Veins that run throughout the human body have the essential role of moving blood back and forth between the heart. While it’s easy to refer to the veins as a single entity in the body, they are in fact a network made up of a collection of veins of varying sizes and depth beneath the surface of the skin. When things go wrong with deep veins, the possibility of developing serious medical issues rises significantly. Faulty valves create wrong-direction flow of blood, causing pooling in the extremities and the potential for developing varicose veins and potentially deep vein thrombosis.
Issues with smaller veins close to the surface level tend to be less threatening to overall health, but can cause just as much disturbance on an aesthetic front. Spider veins are a good example of veins that don’t necessarily pose a threat to an individual’s health but can be distracting and frustrating when they begin to develop. Here are different treatments for spider vein removal.
Understanding Spider Veins
Very much like their larger vein counterparts, spider veins can potentially be the result of an underlying venous reflux where valves meant to keep blood flowing in a certain direction aren’t fully performing their job. In this case, the strain of venous reflux causes small veins to dilate and potentially turn blue or red underneath the surface of the skin. As this happens, these veins begin to show up on the skin in a web-like pattern that can continue to stretch out with time. While the appearance of vein webbing is common, spider veins can also present as single lines or branches under the skin.
Alternatively, spider veins are also known to develop without underlying venous issues or disease and may in fact be related to existing cases of rosacea. Sun exposure has also been pointed to as a potential cause behind the development of this vein disorder. Physicians have regularly linked their development to causes beyond a patient’s control such as genetic predisposition. Additionally, they are commonly seen developing in women during pregnancy.
Symptoms Associated with Spider Veins
While the development of spider veins can be unpleasant for individuals on an aesthetic front, there’s not much in the way of symptoms associated with this condition. Unlike varicose veins that are often linked to painful symptoms such as swelling, tenderness, redness, achiness or skin that’s warm to the touch, spider veins are relatively free of any pain or discomfort.
Spider Vein Removal Treatments Options
Major advancements in the field of cosmetic services and treatments mean that patients looking for spider vein removal treatments today have a wide variety of options waiting for them. Any type of vein treatment was often associated with painful and highly invasive processes in the past. Today, patients can enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing their treatment options are not only highly efficient and successful, but minimally invasive as well.
Sclerotherapy is a very common solution for cosmetic physicians hoping to reduce or eliminate the appearance of spider veins under the skin. During this treatment, an injection of sclerosant works to seal up problematic veins at the source, diminishing dilation and allowing webs to begin to fade away with time. For the majority of patients, a series of injections will be planned in order to achieve the most successful removal possible. A saline solution may be used to replace a medicinal injection in some cases and proves to be equally effective the majority of the time.
There are a number of benefits for patients looking at laser treatment for spider veins with cosmetic services, amongst them being the fact that painful vein stripping no longer needs to be an option. Many of the treatment options require only local anesthetic, removing the risks associated with general anesthesia and more invasive procedures. Today, patients can rest assured that the spider vein treatment options they choose from generally come with short recovery times and prove to be rather painless as well.
Cost
The cost of the laser vein removal varies from patient to patient and is highly dependent on how many laser treatment for spider veins sessions are required and the severity of the condition being treated. The team at the St. Louis Laser Vein Center is on hand to help walk patients through in-clinic financing options.
Schedule a Consultation
When you’re considering the many benefits of spider vein treatment and are wondering if it’s right for you, be sure to schedule an initial consultation with Dr. Wright and discuss your questions, concerns, and goals regarding laser vein removal. Contact us today for more information on our many services and options.
Spider Vein FAQs
Did you know that if you are fair-skinned, you are more at risk for facial spider veins? As you certainly know, people with fair skin have a higher tendency for their skin to be more damaged by the sun than their darker-skinned friends. Sun damage can cause a variety of harmful skin issues, the most immediately noticeable of which are sunburns. Repeated sunburns cause damage to the skin, and skin damage caused by the sun can lead to facial spider veins. So yes, sunburns can go hand in hand (sometimes). They can be completely unrelated to sun exposure, however, so if you have spider veins already, they may well not have been caused by too much fun in the sun.
What can you do to protect your skin against facial spider veins? I’d say your number one defense is to wear daily sunscreen with a high sun protection factor. You should probably be doing this anyway if you are frequently exposed to strong sunlight, as it can prevent a plethora of other medical complications in the future.
If you have already noticed spider veins on your face, the Veinwave may be an option to eliminate them. Veinwave involves radio waves pulsed on the vein to close it so you don’t have the visible veins anymore. Luckily, facial spider veins are usually more of a cosmetic nuisance than a painful medical problem, as varicose veins can be. Your doctor can help you determine whether or not your spider veins are a substantial problem, or merely something you wish to be rid of for aesthetic reasons.
