Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsLaser TreatmentsSclerotherapyHow to PrepareRecoveryEffectivenessRisksOther Treatment OptionsPreventing Spider Veins

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Laser Treatments

Sclerotherapy

How to Prepare

Recovery

Effectiveness

Risks

Other Treatment Options

Preventing Spider Veins

Spider veins (telangiectasia) and small varicose veins are small blood vessels that become purple or red, swollen, twisted, and pushed to the skin’s surface. They can cause discomfort but rarely pose serious health risks.Some people elect to have healthcare providers remove them as a cosmetic procedure.

Sclerotherapy—a liquid injection to break down spider veins—is the most popular treatment for spider and small varicose veins. However, laser therapy is another effective option. With these treatments, healthcare providers direct specialized laser lights to affected areas to clear up the skin. Several laser therapies exist for spider and small varicose veins, so the exact steps can vary.

Spider Veins vs. Varicose Veins: Is There a Difference?Varicose veins affect larger blood vessels, causing them to swell and protrude. Spider veins affect smaller blood vessels called capillaries, leading to smaller, spiderlike branches of veins.

Spider Veins vs. Varicose Veins: Is There a Difference?

Varicose veins affect larger blood vessels, causing them to swell and protrude. Spider veins affect smaller blood vessels called capillaries, leading to smaller, spiderlike branches of veins.

Types of Laser Treatments

There are two main approaches to lasertreatmentfor spider and varicose veins:

Another treatment option that works similarly to laser treatment is intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy. Though IPL therapy doesn’t rely on lasers, the provider directs intense light beams to the surface of affected areas to heat up and destroy affected veins.

When you opt for laser treatment, your healthcare providers may have various laser types and select a specific type based on your needs. These include:

Choosing Between Sclerotherapy and Laser Therapy

Sclerotherapyand laser therapy are two primary options for treating spider veins. In sclerotherapy, healthcare providers inject a chemical or salt solution into affected areas, which breaks down the abnormal blood vessel tissue. The blood reroutes to healthy veins, and varicose veins disappear.

There are advantages to either approach, as follows:

Once you’ve decide on a treatment, they’ll give you exact instructions for how to prepare. Keep the following in mind before laser therapy:

Laser therapies have proven effective in removing spider veins and small varicose veins. You will often need multiple treatments to see complete results, and there’s always a risk of recurrence. In one study, researchers reported that between nearly 78% and 94% of people saw facial spider veins completely or mostly disappear with laser treatment.

Though laser therapy for spider veins is relatively safe, you can still expect side effects and (rarely) complications, which can include:

When treating spider veins, what works best depends on the individual case. Alongside laser treatment and sclerotherapy, there are several other options for you and your healthcare provider to consider, such as:

Preventing spider veins involves making lifestyle changes that support your vascular health and avoiding risk factors for the condition. Steps you can take include:

Summary

Spider veins—small, twisted veins on the surface of the skin—do not pose health risks and are primarily a cosmetic concern. Laser treatment is one treatment option in which lasers are used to destroy the abnormal veins and correct the issue. This approach is safe and less likely to cause side effects than some other treatments, such as surgery.

Most people who undergo spider or varicose vein treatment can return to regular activity within two days of the procedure, though it may take up to six weeks to see results. Boosting exercise and avoiding sitting or standing for long periods are ways to prevent spider veins.

9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Heller JA, Evans NS.Varicose veins.Vasc Med. 2015;20(1):88-90. doi:10.1177/1358863X14566224Nakano LCU, Cacione DG, Baptista‐Silva JCC, Flumignan RLG.Treatment for telangiectasias and reticular veins.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;2017(7):CD012723. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012723Mesut E.Update on treatment methods for telangiectasia.Phlebolymphology. 2022;29(3):96-101.Harst K, Welzel J, Schuh S.How efficient is laser therapy for telangiectasias, spider veins, and cherry angiomas? A study using dynamic optical coherence tomography.Lasers Surg Med. 2023;55(7):625-635. doi:10.1002/lsm.23676Bernstein EF, Noyaner-Turley A, Renton B.Treatment of spider veins of the lower extremity with a novel 532 nm KTP laser.Lasers Surg Med. 2014;46(2):81-88. doi:10.1002/lsm.22178American Academy of Dermatology.Leg veins: why they appear and how dermatologists treat them.MedlinePlus.Varicose vein: noninvasive treatment.Zawodny P, Malec W, Gill K, Skonieczna-Żydecka K, Sieńko J.Assessment of the effectiveness of treatment of vascular lesions within the facial skin with a laser with a wavelength of 532 nm based on photographic diagnostics with the use of polarized light.Sensors (Basel). 2023;23(2):1010. doi:10.3390/s23021010Salminen A, Kaarniranta K, Kauppinen A.Photoaging: UV radiation-induced inflammation and immunosuppression accelerate the aging process in the skin.Inflamm Res. 2022;71(7-8):817-831. doi:10.1007/s00011-022-01598-8

9 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Heller JA, Evans NS.Varicose veins.Vasc Med. 2015;20(1):88-90. doi:10.1177/1358863X14566224Nakano LCU, Cacione DG, Baptista‐Silva JCC, Flumignan RLG.Treatment for telangiectasias and reticular veins.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;2017(7):CD012723. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012723Mesut E.Update on treatment methods for telangiectasia.Phlebolymphology. 2022;29(3):96-101.Harst K, Welzel J, Schuh S.How efficient is laser therapy for telangiectasias, spider veins, and cherry angiomas? A study using dynamic optical coherence tomography.Lasers Surg Med. 2023;55(7):625-635. doi:10.1002/lsm.23676Bernstein EF, Noyaner-Turley A, Renton B.Treatment of spider veins of the lower extremity with a novel 532 nm KTP laser.Lasers Surg Med. 2014;46(2):81-88. doi:10.1002/lsm.22178American Academy of Dermatology.Leg veins: why they appear and how dermatologists treat them.MedlinePlus.Varicose vein: noninvasive treatment.Zawodny P, Malec W, Gill K, Skonieczna-Żydecka K, Sieńko J.Assessment of the effectiveness of treatment of vascular lesions within the facial skin with a laser with a wavelength of 532 nm based on photographic diagnostics with the use of polarized light.Sensors (Basel). 2023;23(2):1010. doi:10.3390/s23021010Salminen A, Kaarniranta K, Kauppinen A.Photoaging: UV radiation-induced inflammation and immunosuppression accelerate the aging process in the skin.Inflamm Res. 2022;71(7-8):817-831. doi:10.1007/s00011-022-01598-8

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Heller JA, Evans NS.Varicose veins.Vasc Med. 2015;20(1):88-90. doi:10.1177/1358863X14566224Nakano LCU, Cacione DG, Baptista‐Silva JCC, Flumignan RLG.Treatment for telangiectasias and reticular veins.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;2017(7):CD012723. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012723Mesut E.Update on treatment methods for telangiectasia.Phlebolymphology. 2022;29(3):96-101.Harst K, Welzel J, Schuh S.How efficient is laser therapy for telangiectasias, spider veins, and cherry angiomas? A study using dynamic optical coherence tomography.Lasers Surg Med. 2023;55(7):625-635. doi:10.1002/lsm.23676Bernstein EF, Noyaner-Turley A, Renton B.Treatment of spider veins of the lower extremity with a novel 532 nm KTP laser.Lasers Surg Med. 2014;46(2):81-88. doi:10.1002/lsm.22178American Academy of Dermatology.Leg veins: why they appear and how dermatologists treat them.MedlinePlus.Varicose vein: noninvasive treatment.Zawodny P, Malec W, Gill K, Skonieczna-Żydecka K, Sieńko J.Assessment of the effectiveness of treatment of vascular lesions within the facial skin with a laser with a wavelength of 532 nm based on photographic diagnostics with the use of polarized light.Sensors (Basel). 2023;23(2):1010. doi:10.3390/s23021010Salminen A, Kaarniranta K, Kauppinen A.Photoaging: UV radiation-induced inflammation and immunosuppression accelerate the aging process in the skin.Inflamm Res. 2022;71(7-8):817-831. doi:10.1007/s00011-022-01598-8

Heller JA, Evans NS.Varicose veins.Vasc Med. 2015;20(1):88-90. doi:10.1177/1358863X14566224

Nakano LCU, Cacione DG, Baptista‐Silva JCC, Flumignan RLG.Treatment for telangiectasias and reticular veins.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;2017(7):CD012723. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012723

Mesut E.Update on treatment methods for telangiectasia.Phlebolymphology. 2022;29(3):96-101.

Harst K, Welzel J, Schuh S.How efficient is laser therapy for telangiectasias, spider veins, and cherry angiomas? A study using dynamic optical coherence tomography.Lasers Surg Med. 2023;55(7):625-635. doi:10.1002/lsm.23676

Bernstein EF, Noyaner-Turley A, Renton B.Treatment of spider veins of the lower extremity with a novel 532 nm KTP laser.Lasers Surg Med. 2014;46(2):81-88. doi:10.1002/lsm.22178

American Academy of Dermatology.Leg veins: why they appear and how dermatologists treat them.

MedlinePlus.Varicose vein: noninvasive treatment.

Zawodny P, Malec W, Gill K, Skonieczna-Żydecka K, Sieńko J.Assessment of the effectiveness of treatment of vascular lesions within the facial skin with a laser with a wavelength of 532 nm based on photographic diagnostics with the use of polarized light.Sensors (Basel). 2023;23(2):1010. doi:10.3390/s23021010

Salminen A, Kaarniranta K, Kauppinen A.Photoaging: UV radiation-induced inflammation and immunosuppression accelerate the aging process in the skin.Inflamm Res. 2022;71(7-8):817-831. doi:10.1007/s00011-022-01598-8

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