At Gold Skin Care Center in Nashville, Tennessee, we are often asked to remove spider veins. Spider veins are damaged blood vessels that can be seen through the surface of the skin. Fortunately, we can use a sophisticated spider vein treatment to remove these weakened blood vessels and correct other vascular issues.
How Does Spider Vein Treatment Work?
As you get older, the appearance of your veins is likely to change. In particular, you may notice that the veins on your face or legs become more visible. These damaged blood vessels, which are known as spider veins, can appear to be purple or red. Although smaller spider veins usually will not impact your health, these blood vessels will change the appearance of your legs and face.
If you would like to remove these veins and achieve clear, attractive skin, you should consider getting a spider vein treatment from the Gold Skin Care Center. The techniques that we will use to remove these veins will depend on the location of your damaged veins, the condition of these veins, and several other variables. Each of our techniques will use a different method to fix your vascular issues.
Intense Pulsed Light Treatments
If you have spider veins on your face, we are likely to use intense pulsed light treatments, also known as IPL treatments, to correct this problem. During an IPL treatment, we will use a device to transmit intense, pulsing light into your spider veins. This light will penetrate into your damaged blood vessels without harming the rest of your skin.
The heat created by this light will cause your body to use natural healing methods to gradually eliminate your spider veins from your face. As your body absorbs these weakened blood vessels, the spider veins on your face will become less noticeable.
Sclerotherapy
If you have spider veins on your legs, we are likely to use sclerotherapy and IPL treatments to fix this problem. Sclerotherapy is a well-established vein treatment that uses a special solution to fix your damaged vessels. When you receive a sclerotherapy treatment, we will inject a customized solution directly into the vein that you want to eliminate from your body.
This solution will cause the lining of this unwanted vein to become irritated. Over time, your spider vein will collapse, and your blood will stop moving through this vessel. As your blood begins to flow into your healthy, undamaged vessels, your body will slowly absorb your spider vein. Over the next several weeks, this vein will become less visible, and the appearance of your legs will gradually improve.
Why Have I Developed Spider Veins?
Spider veins develop when the small blood vessels near the surface of your skin become damaged. Scientists call these damaged veins telangiectasias. There are a number of reasons why these broken, damaged blood vessels may appear on your face and legs over time.
Spider Veins on Your Face
Spider veins on your face develop when excessive pressure causes the blood vessels in this part of your body to break. It’s common to develop spider veins on your cheeks, chin, and nose. Since the skin that covers these features is very fragile, minor injuries can damage the blood vessels in this area of your body.
For example, using harsh techniques to wash your face or exfoliate your skin could cause you to develop spider veins on your face. In addition, sun damage can cause your blood vessels to weaken. Medical conditions like rosacea may also lead to spider veins. Further, as you get older, the skin on your face will become thinner, and your spider veins will become more noticeable.
Spider Veins on Your Legs
Injuries can also cause spider veins to appear on your legs. However, weakened valves in your veins are more likely to cause you to develop spider veins in this part of your body. Your veins contain specialized valves that keep your blood moving in the right direction. Certain life events and medical issues can damage the valves in your veins.
For example, going through pregnancy or gaining weight can increase the amount of stress on your body and cause damage to your valves. Sitting or standing for long periods can also impair your valves. When your valves weaken, blood may pool in the veins in your legs. This pooling blood will stretch out your veins and cause them to become more visible.
How Many Vein Treatments Will I Need?
The number of vein treatments that you will receive will depend on the severity of your spider veins, your aesthetic objectives, and several other variables.
Receiving an Initial Consultation
The best way to learn more about your likely treatment schedule is to come in for an appointment at our office. When you have your initial meeting with our experts, we will carefully look at the veins in your legs or face. At this point, we can provide a detailed description of your likely treatment plan.
Considering Your Options
Although we cannot determine your exact treatment schedule without examining you, you should keep some general guidelines in mind when you are preparing for your vein treatments. In general, if you use intense pulsed light energy to improve the spider veins on your face, you will achieve better results if you are able to get multiple treatments.
If you use sclerotherapy to fix minor spider veins on your legs, you might be able to correct all of your damaged veins during a single treatment session. However, if you have more serious vein issues, you will probably need to receive at least two sclerotherapy treatments. For example, if you have a larger number of spider veins, you will probably need to get multiple treatments.
What Should I Do to Get Ready for My Treatment?
Your preparations will depend on the type of spider vein treatment that you’re getting, and we will give you personalized instructions before your appointment. That said, if you are receiving sclerotherapy, we will probably tell you to avoid applying lotion on your legs or shaving this part of your body during the morning before your treatment.
In addition, taking certain supplements and medications may impact your body’s reaction to your IPL or sclerotherapy treatments. To prevent your medications from interfering with your treatment, you might need to avoid certain substances for a week before your appointment. For instance, if you usually take a supplement that contains vitamin E, you might need to skip your supplement for a week.
Will I Need to Take Time Off From My Job After I Treat My Spider Veins?
Although your recovery period will depend on the type of vein treatment that you receive, both of these techniques have fairly short recovery periods. For example, if you receive sclerotherapy treatments, you will probably be able to return to your job and resume most of your other activities immediately.
However, you will need to avoid strenuous exercise for about three to five days. In addition, we will ask you not to go into a hot tub or sauna for a while. You may also need to wear compression stockings after you get a sclerotherapy treatment.
Can I Use These Techniques to Fix Other Vein Problems?
In addition to helping you remove your spider veins, we can use specialized techniques to improve the condition of your varicose veins. Varicose veins are another type of damaged blood vessel that can be seen through the surface of your skin. There are a couple of significant differences between spider and varicose veins.
Varicose Veins
Spider veins are usually small veins that have become damaged. These veins are likely to be red or purple, and they may be visible in areas where your skin is thin, such as your face or ankles.
In contrast, varicose veins are larger veins that have become twisted, thick, or gnarled. These blood vessels are like to appear to be green or dark blue. It’s common for these veins to develop in your legs. In addition to changing the appearance of your legs, these veins may cause you to develop frustrating physical symptoms. For example, your legs might swell and you might feel uncomfortable while you are standing for a long time.
Treating Your Varicose Veins
Getting sclerotherapy treatments can be a very good way to remove the varicose veins on your legs. That said, it’s important to understand that varicose veins can be more time-consuming to address than spider veins. In particular, if you have a large number of varicose veins on your legs, you will probably need to receive multiple sclerotherapy sessions to correct this vascular issue.
How Can I Prevent Myself From Developing Vein Problems in the Future?
After you have received your IPL or sclerotherapy treatments, you will probably want to prevent your spider or varicose veins from returning. Some of the factors that increase your risk of developing vein problems, such as your age, are outside of your control. That said, you can make some lifestyle changes that will decrease your risk of developing future vein issues.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
When you are overweight, your vascular system will need to work harder to move blood through your body. This extra stress can damage the valves in your blood vessels and harm the appearance of your veins. Exercising frequently and maintaining a healthy weight will decrease the amount of stress on your veins.
Wear Compression Stockings
Wearing compression stockings will improve the blood flow in your legs and minimize your risk of developing vascular problems in this part of your body. If you have a job that requires you to stand or sit for long periods of time each day, wearing these special stockings can help control your blood flow and minimize the stress that your job puts on your body.
Receive Additional Treatments
Even if you exercise frequently and wear compression stockings, you could develop additional spider and varicose veins in the future. Fortunately, you can easily fix these new problems by receiving more IPL or sclerotherapy treatments from us.
Eliminate Your Spider Veins
Developing spider veins on your legs or face will cause you to feel unhappy and embarrassed about these parts of your body. Receiving sclerotherapy or IPL treatments is a great way to reduce the visibility of your weakened blood vessels and give your skin a clear, attractive appearance. To learn more about the benefits of getting a spider vein treatment, contact us at the Gold Skin Care Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
