Spider veins on the face and legs bother millions of people. Spider veins (or telangiectasias) are red, bluish, or purple veins that can result from sun exposure, use of oral contraception, hormone therapy, the aging process, or heredity.

Millions of people are bothered by spider veins – those small, unsightly clusters of veins that commonly appear on the thighs, calves and ankles. It is estimated that nearly half of the adult female population is plagued with this common cosmetic problem.

Advanced laser technology offers an effective treatment method for facial and spider veins. At the Electrolysis and Laser Center, we are consistently seeing excellent results, utilizing technologies, including the long pulsed 1064nm Nd:Yag laser, Q-Switched 1064 nm Nd:Yag, 532 nm KTP laser, 585 nm Pulsed Dye, or 650 nm Pulsed Dye lasers. These additional wavelengths give more treatment options to our patients.

To aid in comfort, we utilize the Cynosure SmartCool Cryo 5 skin cooling system. Its cold air −32 ° C skin cooling significantly reduces pain and discomfort for superficial laser and IPL (intense pulsed light) applications, while protecting the tissues from possible thermal damage, allowing higher fluences for increased efficiency.

How many treatments are required?

Results are seen within three to four weeks. Typically, two to three treatments are recommended.

Can we be sure that this will work on my veins?

This is something that must be determined with each patient individually, but the majority of patients will benefit from this treatment. We are able to comfortably treat vessels smaller than 3 mm in width. We recommend that larger vessels be treated with schlerotherapy, or in the case of varicose veins (usually more than a quarter-inch in diameter) with surgical treatment.

Is this painful?

There is some minor discomfort associated with this laser treatment. Most patients describe the sensation as a series of rubber band snaps to the skin. We can often reduce or eliminate this by cooling the treated area with the SmartCool skin cooling system.