Spider Vein Treatment

Spider veins are small, red, blue or purple veins just beneath the skin’s surface and can develop on any part of the body, including the face, thighs, calves and ankles. They are generally smaller and less painful than varicose veins, but can be just as bothersome and unsightly. They are treated by sclerotherapy and surface laser therapy.

Sclerotherapy is a medical procedure used to eliminate spider veins. A solution is injected directly into the vein. The solution irritates the lining of the blood vessel, causing it to swell and stick together, and the blood to clot. Over time, the vessel turns into scar tissue that fades from view.

Laser therapy is applied to the skin over the spider veins. Laser energy causes the spider veins to coagulate and shrink. Laser therapy is most effective for small, thready spider veins. Large spider veins are best treated with sclerotherapy. Combination therapies may be recommended to achieve the best results.

Before Treatment	Six Weeks After One Treatment

Will the treatment hurt?
Both treatments are associated with mild discomfort, similar to a tingling sensation on the skin. Treatments usually do not require sedatives, pain medications, or injections of local anesthetic.

What can I expect after treatment?
Immediately following treatment, spider veins will appear darker and more visible. Over two to six weeks, your spider veins usually fade. After each treatment, you will see a 70% to 80% improvement in the appearance of face spider veins and 20% to 30% improvement in leg spider veins.

How many treatments will I need?
An average of four treatments will be required at one-month intervals. Combination therapies could be needed if you have small, medium, and large spider veins. You may wish to start with sclerotherapy, because sometimes all veins will be improved after injecting the larger ones. This may reduce the number of veins that need to be treated by laser, and minimize your overall cost.