Getting Rid of Spider Veins: Laser Treatment and Sclerotherapy | Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University

Spider veins bother millions of women and men — those small yet unsightly clusters of red, blue or purple veins that most commonly appear on the thighs, calves and ankles. In fact, it's estimated that at least half of the adult female population is plagued with this common cosmetic problem.

Spider veins are a type of varicose veins caused by a problem in the body's circulatory system, in which valves in blood vessels become defective and allow blood to flow in the wrong direction, causing swelling and/or discoloration of the vessels.

At the Stony Brook Vein Center, you can now find relief from these undesirable but very treatable blemishes.

Laser Treatment 
Effective, Non-Invasive Removal of Spider Veins

At the Stony Brook Vein Center, we use the Altus CoolGlide® laser to treat small spider veins. The Altus CoolGlide® laser is a non-invasive light therapy device specifically designed to eliminate undesired blood vessels from all parts of the body. The Altus CoolGlide® laser generates a pulse of intense, concentrated light that is directed through a small, cooled hand piece, which is gently applied to the treatment site.

This laser energy passes through the skin to those blood vessels you wish to have eliminated, where the energy is absorbed by pigment in the blood, causing selective damage to the lining of the target blood vessels without damaging the surrounding tissues and skin.

The body reabsorbs the blood vessels, which have been destroyed, and the flow of blood is directed back down into the deeper vessels, where it belongs.

The Altus CoolGlide® laser can be used just about anywhere on the body, and usually requires no anesthesia or other treatment. Even sensitive areas such as the nose and cheeks can be treated easily and with minimal discomfort.

Altus CoolGlide® laser treatment is a safe, fast, gentle and effective method for removal of unwanted blood vessels. In just a few treatment sessions (in some cases only a single treatment session) using the gentle power of lasers, you can greatly improve the appearance of skin that is disfigured by unwanted blood vessels and "broken capillaries."

<hr>
<center>
<table cellspacing=20>
<tr>
<td valign=top>
<img align=center src=/sdmpubfiles/cckimages/page/spiderb-sm.jpg border=1> 
<center>Before Treatment</center>
</td>
<td valign=top>
<img align=center src=/sdmpubfiles/cckimages/page/spidera-sm.jpg border=1> 
<center>After Treatment</center>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</center>
<hr>

Sclerotherapy 
Another Treatment Option for Eliminating Spider Veins

In this rather simple procedure, spider veins — and other types of varicose veins — are injected with a "sclerosing" solution, which damages the lining of the unhealthy veins, causing them to scar down (sclerose) and collapse. These veins are absorbed over time by the body's own healing mechanism, and are removed from the circulation.

We provide the injection treatments at the Stony Brook Vein Center in multiple sessions at 1-week intervals. Usually, only one leg is treated in a single session. The number of treatment sessions needed to clear the condition depends on the amount of spider/varicose veins present. At the time of the initial consultation, an estimate of the number of treatment sessions will be given.

Following sclerotherapy, a compression stocking is worn for 48 hours followed by a sheer stocking worn from morning until bedtime for the next 7 days. The injected varicose veins will disappear over a period of 4 to 6 weeks. Spider veins usually take 6 to 8 weeks to disappear. Patients may resume their normal daily activities immediately, and are encouraged to walk. Patients are asked to avoid only high-impact aerobics and weight lifting for 48 hours following the injection treatment.

Side effects of sclerotherapy include itching and redness at the injection site, which only lasts for several hours. Brownish discoloration of the skin may occur in 15% of patients, and this will disappear completely within 4 months. Matting, which is the development of very tiny dense veins resembling a red blemish, occurs in 10% of patients, and it can be effectively treated with laser.

To schedule an appointment at the Stony Brook Vein Center, please call 631-444-4545.