There are lots of irritating things that come with aging, but spider veins are right up there. Spider veins. Ugh. Those small, squiggly, web-like networks of red, blue, or purple lines coursing about on your legs and face aren’t painful, but they are a pain! Particularly during the warm weather when we’re in shorts and sundresses.
At Romeo & Juliette Laser Hair Removal, we put our Elite MPX laser to work zapping spider veins. It provides fast, easy, and effective removal of these small, dilated blood vessels.
What causes spider veins to form?
You know the veins — their job is to return de-oxygenated blood back to the heart and lungs. The veins have a tough task in the legs, as they’re fighting gravity the whole way. Plus, the surrounding tissues that help the veins push the blood weaken with age, providing less help. This allows the blood to pool. This is usually the cause of varicose veins (which are the larger veins that bulge through the skin) and some larger spider veins.
Most small spider veins form due to a variety of factors: pregnancy, weight gain and loss, hormonal changes, and activities/occupations that require prolonged sitting or standing.
How does your Elite MPX laser remove spider veins?
First, we apply a numbing agent to the skin above the veins to be treated. Next, we set the laser wavelength to match the color of the targeted vein. The pulse of laser light then penetrates the surface skin and is absorbed by the blood in the vein below. The light energy converts to heat, and the heat coagulates the blood inside the vein. This causes the vein walls to collapse, sealing off the vein. In most cases, the vein is immediately less visible, but over the course of the next few weeks the body will scavenge and absorb the vein and it will totally disappear.
Who is a good candidate for laser vein therapy?
This type of surface laser treatment is best for spider veins and tiny varicose veins that are just under the skin’s surface. On the face, these can also be known as facial telangiectases (small dilated blood vessels). Laser therapy is the best solution for these. Lasers are better than sclerotherapy (injection of a saline solution directly into the vein to close it off) for webs of small veins. Lasers are also much more efficient at treating a larger area with many veins.
Is there recovery/downtime?
These spider vein procedures are totally non-invasive. There isn’t any recovery necessary, and you can return to work or other activities immediately.
Winter’s a great time to get rid of those obnoxious spider veins on your legs and cheeks, all while the weather is grey and dreary. Call the team at Romeo & Juliette located in Manhattan, (212) 750-2000, and set up a laser spider vein session.