Yag Laser Treatment of Vascular Conditions

What are unsightly veins?

These benign vascular lesions include enlarged blood vessels and capillaries that appear on the surface of the skin as splotches, dots, bulges and spider shapes. They can show up in a variety of colors ranging from red to purple to brown. Weakness in the walls and valves of the veins cause blood to stagnate rather than to be properly circulated. Some vascular lesions are so tiny that they are not visible under normal conditions. Others, such as varicose leg veins can be quite prominent.

Which type of veins can Laser therapy treat?

Laser therapy treats many types of leg and face veins, including shallow spider veins and reticular veins.

Spider Veins are very small veins caused by a dilation of the small venules under the skin. This occurs when the pressure inside the vein increases enough to overcome normal resistance of the vein wall. The ability of veins to resist increased pressure is reduced in women when the body’s estrogen level is reduced.

Reticular Veins are small, bluish-colored veins that carry blood to the skin venules and are larger than spider veins. These veins have thin walls and dilate with excessive venous pressure. When this occurs, they become large enough to be unsightly, but are not considered to be varicose veins.

What preparations must I make prior to treatment?

Patients do not have to change their normal routines before or after treatment. Sun exposure must be limited prior to and following any type of laser or IPL treatment. Treatment should not be performed on tanned skin.

How many treatments are required?

The number of treatments necessary to resolve your vein concerns depends on the size of the vein and your body’s ability to heal. During your consultation, you will be given an estimate of the number of treatments required to obtain optimal results.

What does the treatment involve?

Treatment may vary from 15 to 30 minutes. As a result of treatment, the walls of the veins are damaged by the laser’s heat. The body next induces a healing process. The veins shrink and become less visible or disappear altogether. Medical studies have documented exceptional results on veins with laser treatments. Utilizing a laser allows customized treatment of virtually every small vein disorder, including veins that do not respond to other treatment methods.

What are the side effects and is there “down time”?

The beauty of this treatment is that there is no down time involved. You can resume regular activities immediately. Pain is generally mild. Redness, swelling and mild bruising can occur, but most always resolve over time. Limiting sun exposure will greatly minimize the risk of complications. As with any laser therapy, we will want you to contact the office if you have any concerns or questions.