Spider vein treatment
SPIDER veins are those unwanted blood vessels that make their appearance on the skin. They look like fine lines or like starburst clusters or like fine webs or mazes.
They usually occur on the lower limbs, especially on the thighs, the calves, and around the knees and the ankles. They usually appear between ages 18 and 35, but may also peak between the ages of 50 and 60 years. Women are four times more likely than men to get them.
Pregnancy is a key factor in women getting spider veins. In pregnancy the body produces hormones which allow the woman to keep the baby in her womb, but these hormones are circulating in the blood, and they can affect the walls of the small veins.
In pregnancy there is a rapid increase in the blood volume of the body, and later the enlarged womb can press on the veins in the abdomen and compress them, increasing the pressure in the veins. Spider veins which appear in pregnancy may disappear once the baby is delivered.
Prolonged standing can also contribute to the formation of spider veins. Teachers, air hostesses and store clerks, for example, are at risk.
Please note that these veins often cannot be felt, they are only seen.
Spider veins can be prevented by elevating the legs during the day. You can also avoid standing for long periods, wear elastic support hose, exercise regularly and keep your weight under control.
Women must realise that these veins are only a cosmetic problem and will not harm their health.
For removal, we use sclerotherapy, a treatment in which a fine needle is used to inject a solution into the vein. This causes the vein to swell and the blood in it to clot. The veins turn into scar tissue and fade. The injections are only mildly uncomfortable as the needles used are very fine.
The side effects include that sometimes the skin around the injected veins darkens This will go away in a few months. Also, new spider veins may appear around the injected veins. Occasionally a small ulcer may form if the injected solution gets out of the vein. A telangiectatic matting of small spider veins can also develop.
Lasers can also be used to treat spider veins. The laser is applied to the surface of the skin and an intense burst of energy from the laser destroys the veins on the surface of the skin. The laser is a highly effective way to treat spider veins. There is no downtime — it is instantaneous and dramatic.
When you go to the doctor for the initial consultation he will ask you to wear shorts under your clothes so that he can easily deal with your spider veins when you come in for the treatment.
In my practice we use the a laser which was developed especially for dark skin. We have had excellent results with this laser.
Dr Persadsingh is a skin specialist and author of Acne in Black Women and The Hair in Black Women. He can be contacted at 960-2797.
