Varicose Veins

Overview

It is reported that more than 60% of men and women suffer from some sort of vein disorder. Although 75% of these are women, almost 100% of our patients who come seeking varicose vein treatments are women.

Spider veins are the smaller, more delicate red or blue tracings that can pop up on the skin’s surface like kinky spider webs. These are the minor forms of varicose veins. Most of those are treated for cosmetic reasons, but still, some clients report heaviness, pain, or even itching at the varicose vein areas.

What Causes Varicose Veins?

Genetics is the most common cause of varicose veins. Yet, Sun exposure can make spider veins worse by breaking down collagen under the skin making the veins more visible. Spider veins can also be caused by hormone intakes like OCP, progesterone or HRT, or during periods of hormone changes. Hence, it’s more common during puberty, pregnancy, or menopause. 

How to prevent them? 

Unfortunately, we cannot change our genes, but if your veins are mostly acquired, then there are some ways that you can slow their progression:

• Avoid sun exposure
• Avoid crossing your legs while sitting
• While sitting , and whenever possible, lift your legs up
• If planning to sit for a long time, wear grading stockings, and set up a timer to get up and move your legs at least once every 30-60 min.
• Avoid standing for a long time
• Exercise and keep track of your weight

How to treat Varicose Veins?

Large symptomatic varicose veins (>4mm in diameter) will likely warrant a visit to a vascular surgeon that might suggest anything between invasive laser procedure to surgery.

At Chrysolite Aesthetics, we mainly treat smaller varicose veins (Spider red or blue veins) with the laser. This is a non-surgical treatment for varicose veins and can be customized according to the patient’s skin type.

Although 2-3 sessions might be necessary, the results are always satisfactory. This procedure is performed by our advanced laser technicians.

Laser beams are highly concentrated light energy that targets the blood in the veins and hence leaves the surrounding tissue intact. This causes instant clotting of the vein and so sealing the blood flow. The blocked veins now get absorbed in the body and the blood gets redirected to a healthier vessel away from the skin surface.

What to expect during and after the procedure?

Most people describe this 20-30 min procedure as a snap of rubber band on the skin. If pain is an issue, we can use numbing creams to ease it off. 

The vein can either disappear immediately after the procedure, or it might darken, and both responses indicate success! If inflammation is noted, gentle hydrocortisone or ice can be applied. 

There’s no downtime after this procedure, and clients can easily go back to work afterward. The most important thing is to avoid sun exposure and wear sunblock on exposed areas all the time. This will help prevent poor healing, scarring, or hyperpigmentation.

It’s also recommended to wear graded stockings after the procedure to help to put pressure on the treated area. It was also noted that this improved patient’s comfort level.

Frequently asked questions:

• Can my spider veins come back after successful treatment?
  • It depends on the patient and the risk factors causing his/her veins. Many of the vessels treated disappear permanently after only one or two treatments. New veins might develop over time, and hence secondary prevention is very important. Using sunblock and lifestyle modifications are some of the practices that showed to stop these veins from coming back.
• Can anyone have this treatment done?
  • Although laser therapy doesn’t have significant side effects especially in the experienced hands, we do not do this form of treatment on pregnant ladies, diabetics, or anyone with a history of clotting disorders or infection in the treated site.