The legs are one of the most important attributes of female beauty – a symbol of attractiveness and desire. Many women are not completely happy with the appearance of their legs and today women who are unhappy with their legs have many options which include Spider Vein Removal.

Approximately one third of the female adult population is troubled with spider veins which are ugly and embarrassing due to their colour and visibility. Many women do not know it is easy to correct this problem with a procedure that is minimally invasive and not time consuming. In fact many women have this preformed in their lunch time and are back at work within the hour.

Thread veins, often called spider veins, broken veins surface version venous flaps can be found on the legs or face areas around the lower nose and upper lip should not be confused with varicose veins. Thread veins are very near the surface of the skin, are red, blue or purple colour and usually less than 1-2mm long. Varicose veins lie deeper under the skin, are skin coloured blue/greenish in colour and usually longer than 2mm. Spider veins have no function and removing them does no harm. The only reason they are removed is because they are cosmetically unsightly

Spider veins are caused by abnormal blood flow and weakening of the blood vessel wall and usually take one of three forms.

• They may appear in a spider shape with a group of veins radiating outward from a central point.
• They may appear in a pattern that resembles branches on a tree
• They may be in a linear pattern that appear as thin separate lines.

The real reasons for the cause of spider veins is not known but it is known that any condition or activity that places pressure on the veins can contribute to their development. They are prominent in ageing females, obese individuals and those who are on their feet for prolonged periods of time, due to pregnancy, minor trauma – in general any condition that will increase pressure in the veins. Hereditary may play a part. It has been found that if both parents have varicose veins up to 80% of children go on to develop the same.

• To increase self confidence and enhance self image
• To give a more youthful appearance in a natural way

The best candidates are those who are in good physical health, are mentally and psychologically stable, preferably do not smoke, those who want to improve their appearance and those who have realistic expectations about the procedure and the results. Extra reasons may include:

• Those who have discomfort, aching, burning, throbbing, itching and cramps in the legs
• Those who have swelling of the ankles

Planning

Pre-visit and during consultations the surgeon will try to evaluate your physical-mental health and any medical conditions. In order to obtain the best results it is important that you are honest with the surgeon, that you advise any previous surgeries, if you are taking any medications, herbal supplements, vitamins or other drugs and if you smoke. Be sure to discuss your expectations and goals. The surgeon is here to guide, advise and explain to you how the surgery will be performed, possible alternatives that may offer better results, the risks and limitations of each as well as details of follow up and after care.

The Procedure

There are several alternative methods in the treatment of spider veins but the most common is sclerotherapy.

Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy involves the injection of a sterile solution (sclerosing solution) into the small veins using a very fine needle into the vein. . ( The sclerosing solution used may be either hypertonic saline or sodium tetradecylsulfate). This solution irritates the vein lining causing it to undergo firbrosis, swell, stick together, seal shut, stop the blood flow and eventually disappear. Multiple veins can be injected at each session. Generally most individuals who have multiple injections have up to 15-20 injections at one session. Each treatment lasts about 30 minutes. After treatment, sterile dressings are placed over the injection site and the entire leg covered with a bandage and you will be instructed to wear support hosiery to compress the treated veins. Most patients require 2-3 sessions at weekly intervals. Previous treated veins should not reoccur but despite treatment for those with a predisposition , new veins will appear in the coming years. After treatment you will be able to resume regular daily activities. Anyone can be treated at any time with this procedure except pregnant, nursing women and certain medications should be avoided before the procedure.

Walking is encouraged but you should avoid

• Hot baths
• Hot compresses
• Whirlpools or saunas
• Direct exposure to sunlight

Prevention
Improving your circulation and muscle tone can reduce your risk of developing varicose veins or getting additional ones. Traditional, common-sense approaches include:
• Wear sunscreen to prevent your skin from the sun and limit spider veins on your face
• Exercise. Get your legs moving. Walking is a great way to encourage blood circulation in your legs.

Laser Treatment
Laser treatment is rapidly replacing other methods of spider vein removal. It is a fast, easy and effective way of removal and has been used for more than 30 years. The laser – a hand held system with a cooling tip to minimise discomfort, uses a focused beam of light to pierce and penetrate the superficial blood vessel. The heat generated from the laser coagulates the blood inside the vessel causing it to collapse and seal. The laser beam is focused and does not damage the nearby skin tissue. Over the next few weeks the vein is reabsorbed by the body and disappears, all blood will be removed by the body’s scavenging cells. Usually the majority of individuals do not need any anaesthetic but for those who are especially squeamish the surgeon may apply a topical anaesthetic for 20 minutes before the procedure. During the treatment you may feel a slight tingling sensation as the laser fires. Soon after the procedure you may feel a slight bump on the skin which will disappear in the next 2-4 hours. The area may also appear slightly redder and occasionally may be bruised. The pain is minimal and can be controlled if existent with medication. You can resume all normal activities immediately but should avoid direct sunlight and the wearing of support hose will help healing.

Final results may not be apparent for several months but most patients are satisfied in a very short time. With each session the treated areas are notably clearer and the skin continues to improve with each successive treatment. Depending on the size and number of veins – up to 8 treatments may be needed – usually 4-6 weeks apart. Those with a tendency towards vascular problems may require additional treatments.

Advantages of laser over sclerotherapy

• It has much fewer side effects
• It is less traumatic to the surrounding skin compared to sclerotherapy
• It takes a much shorter time to complete laser treatment
• It is less painful than sclerotherapy
• Recovery is immediate
• Downtime is almost zero
• Laser therapy can even be used on the face

Disadvantages of laser over sclerotherapy?

• Laser cannot be used for deeper veins
• Laser is slightly more expensive than sclerotherapy

There is no cure for spider veins. Although treatment does not prevent the development of new spider veins, the removal of existing veins can dramatically improve the appearance of the affected area, providing a more youthful, healthy look and an even colour pattern to the skin. Spider veins are recurrent and thus, more treatments will be required in the future, however improving your circulation is beneficial.

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