Spider veins are thin webs or threads of purple, red, and blue veins that appear on the face or legs with age. Healthwise, they are usually harmless but negatively affect appearance. So people prefer to get them removed for unblemished skin.
What Causes Spider Veins?
Veins carry deoxygenated blood back from organs to the heart. They have valves to maintain their unidirectional flow. When these valves weaken and disrupt the flow, blood accumulates in the veins, making them bulge and spread out, causing spider veins.
Spider Veins vs. Varicose Veins
Many people confuse spider veins with varicose veins, but they are different. Although both conditions occur from damaged valves in the veins, especially in your legs, they have various symptoms. Spider veins are usually small, thin, and flat with a purple or red hue. They can cause some discomfort but are mostly painless. Meanwhile, varicose veins are more extensive and profound, with lumpy texture and flesh-colored or red hue. You can often connect them with symptoms like pain, bleeding, swelling, and itching.
Treatment for Spider Veins
Compression Stockings
They put pressure on the veins in your legs to steady the blood flow to the heart. Though compression stockings help reduce swelling, they cannot remove the appearance of spider veins altogether.
Sclerotherapy
Over the years, sclerotherapy has developed to be a reliable and efficient method for treating spider veins. Under sclerotherapy, dermatologists inject chemicals into your affected veins to encourage the blood’s unidirectional flow. It regulates the circulation and causes spider veins to disappear in about 3 to 6 weeks.
Laser Treatments
Laser treatments are getting quite popular to treat spider veins, especially those on the face, as they are minimally invasive and provide instant results. During the treatment, photons from the laser generate heat to destroy the veins, making them disappear after therapy and causing no skin damage.
About Ballentyne Medical Aesthetics
If you want to treat spider veins, Ballentyne Medical Aesthetics should be your one-stop destination. We use the advanced Yag laser system to treat them. It is quick, non-invasive, and has nearly no side effects.
We also offer several other non-surgical cosmetic skin therapies, including CoolSculpting, injectables treatments, laser treatments, and profound RF. We have been serving the residents of Portsmouth since 2002. Please fill out our new patient form to find out which skin treatment works best for you. You can call us at (603) 319-8432 or email at hello@ballentynemedicalaesthetics.com to know more.
