Spider veins and varicose veins are the annoying bluish or reddish veins found on the legs. They can be very fine and multi-branched or they can be quite thick.
We have 2 main procedures we use to combat spider veins and varicose veins:
- sclerotherapy: This procedure is a well-established method. A type of adhesive called polidocanol is injected into the spider veins to “glue” them shut. Dr Kristof uses a special light source to see even the smallest veins under the skin. The injection of polidocanol means that blood can no longer flow through the blood vessel, so it “dies off”. Sclerotherapy achieves particularly reliable results as long as consistent pressure is applied after treatment using compression bandages or support tights. Therefore, the patient should ideally come in for treatment already wearing their own support stockings or tights.
- laser therapy: Laser treatment of spider veins requires a laser that penetrates relatively deep into the tissue. We use the established and reliable long-pulsed ND:Yag laser 1064 nm at our practice. The laser beam passes through the skin until it reaches the target structure, i.e. the red or blue colour of the spider vein. The release of energy generates a great deal of heat and “cooks” the spider vein internally. The key benefit of this method is that no compression bandages or support stockings are required.
Our team of doctors at rappjderm will be happy to explain both procedures to you in detail and help you plan your spider vein treatment. It should be noted that with both of these treatments, you must not expose yourself to the sun after the treatment, as this can lead to unwanted pigmentation in the form of brown spots.
If you have a large number of spider veins, it is quite possible to combine both procedures. Sclerotherapy works faster over a larger area. The laser can then be used at a later stage for the final touches.