| Dr. Suzanne W Yee is board certified in Dermatology by the American Board of Dermatology. Here the Doctor has answered some of the common questions Bizymoms visitors have about Cosmetic Dermatology.
Q. What causes spider veins on face and legs?
A. Spider veins on the face are dilated blood vessels. They are caused by photo-damage (sun damage), heredity, rosacea, and continued topical steroid use. Some systemic diseases can cause spider veins of the face such as, alcohol abuse and lupus.
Spider Veins of the legs are blue or red vessels that are close to the surface of the skin and can cover a small or larger area of the leg. These can be caused by weakening of the valves that help send blood back to the heart. This enlarges the vessels and cause the spider veins of the legs. The conditions that can increase the spider veins of the legs include, sun damage, pregnancy, hormone changes, heredity, leg injury, prolonged standing, and obesity.
Q. How does laser treatment help treat facial and spider veins?
A. Laser treatment can include Pulsed Dye Laser to treat dilated blood vessels on the face. The treatment uses a specific wavelength of light to target the blood vessel color to remove the blood vessel. The laser basically clots the blood in the vessel and the body takes it away and is replaced with normal dermal structures. This is done leaving the normal skin intact. Another treatment includes intense pulsed light (IPL) which can be effective also but is not as specific as the pulsed dye laser.
The leg veins can be treated with lasers and the long pulsed nd:Yag laser is the best. It can target the color of the vessels of the spider veins of the legs and remove the vessels much the same way it is done on the face.
Q. How many laser treatments are required to effectively treat facial and spider veins?
A. The number of treatments can range from 1-3 treatments and sometimes more depending on the severity of vessels on the face. The number of treatments are between 3-6 treatments for leg veins depending on the severity of the spider veins of the legs.
Q. Are there any side effects of using laser treatment for facial and spider veins?
A. The side effects and complications of the laser for the facial and leg veins can include: pain, bruising, swelling, blisters or scabs, infection, skin darkening (hyperpigmentation), skin lightening (hypopigmentation), scarring, and persistence of the vessel.
Q. Are the effects permanent?
A. The blood vessels are removed but new blood vessels can occur over time. Scarring and hypopigmentation can persist but is rare if treated by a well-qualified laser surgeon. |
