Spider veins are small, damaged veins that are blue, purple, or red in colour that can appear on the surface of the legs or face. These enlarged vessels can be thin lines, webs, or branches that don’t often pose a serious health risk but are treated for cosmetic reasons.
In this article, we explain what causes spider veins and go over different treatment options for spider veins available today.
What causes spider veins in the legs?
Spider veins that occur in the legs are a result of the valves inside the veins failing to work properly. Veins carry blood back to the heart and have a one-way valve that closes once the blood passes through to prevent blood from going backwards.
When this valve weakens, blood struggles to flow in the correct direction and can start to gather inside the vein. Eventually, this causes a bulge in the vein that branches out and results in spider veins.
On the other hand, spider veins in the face are a result of tiny blood vessels burst-ing from increased pressure or sun damage.
How do you treat spider veins?
A popular treatment for spider veins is sclerotherapy which involves injecting a solution directly into the vein. This process causes a scar in the vein to force blood to flow through healthier veins. The result is a collapsed vein that eventually fades with time.
Although laser vein removal is a fairly safe procedure, some side effects that can occur with treatment include:
• Bruising
• Small skin sores
• Darkened or raised skin
• Multiple tiny red blood vessels
While these side effects are likely to disappear after a few weeks, some less com-mon complications that require medical attention are:
• Inflammation
• Blood clots
• Air bubbles
• Allergic reaction
Aesthetic ImageWorks spider vein treatment
A less painful treatment option for spider veins is Laser Vein Therapy. At Imageworks, we use Cutera Xeo Vascular Laser which is a safe and effective treatment for superficial face veins and deeper reticular veins.
This process does not require injections but instead uses distinctive laser wavelength and pulse duration to absorb oxyhemoglobin that reduces the look of veins.
With Laser Vein Therapy, the treatment of spider veins are a more comfortable, less invasive experience. To learn more, book a consultation with Aesthetic Im-ageWorks and get closer to treating unsightly spider veins in a safe and controlled environment.