Spider Vein Treatment

If you have noticed small reddish or purple marks on your legs, some longer than others, you may be seeing spider veins develop. Spider veins are veins that appear more prominent in the legs and often as red or purple marks. Spider veins appear more frequently as you age, but do not often cause pain or discomfort. Although similar, spider veins are not as large as varicose veins and do not cause the pain that varicose veins are known for.

Spider veins develop over time and can take years to fully appear on your body. Although the cause is unknown, it is thought that spider veins are genetically pre-disposed based on your own family's history. Procedures to Remove Spider Veins

One of the most common treatment options to help with ridding spider veins is sclerotherapy. Sclerotherapy includes injecting a specific "sclerosing agent" into the areas of the body where the spider veins are the most visible and prominent. The agent then irritates the vein from the inside, which triggers the vein to scar, reducing the overall visibility of the veins in the leg or elsewhere on the body. Although this procedure does not rid the spider veins completely, it is nearly painless (with minor discomfort from the saline) and reduces the look of the spider veins with just one treatment.

Another option to remove spider veins is a laser treatment procedure. Laser treatment options are often available to patients experiencing excess spider veins in the face, on the neck, or in other uncommon areas of the body where spider veins are less likely to appear. With a laser treatment option, patients are often required to complete multiple sessions for the best results with ridding the overall appearance of the spider veins, depending on how thick and prominent the veins appear in the patient on an individual basis.

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