Spider Veins (Telangiectasias)
If you sometimes avoid showing your legs because you have spider veins — those small clusters of red, blue or purple veins that appear on the thighs, calves and ankles — you are not alone. It’s estimated that at least half of all women are bothered by this common cosmetic problem.
If you would like to eliminate your spider veins and improve your appearance, Dr. Thomassen can help. Today there are very effective, safe and relatively painless methods available for eradicating spider veins.
In some women, spider veins become noticeable in their early 20s. For others, the veins may not become obvious until they reach their 40s. Men get spider veins, too. However, usually they are concealed by hair growth on the leg.
A number of factors may contribute to the development of spider veins in the legs, including:
- Heredity
- Pregnancy
- Hormonal shifts
- Weight gain
- Occupations or activities that require prolonged sitting or standing
Is it right for me?
Spider vein treatment can be performed on people of any age and is a good option for you if:
- You are bothered by spider veins anywhere on your body
- You have a positive outlook and realistic goals for your spider vein treatment
- You are committed to following your plastic surgeon’s prescribed course of treatment
Treatment
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy involves the injection of a chemical solution into the veins. This chemical or sclerosant denatures the inner wall of the vessel resulting in injury and collapse of the vessel wall. The veins then fade from view
The chemical most commonly used is hypertonic saline. Injection of this solution requires no anesthesia and is usually performed in an outpatient setting.
Although everyone is different, you can generally expect to receive one injection for every inch of spider vein that is treated. Bright light and magnification may be used to ensure maximum precision while the skin is held taut to inject sclerosing solution. A cotton ball and compression tape is often applied to each injection site as it is finished.
Two or more sessions, each lasting less than an hour, are usually required to obtain optimal results.
Results
After about a month of healing, you may be ready for a second vein treatment. With each treatment, you will notice further improvement of your skin’s appearance. It’s important to know treatment may not prevent new spider veins from surfacing in the future. As time passes, you may find that you need further treatments to take care of any new veins that may emerge.