Spider Vein Cure: Sclerotherapy or Laser Treatment?
About half of adult women have some form of spider veins. These clusters of red, purple and blue veins are usually found on the ankles, calves or thighs. Spider veins can appear anytime, although they are usually found among women aged 30 to 60 years. Spider veins are not only unsightly; they are also associated with symptoms of aching, burning and swelling.
There are no exact causes known of spider veins, but it is believed that it is brought about by some triggering factors like pregnancy, prolonged sitting or standing, weight gain, aging, heredity and hormonal changes. Spider veins might usually affect women, but men can also get them, although their appearance can be covered by body hair. The good news is that spider veins can be effectively treated in both sexes.
In contrast to popular opinion, spider veins are not broken veins. Instead, they are intact veins that have been dilated or stretched. The fines that make up spider vein clusters are connected to the venous system, but they can be safely removed by a licensed cosmetic surgeon. You have two options to remove them:
- Sclerotherapy — In sclerotherapy, the veins are injected with Polidoacnol, saline or any other similar solution. This causes the veins to get inflamed, leading to the collapse of the lumen or cavity of the vein. In turn, the vein will be reabsorbed by the body.
- Laser Treatment — With laser treatments, you are provided with a less favorable result. The spider veins are broken down and absorbed into the system. In this treatment, laser light is targeted to the spider veins, bypassing the skin. Hemoglobin absorbs the light so that the vessels coagulate, die and later absorbed by the body for evacuation.
Both these procedures involve breaking down the veins where they are then reabsorbed into the body, rendering them no longer visible. They are both quite simple, relatively painless, and require little recovery time. They might have some similarities, but every one of them has unique benefits that have to be carefully considered before going through the treatment. Some of the essential factors to consider are:
- Needle sensitivity. Patients undergoing Sclerotherapy in Lititz requires that the doctor inject the solution into the skin, about one injection per square inch of skin. The needle is very thin and the injections shallow. For patients who are sensitive with needles, laser vein removal would be a better option.
- Precision. Laser treatment for spider veins will allow the cosmetic surgeon to target similar areas and treat finer veins more effectively than sclerotherapy.
- Cost. Blue light therapy in Millersville and other laser vein removal options require the use of costly laser equipment so it tends to cost higher compared to sclerotherapy.
Just like any kind of procedure, it is essential that you research on your available options. To discuss the effectiveness of the treatments which fix broken capillaries in legs, it is highly encouraged that you seek out reputable doctors with good experience. When looking for laser treatment for spider veins in New Holland PA or other rural areas, you might have to travel to a bigger city for experienced professionals.
