Spider Veins

Veins

WHAT ARE SPIDER VEINS?
Spider veins are the smallest 'colored' veins visible most often on a person's legs They are most often red or purple in color, small in diameter and not protruding from the skin. Often spider veins are present in large numbers in a small area thus sometimes having a spider like appearance.

WHAT CAUSES SPIDER VEINS?
To some extent spider veins are like gray hair- they are something seen with age but not a sign of disease, or illness. Spider veins are not brought about by diet, lifestyle, smoking, or casual drinking. There is some evidence that normal factors may play some roll in the appearance of these veins.

SPIDER VElN TREATMENT OPTIONS?
Injection therapy to eliminate spider veins is the gold standard of care. Lasers, while sounding appealing are very controversial within the medical community, which should suggest their effectiveness is very questionable. Surgery and injections are only for the larger varicose veins not these much smaller spider veins.

CAN SPIDER VEINS BE PREVENTED?
In a word- NO. They are not a result of life style, diet, smoking or casual drinking. Support hose may give symptomatic relief but it will not prevent spider or varicose veins, nor will it make them disappear.

WHICH TYPE OF CONDTIONS DOES VASCULITY TREAT?
VascuLight treats many types of leg veins including shallow spider veins and reticular veins. Vasculight also treats benign pigmented lesions such as age spots, birthmarks and tattoos, Spider Veins are very small veins caused by a dilation of the small venues under the skin. This occurs when the pressure inside the vein increases enough to overcome normal resistance of the vein wall. The ability of veins to resist increased pressure is reduced in women when the blood level of estrogen and progesterone is reduced. Reticular Veins are small, bluish colored veins that carry blood to the skin venues and therefore, are larger. These veins have thin walls and dilate with excessive venous pressure. When this occurs, they become large enough to be unsightly, but are not considered to be varicose veins. Varicose Veins are large; bulging veins often associated with tired, painful or achy legs. Sometimes varicose veins are deeper under the skin surface and not visible; however, the symptoms tend to be the same, Faulty valves in the veins, which allow some blood circulation to fall backward instead of on course to the heart, cause varicose veins. Sclerotherapy or injections may treat these veins.

WHO ARE CANDIDATES FOR TREATMENT?
Men, women and children may be treated with Vasculight. Find out if you are a candidate for VascuLight therapy.

HOW MANY TREATMENTS ARE WE REQUIERED AND WHAT DOES THE TREATMENT INVOLVE?
The number of treatments may vary, depending on the severity and density of the cosmetic conditions. Sclerotherapy and VascuLight Laser therapy are two possible methods of treatment. The doctor will decide whether to use a single modality or a combination. With all three, either the heat of the laser or the chemical injection of Sclerotherapy solution distresses the walls of the veins. The body then begins the healing process. The veins shrink and become less visible or disappear all together. The number of treatments necessary to resolve your vein problem depends on the size of the vein and your body's ability to heal. Medical studies have documented exceptional results on veins with the VascuLight Laser. VascuLight allows customized treatment of virtually every small vein disorder, including deep veins and veins that did not respond to other treatment methods.

IS THERE "DOWN TIME" OR SIDE EFFECTS INVOLVED?
The beauty of these treatments is there is no down time involved. You can resume regular activities immediately following treatment. However, treated areas may appear red and/or bruised. Pain is generally mild. Swelling and mild bruising can occur, but most always resolves over time. Sometimes hair loss can occur in the treated areas. Patients on blood thinners or with serious illness generally are not candidates for treatment. Patients with dark suntans or photosensitivity disorders are not good candidates. Other contraindications include advanced diabetes, bleeding disorders, and photosensitizing

Sclerotherapy (varicose veins) is a procedure in which a sclerosing solution is injected into a blood vessel with a fine needle. This action causes the lining of blood vessels to swell and shrink thereby eliminating the incompetent veins.

After the scierosing agent has been injected, the vein fades to a point where it is no longer visible. From 10-30 blood vessels Can be injected per session. Discomfort is minimal because the needles used are very small,

Because of the manner in which veins feed each other, veins are treated starting at the top of the legs.

Veins may sometimes have to be injected more than once before they become less apparent because larger veins "feed" smaller veins so large veins must be treated first.

Though you may experience some initial bruising you can expect an approximate75 percent improvement in the appearance of leg veins after several treatments Full results may not be apparent for about 3 months.

Redness and bruising following treatment usually disappear within a few weeks. You may also experience an aching feeling in your legs for the first day or two following treatment.

You may be asked to wear elastic support hose following your sclerotherapy treatments.

Though rare, the possible side effects of sclerotherapy include brown marks on the skin allergic reaction to the sclerosing agent and ulcers (more common in patients who smoke cigarettes).

While the veins treated by sclerotherapy will not come back, new blood vessels will appear over time.

To avoid a recurrence of broken capillaries, we recommend:
1. Physical exercise
2. Elastic stockings
3. Avoidance of standing for long periods
4. You keep your weight normal

A yearly check-up at our office is recommended to detect the appearance of new veins that can be treated with sclerotherapy.

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BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES

SPIDER VEINS AND VARICOSE VEINS

SPIDER VEINS