Spider veins affect just about everybody, typically appearing as we get older but sometimes showing up as early as our 20s or 30s. While most spider veins don’t present a health problem, they can cause symptoms like itching or burning — and they all cause problems with how your skin looks.
At South Lake Medical Spa, Nicole Casavant, PA-C, and our team help women and men in Clermont, Florida, eliminate unsightly spider veins with two state-of-the-art treatment techniques: Vasculaze® and sclerotherapy. Here’s how we can help you finally get rid of your problematic spider veins.
Spider veins 101
Spider veins happen when tiny blood vessels are irritated and inflamed, preventing normal blood flow. The inflammation inside the veins causes the vessels to appear purplish or bluish through your skin, creating a characteristic “weblike” appearance that gives these veins their descriptive name.
Most people find the appearance of spider veins enough reason to seek treatment. But some spider veins can also cause painful symptoms, including itching and burning. As the number of spider veins increases, they can cause skin changes and increase your risk of dangerous ulcers or sores.
While spider veins can affect anyone, they occur more often in people who have certain risk factors, like:
- Smoking
- Localized injury
- Family history of spider veins or varicose veins
- Personal history of varicose veins or other vein issues
- Not eating enough fiber
- Estrogen use
- Topical steroid use
Many people develop spider veins without any known risk factors.
Treating spider veins
Our practice offers two forms of spider vein treatment, depending on the number of veins you want to get rid of and other factors.
Vasculaze
Vasculaze is a noninvasive procedure that uses laser energy to target spider veins through your skin. During your treatment, we move a handheld applicator across your skin. The vein’s pigment absorbs the laser energy, causing gentle heating that collapses the vein and prevents blood flow. Afterward, blood travels through neighboring veins to provide the area with ample circulation.
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is a time-tested method of eliminating spider veins. During this simple, in-office treatment, we inject your spider veins with a special chemical solution designed to irritate the lining of the veins. The irritation causes the veins to seal, preventing further flow of blood. As with Vasculaze, your blood automatically reroutes to neighboring veins, so there’s no risk of circulation issues.
No matter which treatment you have, you can expect your spider veins to clear up over the next few weeks following treatment as your body absorbs and eliminates the vein tissue. During this time, you’ll wear compression socks or bandages to speed healing.
We may also recommend temporary activity modification depending on the number of veins treated and lifestyle changes to help prevent future spider veins.
Say goodbye to your ugly spider veins
Don’t let spider veins make you feel self-conscious about your appearance. To learn how we can help get rid of your unsightly veins, call 352-656-6680 or book an appointment online with the team at South Lake Medical Spa today.
