bloodstream, and the physical consequences.

Some other possible complications of spider vein injections include allergic reaction, bruising and staining. Allergic reactions are rare, but potentially serious. Bruising is common, but it usually resolves quickly. Staining can be more permanent. Sometimes the skin around the injection site will take on a brownish hue. This will more than likely resolve after several months.

Few patients also report experiencing strange visual sensations immediately after the treatment. This typically resolves after only a quarter of an hour. A peculiar, hard feeling may sometimes be present in the treated vein if significant amounts of blood have clotted in the vein. This is not typically dangerous, and it will fade in time.

However, in some rare cases spider vein injections can lead to deep vein thrombosis, or a blood clot in a deep vein. This can cause pain, swelling and redness, and it can lead to venous insufficiency. More problematic, it can increase one's chances of experiencing a pulmonary embolism. Patients are highly encouraged to contact their physician if they experience irregular side-effects from the treatments.

Facial Spider Vein Treatment

Most people probably think of their legs when they hear the words “spider veins.” However, there are a number of people who experience unsightly spider veins on their faces as well. There are a number of congenital conditions which can cause facial spider veins. Many people develop facial spider veins as they age. Tiny capillaries can break with age for various reasons. Facial spider veins can be caused by acne rosacea, overexposure to sun or cold, facial trauma and a number of other factors, including high blood pressure and alcoholism. For cancer patients, radiation exposure and chemotherapy can sometimes cause spider veins on the face. Facial spider veins seem to be most common among fair-skinned people who live in areas that receive a lot of sun.

Facial spider veins can be treated with laser therapies. During this procedure, a surgical laser will be aimed at the patient's face and the laser will be calibrated to directly target the veins and capillaries that can cause spider veins. The laser will then heat and seal off the veins.

This treatment is most successful, although it does carry some inherent risks. In some cases, laser treatments can destroy a person's sweat glands in the treatment area. This risk obviously increases the more times a patient is treated.

If the laser bursts too many superficial blood vessels, facial spider vein treatment can cause bruising. This bruising will probably last for a number of weeks, although it does eventually disappear. Newer lasers are designed to help minimize the amount of bruising and pain, but some amount of discomfort and discoloration is always possible.

Patients should be careful to avoid excessive sun exposure after their facial spider vein treatment. Otherwise, they run the risk of simply developing new facial spider veins. Some doctors recommend using a high-SPF sunblock every day, rain or shine. Hats can also help to shield one's face from damaging solar radiation. And tanning should be avoided, altogether. Patients should also avoid chronic use of topical steroids, as this can contribute to spider veins in some situations.

Natural Spider Vein Treatment

There are alternative spider vein treatments. A number of people want to find non-surgical, non-chemical ways to deal with their spider veins and improve their appearance. There are a number of natural remedies for spider veins. Homeopathic and naturopathic professionals claim that herbs such as horse chestnut, horsetail, witch hazel and arnica can help with spider veins. Some swear by butcher's broom and ginkgo biloba and others claim that Vitamin C and E taken in conjunction with magnesium and zinc will help. There are a lot of different opinions on what herbs or natural treatments work best, and it is difficult to get anything resembling a consensus.

By its nature, natural spider vein treatment is less regulated and frequently less scientific than more firmly established forms of spider vein treatment. Patients should be very careful to make sure that they do not do anything that would put them at risk when exploring natural alternatives. Patients should also be sure to do their research and to use their common sense.

The best form of natural spider vein treatment probably may not have to do with herbs or vitamins, though. It may instead have to do with lifestyle and prevention. Most of the risk factors associated with spider veins are not things over which a patient has any control. For example, one's genetics, age and gender have a lot to do with one's chances of getting spider veins, and there isn't much that a patient can do about those factors.

However, there are some things that patients do have control over. Spider veins occur because of pooling blood, and getting regular exercise can help to improve a patient's vein strength. Maintaining a healthy body weight, reducing sun exposure and wearing sunscreen, avoiding constipation and overly tight fitting clothing may also be helpful. In addition, tobacco use and smoking decreases oxygen in the blood, causing spider veins as well.

Although patients should strive to live healthily and to follow these guidelines, they should remember that even the healthiest lifestyle is no guarantee against spider vein development. Regardless, there are multiple solutions and treatments to reduce and eliminate tiny, irritating spider veins.

Laser Vein Treatment

In recent years, treating spider veins with lasers have become an increasingly popular way of removing them. In addition to the therapies and remedies mentioned above, there are now many high-tech laser treatments that reduce and remove spider veins from facial areas and anywhere on the body. Laser spider vein therapy works best on small veins. Lasers should not generally be used to treat very large spider veins or varicose veins, but the outcomes depend on the specific type of laser used to treat different vein issues.

The laser procedure is short in duration. It typically takes under twenty minutes to perform, and it is frequently performed in a doctor's clinic or office. Laser treatments typically do not cause much pain, so anesthetic is not necessary. Patients have compared the sensation of the laser to being snapped with a rubber band. However, if the patient finds that the pain is too severe, topical anesthesia can be applied. If topical anesthetic is to be used, it will usually be applied twenty or so minutes before the treatment so it has the time to begin working.

During the treatment, the laser will target and heat the offending veins, clotting the blood and closing the veins. At the same time, a chilled portion of the laser equipment will cool the patient's skin surface, thus helping to reduce discomfort and unnecessary skin damage.

It will usually take more than one session to fully treat spider veins. Most veins do not require more than two or three treatments. Sessions are scheduled about a month or a month and a half apart. Sometimes new spider veins may appear with time. If this is the case, the patient can choose to undergo new laser treatments to treat the additional veins.

Laser Treatment Side Effects and Precautions

There are virtually no side effects associated with laser spider vein removal. The skin at the treatment site may be somewhat irritated, and it may have a reddish appearance, as though it had been scratched, but this redness typically disappears quickly. After a few days, there will be little-to-no sign of redness or irritation. The return to normal activity is similarly quick. Follow the post-procedure instructions and listen to your doctor's advice, chances are you will be able to carry about your normal business within a day or two.

In contrast, the full results of your laser spider vein treatment will probably take significantly longer to appear. Your appearance may continue to improve over the course of several months.

In some cases, laser vein treatments can cause temporary skin discoloration. This will usually disappear over the course of a month or two. It is also possible for poorly performed procedures to cause burns or scars, but this is uncommon, and if it occurs it is often due to either equipment malfunction or to neglect on the part of the person performing the procedure.

It should also be noted that some ethnic skin types and colors cannot be safely treated using surgical lasers. Prospective patients who wonder whether they are good candidates for this procedure should speak to a qualified doctor.

Laser Vein Treatment Systems

There are a number of different options available when it comes to surgical lasers for spider vein treatment. A variety of companies produce surgical lasers. Following will be a list of some of the more popular companies, manufacturers and models.

Cynosure is probably most popular for introducing the Smartlipo laser, but it also has developed two lasers which are used to treat spider veins: the Acclaim and the Apogee. The Acclaim is a powerful Nd:YAG laser. Cynosure claims that the Acclaim is very good at treating patients of all skin types, and it states that the Acclaim can be used for spider veins on the legs and on the face. The Apogee is a 755 nm Alexandrite laser, and it can be used for both spider vein treatments and hair removal.

Cynosure's Elite system includes both the Apogee and the Acclaim for maximum functionality. Cynosure's most recent spider vein laser is the Elite MPX, which Cynosure claims is recognized as the most versatile platform on the market today.

Palomar: is a Massachusetts-based company which produces a number of different laser products, including the MaxG optimized light hand-piece, and the Icon and StarLux 500 intense pulsed light (IPL) platforms. Palomar lasers consist of a base and a number of hand-pieces which can be used interchangeably allowing for greater control and versatility. The base provides the power, cooling, etc. for the laser, and the hand-piece will be what the physician actually uses to perform the treatment.

The MaxG optimized light hand-piece is Palomar's best device for treating facial spider veins, and it is especially useful for treating large, deep facial veins. It uses dual-band light filters to create pulses of light which can more uniformly heat and treat these larger blood vessels.

The Starlux 500 is a relatively popular IPL platform. The platform can a accommodate a number of different hand-pieces. It can have a pulse rate of up to 3 Hz.

However, the Icon is Palomar's newest platform, and the company claims that it has several improvements over the Starlux 500 and other similar platforms. The Palomar Icon boasts a high peak power, which the company claims can help to speed up the treatment process and require fewer sessions. Similarly, a new proprietary light delivery system allows for more light energy to be used at a time. The Icon also features an advanced cooling system to help protect the skin and minimize discomfort during the treatments. A dual filter system also helps to ensure skin safety and comfort, and a new and improved display helps doctors to be in even better control of the laser.

Candela: is another company which offers lasers that can be used in spider vein treatment. This company has been involved in light and laser therapy for about 40 years, and it has been involved in a number of breakthroughs in the field.

Candela lasers often use Candela's patented Dynamic Cooling Device (DCD) to help minimize patient discomfort and skin damage. This system uses the GentleCOOL cryogen blend to help keep the skin cool during the treatment. Candela claims that this cooling system is superior because of its consistency, its comfort and its cost effectiveness.

The GentleYAG is one of Candela's popular lasers. Here, YAG refers to the type of crystal it uses (a neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet, or Nd:YAG ). Candela claims that the GentleYAG is the most powerful and fastest-acting Nd:YAG on the market today.

The GentleYAG has an 18 mm spot size, and it can offer repetition rates of up to 2 Hz. It also boasts a peak power of over 26,000 watts. Also importantly, the GentleYAG can penetrate deeply without much diffusion of laser energy. Candela claims that this feature makes it better able to treat patients with a number of different skin types, instead of having problems with dark or tanned skin, like some lasers. The Candela GentleYAG has a number of different settings. Your doctor will most likely use the VR setting when treating your spider veins.

The same treatment can also be received using Candela's GentleMAX station, which combines the GentleYAG laser with a laser which can be used for hair removal.

Another Candela laser which can be used to treat spider veins is the Vbeam. The Vbeam laser comes in three models, Perfecta, Platinum and Aesthetica. All of these models can be used to treat spider veins, although Perfecta is the newest and the probably the most popular. The Vbeam laser is supposed to be especially good at offering effective treatments without causing purpura or bruising. It is also supposed to be easy to use, making it less likely that a surgeon could make a potentially dangerous mistake.

Cutera: is a relatively new company, having been founded in 1998. However, this California-based company has a presence in over forty countries worldwide. Cutera's main laser for spider vein treatment is the Excel laser. The most up to date model is the Excel V. The Excel V boasts three different lasers. Two of these are 1064 nm Nd:YAG lasers, and one is a 532 nm KTP laser. This makes the Excel V very adaptable, and it allows it to treat a wide variety of problems. The Nd:YAG kasers are used for treating deep vascular conditions, and they are typically used to treat veins in the legs. By contrast, the 532 nm KTP laser is much more useful for treating facial spider veins.

The Cutera can use two different tips: the AcuTip and the LimeLight. The AcuTip is much smaller, and it allows for treatment of very small veins. This allows it to perform treatments with pinpoint accuracy. By contrast, the LimeLight has a larger treatment area, which could make it better equipped to treat larger veins. The LimeLight has three different settings allowing the doctor to customize the treatment to the size and depth of the vein.

During the treatment, the Excel V laser continuously cools the skin. The doctor can control the temperature, making it easier to get the proper amount of cooling for the treatment. For example, if a large blood vessel is being treated, it may be necessary to cool the area more aggressively. The treatment of a small vein near the surface may not need so much cooling. Cutera claims that their cooling system is superior because it is more versatile than using a cryogen spray and because it does not involve the cost of using a consumable coolant.

All of these different laser systems can provide good results, although each has some pros and some cons. The Candela Perfecta is probably the most popular laser on the market today, but that could easily change in the future.

Of course, which laser you decide to go with is far from the only or even the most important decision you make when it comes to your laser spider vein treatment. It is at least as important to get a skilled doctor who can safely and successfully perform your treatment.