Have you noticed tiny discolored veins popping up in your legs or face? Although generally harmless, spider veins are embarrassing for many people, especially when they appear on visible skin areas.
Damaged blood vessels sometimes result in red, blue, or purple web-like spider veins just under the skin. You only need treatment for the problem if you're tired of how they look and want clearer skin.
Laser therapy is one of the most effective treatments for spider veins. Dr. Lori Scott and her team at Lori Scott Family Care in Kinston, North Carolina, use the PicoSure laser for many cosmetic issues, including unsightly spider veins.
Your veins are responsible for returning deoxygenated blood to the heart for reoxygenation. Valves in the veins keep the blood moving in the right direction.
However, sometimes the veins or valves become damaged for various reasons, causing blood to pool and the blood vessels to become visible under your skin. Certain people are more at risk for spider veins, especially if you:
The main cause of spider veins is weak and enlarged veins caused by pressure or injury. They're usually harmless, but they can sometimes be a very early sign of a bigger issue known as chronic venous insufficiency.
Various treatments are available to lessen their appearance and restore your confidence. Laser therapy is a noninvasive way to do away with those unsightly veins.
Dr. Scott uses laser therapy for many skin imperfections, including spider veins, tattoo removal, and reducing the signs of aging. At the office, she uses the PicoSure laser, which emits bursts of energy very quickly, at one-trillionth of a second each.
In preparation for laser therapy, Dr. Scott applies a topical anesthetic to the treatment area and gives you protective glasses to keep your eyes safe. When you're ready, she moves the laser over the treatment area.
The rapid pulses of energy penetrate the skin to the spider veins, quickly and precisely damaging them. The damage causes them to clot and collapse, and your body then sends blood through nearby healthy veins.
The procedure usually only lasts about 30 minutes. Your skin may be red and sensitive for a few hours, which ice and over-the-counter anti-inflammatories often help relieve.
One of the best aspects of laser therapy is that it’s noninvasive and an outpatient procedure. You can go home the same day and resume your normal activities.
Laser therapy has unrivaled results in treating facial spider veins. The PicoSure laser is especially effective because of its quick bursts of energy that damage the cells in the spider veins.
The spider vein's cells absorb the energy that heats it, causing permanent damage. After some time, the damaged vein shrinks, and eventually, the body absorbs the tissue, causing this unsightly problem to disappear.
The results from laser therapy depend on various factors, including the location and size of the spider veins. Smaller spider veins may disappear within the first week after treatment, while larger veins may require multiple sessions. Most people need several sessions to get the results they want. It normally takes one to three months before the damaged veins completely disappear.
If you’re fed up with the look of those tiny, discolored veins, contact Lori Scott Family Care today to schedule a consultation for laser therapy.
