Spider Veins: Say So Long To Those Unsightly Streaks

If just the words ‘pool party’ or ‘cut-off shorts’ can strike a fear into your heart. It’s all down to the fact that you’re worried about revealing your spider veins, you’ll be glad to know they’re pretty easy to treat. There are two types of veins most would consider unsightly. The first is varicose veins, large, ropey vessels that are raised. The second is spider veins that are a lot smaller. Essentially dilated, superficial blood vessels that are either blue, purple or red. They can develop anywhere on the body but usually appear on your legs. You can minimise the appearance of spider veins with a little self-tan or cover them up with waterproof makeup. Or alternatively you can also visit any Skin or Body Renewal branch to have them removed in-office.

Spider veins let’s talk options

If your spider veins are larger than 3mm you’ll be a good candidate for sclerotherapy . This involves injecting a particular sclerosant (an ‘irritant that damages the lining of the vein, causing it to collapse) directly into it. The needle is tiny, and you might feel a slight burning sensation that lasts just a few seconds. However, it’s very tolerable and doesn’t require any type of anaesthesia. In fact, most would consider a bikini wax much more fearsome! Once your vein has ‘caved in’, your body considers it a bruise and it will disappear as such over a period of weeks, sometimes even days. It depends on the individual, but if you’re a ‘mild’ case, just one or two sclerotherapy sessions will be enough. If you’re not a fan of needles and your veins aren’t on the large side, you’ll appreciate one of our laser treatments or a light-based treatment called AcuTip 500 . You’ll likely need more than just one session, but the results are good, and you can treat any part of your body, even your face.

Just to be safe

Like we said, spider veins are relatively simple to treat, but if you’re very prone to them they might be a symptom of something more serious – a condition called venous insufficiency. This means your vein’s valves aren’t working the way they should, and this makes it difficult for blood that’s circulated to the bottom half of your body to pump back up to your heart. In this case, chat to your doctor about it. They may order some imaging tests just to ensure everything is working as it should. Treatment options include lifestyle changes that get you moving a bit more and the wearing of compression stockings. At Skin Renewal, our doctors might recommend carboxytherapy. Just four to six sessions focusing on lymph drainage can dramatically improve both your lymphatic and venous circulation. Spider veins might be a pain, but they certainly don’t have to be permanent!