Spider Veins

Facial Veins

Facial spider veins (telangiectasias) also known as “dilated capillaries” and “broken blood vessels” are a very common, almost normal finding, especially in fair skinned people.

Facial veins are, the vast majority of the time, caused by sun exposure. The nose and the convex portion of the cheeks are most frequently affected by spider veins, although in more severe cases, the entire face can have large numbers of veins.

Patients with Rosacea and Acne Rosacea often have multiple spider veins. Rarely, Spider veins can be signs of certain auto-immune collagen diseases (Lupus Erythematosus, CREST).

Facial Spider Veins Treatment:
Diolite Laser or Neodymium YAG Laser

Leg Veins

Leg spider veins appear as thin red lines just under the surface of the skin, commonly found on the legs and thighs. They are more common in women than medn and often accompany darker and thicker varicose veins. Other risk factors for spider veins include long periods of standing, family history, and other unknown causes.

Leg Spider Veins Treatments:

Sclerotherapy, is the gold standard for the treatment of leg spider veins.  A sclerosing agent is injected into the vein and works by damaging the cells lining the inside of the blood vessel. Treatment sessions generally lasts 30 to 45 minutes. Multiple treatments may be needed for full effect. Providers recommend compression stockings on the treated legs for 2-3 weeks after your treatment session.

Neodymium YAG laser uses energy to target the problem vein while bypassing surrounding tissue. The number of treatments may vary depending on the number of vessels to be treated and the area in which they are located.

Exotherme, which is available in our Palos location, is used to treat superficial vessels of the leg. There are no needles involved which is great for patients who are afraid of needles.

Varicose Veins

Probably more than 25% of women and 15% of men eventually develop varicose veins. Treating varicose veins takes longer than treating spider veins. Injecting varicose veins with sclerosing solutions is still being done, but it is no longer the best method. There is now a special endovenous laser that has a better success rate.