SPIDER VEIN REMOVAL

How veins function – a quick anatomy lesson
Veins transport deoxygenated blood back to the heart. In the legs, the superficial veins (veins just below the skin’s surface) collect blood which is then delivered to other, deeper veins within the calf muscle. The normal functioning of the calf muscle helps to pump blood back to the heart, against the force of gravity. Valves inside the veins stop the blood from traveling back down the leg.

However, if the valves become weak and can’t close properly, blood collects in the superficial veins. As time goes by, these veins become ‘varicose’ – they distend (swell) with blood. Varicose veins are characterised by a twisted, knobbly and bluish-purple appearance, and can be painful. For more information on varicose veins plus how About Face Brisbane can get rid of them, visit our varicose veins treatment page.

Spider veins
Spider veins are like Varicose veins – they form in the same way – but they are smaller and closer to the skin’s surface. Most of the time, spider veins don’t pose a health risk, except for rare cases when they are associated with:

• the formation of ulcers as a result of the vein not draining properly
• bleeding of the thin, easily injured skin over the spider vein
• formation of blood clots in the vein (thrombosis)
• vein inflammation, called phlebitis, caused by clotted blood in the vein.

Spider veins are usually blue or red, and sometimes have an appearance similar to a tree branch or spider web – this is why their common name is spider veins. The most common places they occur on the body are the face and legs. Spider veins may affect a large or small area of skin.

About Face Brisbane uses the latest and most effective spider vein removal technique: spider vein laser treatment. Our Cosmetic Physicians have performed spider vein laser treatments with a flawless safety record and an excellent success rate.

The laser energy from our Dynamis Long Pulse Nd:YAG or Diolite KTP laser is absorbed by the pigment in the blood (oxyhemoglobin) contained within the spider veins. As the energy is absorbed, the area of skin above and around the spider veins will become temporarily white in colour. After a few minutes, the spider veins won’t be visible anymore, which indicates the desired effect has been achieved. This makes the process very controlled and safe.

Selective Photothermolysis is the name of the method used for spider vein removal. This process is the conversion of light energy to heat energy, with the heat affecting the target spider veins but not damaging the tissue surrounding them. This selective heating up of the spider veins causes them to disintegrate and shrink, allowing them to be absorbed safely into the body.

Unfortunately, as there are lots of genetic and environmental factors that cause spider veins, there isn’t much that can be done to prevent them. There is nothing medically that you can do or take in order to stop spider veins from forming. There are a few things that might help:

• Wearing support (compression) stockings (medical grade)
• Minimising the amount of time you spend wearing high heels
• Exercising regularly to improve blood circulation.