| Dr. John L Burns is a Member of the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Here the Doctor has answered some of the common questions Bizymoms visitors have about spider veins.
Q. What causes spider veins on face and legs?
A. Spider veins, also known as telangectasias, are small diameter (<1.0 millimeters) veins which lie close to the skin surface. In many cases, these veins have become leaky or porous. The blood flow in these veins is very sluggish causing blood to build up in the vein and not flow as briskly as it should. These veins become visible through the thin overlying skin.
Q. How does laser treatment help treat facial and spider veins?
A. Laser (Light Amplification through Simulated Emission of Radiation) is light which has a single wavelength. For spider veins, the laser light is specific for a molecule in the blood called oxyhemoglobin. The oxyhemoglobin molecule is a chromophore for the laser light meaning that it will soak up the light whereas the surrounding tissue is largely unaffected by the light. The laser light is soaked up by the oxyhemoglobin molecule in the blood of the spider vein which in effect will destroy the vein leaving the surrounding tissue undamaged. Laser which can be used to treat spider veins include but are not limited to pulsed dye lasers (PDL), KTP lasers, Nd:YAG lasers, and broad band light sources such as IPL devices).
Q. How many laser treatments are required to effectively treat facial and spider veins?
A. Depending on the diameter of the vein and the color of the surrounding skin, most spider veins can be treated in 1 to 5 treatments.
Q. Are there any side effects of using laser treatment for facial and spider veins?
A. Ineffective treatment, blistering, scarring, pigmentary alterations in the skin, pain and bleeding are the side effects.
Q. Are the effects permanent?
A. Yes, but there can be recurrence especially in places where gravity has an effect such as the lower legs.
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