Spider veins are small, thin veins close to the surface of the skin. They are generally one to two millimeters in diameter. Although these fine veins are connected with the larger venous system, they are not an essential part of it.
A number of factors contribute to the development of spider veins including heredity, pregnancy, hormonal shifts, weight gain, occupations or activities that require prolonged sitting or standing and certain medications. Many patients find them unsightly when wearing a skirt, swimsuit or shorts.
Laser treatment of facial spider veins may be quite successful.
Requests for treatment usually focus on the facial and leg areas. Laser treatment of facial spider veins may be quite successful. The first line of treatment for the leg is usually sclerotherapy of the larger veins. Sclerotherapy injects the veins with a sclerosant. This causes the small vein to clot off and disappear. It may require multiple sessions to achieve the desired result. Once the larger veins are eradicated, the smaller ones can be removed with the laser. Multiple treatments may be required, and complete resolution cannot be guaranteed. Brown pigmentation at the vein site is a risk of both sclerotherapy and laser vein treatment. Varicose veins may require treatment before successful treatment of spider veins.