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These spider vein procedures are totally non-invasive. There isn’t any recovery necessary, and you can return to work or other activities immediately.
Cutaneous Laser Therapy
What is Cutaneous Laser Therapy?
Cutaneous Laser Therapy is an effective treatment for Spider Veins. At TXVWI we use Laser to treat veins in the legs and face. Laser therapy uses a highly concentrated beam of light to heat up the vein and close it. This treatment does not cause damage to the skin and requires no down time.
Advantages of Using Laser Vein Therapy
There are really no risks involved with these treatments, whereas methods such as sclerotherapy can cause slight bruising and patients can sometimes have a reaction to the saline solution. We find lasers to be a better option on facial spider veins, where the skin is more delicate. Lasers also are faster and more efficient when treating larger groups of spider veins.
Cutaneous Laser Therapy is a very efficient solution to superficial spider veins. This procedure has many benefits including:
- Fast recovery
- It’s non-surgical
- It’s a quick and effective treatment
- Generally painless
It should be noted that this treatment is effective only for superficial spider veins that appear on the surface of the skin. This treatment does not treat more severe, underlying issues. Be sure to speak with you doctor about all of you options.
Who are the Ideal Candidates for Cutaneous Laser 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. But if your veins are larger and deeper in the skin, surface laser treatments are not effective. In these cases, endovenous laser treatments work better.
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What to Expect with Spider Vein Removal Using Cutaneous Lasers
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 two weeks the body will scavenge and absorb the vein and it will totally disappear.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Surface laser vein treatments at Texas Vein & Wellness Institute are mostly pain-free. When the laser is pulsed, there may be a slight tingling sensation, but most patients don’t equate this with pain. We numb your surface skin, plus the laser systems we use have a cooling function to keep them comfortable on your skin.
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The length of your visit depends, of course, on the number of veins being treated. Generally, most sessions last just 10-20 minutes.
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In most cases, spider veins respond well immediately, lessening in color and visibility. Some disappear instantly; others may take a couple weeks for the body to absorb them. Larger spider veins may require a second laser treatment.
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Both sclerotherapy and cutaneous laser therapy are non-surgical treatments used to alleviate spider veins. Sclerotherapy is issued through an injection of a solution that dries out and collapses spider veins, while laser therapy uses lasers to eliminate the veins. While both treatments are effective, sclerotherapy is often used to treat bulging leg veins where cutaneous laser therapy is used for more superficial veins on the face.
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