DERMATOLOGY LASER CENTERS OF NEW YORK & CALIFORNIA
LEG VEINS / SPIDER VEINS

Prominent, unsightly leg veins are a common problem and many people may benefit from laser treatment of leg veins. Women are more likely candidates, as around 80% of women are affected by spider veins. Using laser treatment of leg veins, Board Certified Dermatologist, Babar Rao, MD, FAAD counteract problems caused by heredity, hormones, prolonged standing, obesity, aging, and pregnancy. Problematic leg veins are more difficult to treat than broken/damaged veins in other areas (such as the face), because leg veins are subjected to greater problems relating to gravity. Although there is no single effective treatment for all leg veins, the laser treatment of leg veins offers an alternative to treatments like sclerotherapy, which rely on the use of needles.

Laser treatment of leg veins has been around since the 1970s, although the technology and results have improved greatly over the years. The latest methods and equipment used in laser treatment of leg veins are extremely effective, painless, and produce excellent results in most patients. Not all leg vein problems respond well to lasers, but laser treatment of leg veins has proven extremely useful in reducing or eliminating the appearance of spider telangiectasia, a condition where the thin capillary vessels branch out in a spider-like pattern. The vessels often appear red or purple and are unsightly, but not a health threat.

The process of spider vein removal with lasers is fairly simple. A topical anesthetic may be used, but the patient is generally not sedated. Individual laser pulses are administered along the length of the vein, causing an immediate effect known as "blanching". Skin cooling may be used before, after, and during laser treatment of leg veins. Many laser devices are now self-cooling and will cool the skin during treatment. Discomfort during laser treatment of leg veins is minimal, and often described as similar to the sensation of a rubber band snapping against the skin many times. Following a laser treatment of leg veins, the treated area may appear slightly swollen and red, and some superficial blistering or crusting may occur if the treated vein was very close to the skin's surface.

Patients with smaller red veins are often asked to keep their legs elevated as much as possible for 24 hours following laser treatment of leg veins.  Laser treatment of leg veins may occur in several stages to achieve the optimal effect. Treatments are usually spaced about three months apart, as it may take several weeks or months to see the full effects of a laser treatment of leg veins.

For patients who have struggled with the unsightly appearance of small veins in their legs, laser treatment of leg veins can provide a quick, permanent, and relatively painless solution.

If you have any questions about our dermatological laser treatments, including laser leg vein removal treatment, procedures please feel free to contact Board Certified Dermatologist, Board Certified Dermatopathologist, Babar K. Rao, MD, FAAD at his Manhattan, New York, New Brunswick, New Jersey, or Fresno, California offices.

 

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