The weather is finally warming up, and it’s time to put away the tights and long pants. As summer approaches, you’ll start to wear shorts, skirts, and dresses with bare legs. However, if you have spider veins on your legs, you might not feel confident about your summer wardrobe.
Fortunately, you don’t have to hide behind long pants throughout the sweltering summer. The team of dermatologists at Manhattan Dermatology offer expert treatments to get rid of your spider veins, leaving you with smooth, beautiful, healthy legs.
Spider veins are dilated blood vessels located close to the surface of your skin. They get their name from their thin, spindly appearance that can look like a tiny spiderweb. Spider veins form when one of the valves in your veins stops working correctly and prevents blood from flowing efficiently back to your heart.
Spider veins, primarily a cosmetic concern, typically appear on your legs or face. However, they can be an early warning sign of venous insufficiency, and you may also experience symptoms including aches, cramps, and fatigue in your legs.
Women are more likely than men to develop spider veins, and a family history of spider veins is a strong indicator of your risk of developing the condition. However, your lifestyle also contributes to your risk. For example, you’re more likely to develop spider veins if you:
Your risk of spider veins also increases as you age, and sun damage contributes to spider veins on your face.
Fortunately, if you’re troubled by your spider veins, the team at Manhattan Dermatology offers expert treatments to get rid of the fine blue, red, or purple lines on your skin. These approaches include sclerotherapy and VBeam® laser treatments.
Sclerotherapy is the gold standard of vein treatments. Doctors have been using sclerotherapy to treat spider veins and varicose veins for decades. Your dermatologist injects a chemical solution known as a sclerosant into your vein. The chemicals cause your affected vein to close on itself and seal shut. Over time, the blood drains away, and your body absorbs the blanched blood vessel tissue.
VBeam laser treatments send a targeted beam of a single wavelength of light into your skin. The laser targets and breaks up the extra pigment in your veins into microscopic pieces, which your body can process and eliminate. VBeam treatment is safe and virtually painless. In most cases, you should have smooth, clear skin after 3-5 treatments.
Your dermatologist begins treatment with an exam to determine the best treatment to help you get rid of your spider veins. They may use either or both procedures on your legs. The laser treatment can cause a warming sensation on your skin. Sclerotherapy is usually performed with a local anesthetic.
Your dermatologist may recommend that you wear a compression stocking if you have sclerotherapy treatment. Compression stockings put gentle pressure on your legs, which will help hold your veins closed while the procedure takes effect.
If you have laser treatment, you should take care to avoid the sun and wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen, especially if you have the treatment on your face. The laser can increase your photosensitivity.
You don’t need to hide behind pants this summer! Contact the team of expert dermatologists at Manhattan Dermatology for customized treatments for spider veins on your legs or your face.
