Leg Veins
We use sclerotherapy and lasers to treat spider veins and telangiectasia.
Spider Veins and Telangiectasias
Superficial leg veins, also known as spider veins or starburst blemishes are small, dilated surface vessels that can be pink, red, or purple and appear as lines or clusters on the ankles, lower legs, or thighs. They are physiologically insignificant and unattractive blood vessels that look like thin branches or even a spider web. Spider veins are a less severe type of telangiectasia—broken blood vessels that look like thin branches or a spider web section.
Dysfunction of the valves within veins contributes to spider veins and several factors may play a prominent role in their development, including heredity, pregnancy, hormone replacement therapy, oral contraceptives, obesity, and trauma. Although exercise, weight loss, and support hose may limit the number of new vessels, it will not prevent their development.
At Austin Dermatologic Surgery, we offer sclerotherapy and multiple laser therapies to treat these conditions.
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy involves the injection of a sclerosing solution into the dilated vessels. This causes the lining of the vessels to swell and close, resulting in a lighter color and improvement in the appearance of the vessels. In many cases, the veins can be completely eliminated. Vessels fade over six to eight weeks following treatment. Most patients require multiple treatments, depending on the number, size, and location of the lesions as well as the cosmetic result desired.
What to Expect
The treatment is performed in the office and requires no anesthesia. It involves the injection of a solution into the vein with a fine needle. Most people experience mild discomfort for about 15 to 30 seconds, similar to a mosquito bite. The injected veins completely disappear for a few minutes as blood is pushed out by the solution, but they reappear when the blood flow returns. Since many vessels are interconnected, one injection may eradicate several dozen vessels at once by washing over the cells lining the inner wall of the vessel, causing them to shrink. They will slowly disappear, as your body's natural response to injury clears them. The results are often dramatic and long lasting.
We use advanced technologies including the Vbeam® Pulsed Dye Laser and a Long-Pulsed Nd:YAG Laser to treat certain vessels.