What are Spider Veins?

Spider veins are small veins that can appear on the surface of the skin and are usually visible on the legs or the face. They can vary in color from blue, to purple, to red in color because they are used to carry blood. On the legs they can appear around the knees, and extend down to the ankles. On the face they can appear around the nose, and cheeks.  These visible veins are considered damaged, but they are not painful or harmful. Treatment for spider veins range from injections to lasers. If the appearance of spider veins are due to vein complications such as varicose veins, more extensive procedures may be necessary.

Spider Vein Treatments

Spider veins can take a toll on your confidence, and prevent you from engaging in your favorite activities, or wearing your favorite clothing. At Kalia Dermatology and Laser Center in Los Gatos we want you to look and feel your very best. Treatments for spider veins can help you achieve your goals, are considered minimally invasive, and require little to no down time. Some common treatments options for leg veins include sclerotherapy, and laser treatments. Spider veins on the face can be treated with photofacial, or IPL (Intense Pulsed Light).

Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is a fairly simple, and common way to treat spider veins. During the treatments a Kalia physician will inject a solution directly into the visible spider veins. This solution causes the vein to no longer be sued, and reroute your blood to a better vein. Because spider veins are already damaged veins, the absence of blood to the spider veins is not harmful to your body. With this treatment you can return to normal activity within 24 hours, and in order for optimal results, compressions stockings must be worn after the treatment. While results may be visible immediately for some, often times this will take more than one treatment to achieve best results. 

IPL Photofacial
Laser treatments can be used for spider veins on the legs and the face. Laser treatments are excellent for spider veins on the legs and face because the sensitive machine detects the spider veins and directly targets and shrinks the veins without damage to the surrounding tissue. After this treatment there is no downtime, or restrictions on your activity. While results may be visible directly after the treatments, oftentimes for optimal results several treatments are needed. This treatment is performed by a licensed RN under a board certified dermatologists supervision, as is required by law. Click here to learn more about IPL Photofacial.