A person’s veins normally reside beneath the skin, out of sight and mind, along with the rest of her circulatory system. Due to a number of factors, however, most commonly due to genetic susceptibility, those veins sometimes protrude in such a way that they spread out visibly over large, conspicuous areas of one’s body. This vein outbreak is commonly known as two separate conditions – spider veins and varicose veins. Spider veins are small bluish or red dilated blood vessels that measure about 0.5 to 1 millimeter in diameter, and can develop anywhere in the body, though they are most commonly seen on the face, the legs, the neck or the chest. Varicose veins, on the other hand, are ropy, distended blue vessels that most often appear in the legs and feet. While both vein conditions are a mere cosmetic problem for most people, in some cases, they can cause aching pain and discomfort, itching, and skin ulcers. They may also raise the risk of a more serious disorder affecting one’s circulatory system. As such, many people have taken it upon themselves to seek the treatment and removal of these troublesome veins. One of the alternatives available to them through modern technology is the use of lasers, which produces gentle, satisfactory results.

Laser treatment of spider veins involves the application of the beam over the affected area. The laser energy wavelength penetrates the spider veins, causing them to coagulate and shrink. The sensation of the laser itself is relatively manageable, causing only mild discomfort akin to having a small rubber band snap against one’s skin. As such, the use of laser treatment does not typically require sedatives or local anesthetics. Right after the procedure, they will be more prominent, but this is just the immediate result of the coagulation. Over a period of two to six weeks, the spider veins gradually fade. An average of three treatments are required to achieve optimum results, which are spaced apart over a period of three months between sessions. Laser therapy works best on small to medium spider veins, and may not be as effective on larger spider veins, which should be treated with a combination of lasers and sclerotherapy. In all cases of spider veins on the face, a patient will normally opt for laser treatment, to minimize potential scarring or other damage to the area. Minor bruising may occur, which takes about a week to resolve, but usually, the face heals quite rapidly from the procedure. Results for laser vein removal of spider veins are more apparent on the face than elsewhere, with as much as a 70% to 80% improvement anticipated in face spider veins after each treatment, compared to only a 30% to 40% improvement for spider veins in the leg area.

Varicose vein treatment traditionally involved invasive surgery that required stripping of the defective veins. Today, laser procedures have been refined to effectively eliminate varicose veins in a safer manner that does not require extensive incisions. In this process, a fine laser filament is inserted into the vein through a needle puncture made in the lower leg region. The filament will act as a heating agent to distribute the energy of the laser along the length of the vein. Once the laser is activated, the heat produced will cause the vein to close up and eventually fade from sight. This form of treatment is reputed to have a 98% success rate. The operation is normally performed under general anesthesia in spite of the relative non-invasiveness of the laser therapy, due to the pain associated with the internal heating of the veins.