Laser Treatment for Spider Veins in Battle Creek & Kalamazoo, Michigan

Spider veins are tiny blood vessels just beneath the surface of the skin. They typically radiate out from a central point and have a spider-like appearance. Spider veins usually only pose a cosmetic problem, so treatment isn’t mandatory. Owing to the unsightly appearance of spider veins, however, many people opt to have them removed.

Laser treatment is a safe, effective, and non-invasive procedure that eliminates spider veins. During laser treatment, laser energy is applied to the spider veins, causing them to coagulate and shrink. Laser treatment is a popular option for treating spider veins on the face.

How It Works

Laser treatment for spider veins is an outpatient procedure. The use of anesthesia or sedatives is usually not required because the procedure causes minimal discomfort. You may feel a slight stinging or burning sensation during treatment.

Treatment can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on the size and location of the affected areas. During the procedure, a small hand piece is used to deliver pulses of laser energy. The veins absorb the laser energy, and the heat from the laser causes the blood in the spider veins to clot. As a result, the spider veins coagulate, shrink, and eventually disappear.

The beam of laser energy that is applied during treatment is highly focused, so neighboring skin tissue remains unaffected. The laser energy heats the spider vein and destroys it. Within a few weeks, your body reabsorbs the vein and it disappears.

Side Effects

Common side effects of laser treatment for spider veins include bruising, redness, and swelling at the treatment site. Rare side effects of laser treatment for spider veins include injuries and burns caused by the heat that the laser emits. There is also a small chance that semi-permanent or permanent skin lightening/darkening will occur as a result of laser treatment. Bleaching cream can be applied to treat skin darkening, but there is no effective way to treat skin lightening besides medical tattooing.

After Treatment

Patients can resume normal activity immediately after laser treatment for spider veins. Soon after treatment, spider veins will appear darker and more visible, but they will start to fade within two to six weeks of treatment. Typically, around three treatments are required to achieve the best results.

Best Candidates

To be a candidate for laser treatment, you must be in good physical and mental health. Furthermore, you must have fair skin and superficial spider veins that would respond well to treatment. If you have taken Accutane in the last 18 months, you do not qualify for laser treatment.

Laser treatment for spider veins is the most effective for treating small to medium-sized spider veins and superficial spider veins. It is most commonly used to treat spider veins on the face. If you have small, medium, and large spider veins, combination therapy consisting of sclerotherapy and laser treatment may be the most effective because it can reduce the number of veins that need to be treated by laser.