How long does it take for spider veins to disappear after laser treatment?
Spider veins are a common condition that affect millions of Americans. These blue, purple, or red veins are most often seen on the legs and can be quite a cosmetic concern. They may not always be a serious medical condition, though they’re often caused by a dangerous underlying medical condition, but many people want to get rid of them for aesthetic reasons.
Laser treatment is one of the most popular methods for getting rid of spider veins. The laser energy is absorbed by the blood in the spider veins, causing them to dissolve. Within a few weeks, the treated spider veins will fade away. But how long does it take for the veins to disappear after laser treatment?
The answer can vary depending on the individual. In general, it takes about 4-6 weeks for the spider veins to start fading away. However, some people may see results in as little as 2 weeks, while others may need multiple treatments before seeing any results. Generally speaking, it takes multiple sessions to treat spider veins using a laser.
You may start noticing improvements after 4 to 6 weeks. But you may also need several spider vein treatments spaced a few weeks apart for results. Even after the complete series of treatments, your spider veins may return because laser treatment doesn’t address the root cause of spider veins, i.e., chronic venous insufficiency.
Can spider veins get worse after laser treatment?
Spider veins are small, twisted blood vessels that are visible through the skin. They are usually red, blue, or purple and can occur on the legs, thighs, ankles, and feet. Spider veins can be a cosmetic concern, but they can also cause pain, burning, or aching. Many people choose to have spider veins treated with laser therapy because it’s a non-invasive procedure easily available in medical spas.
Laser therapy is a minimally-invasive procedure that uses pulses of light to destroy spider veins. The light is absorbed by the blood in the veins, causing the veins to collapse and disappear. Most people see mild improvements after several sessions. However, spider veins can often reappear, and additional treatments may be necessary over time.
There are also some instances where spider veins can actually become worse after laser treatment. This usually occurs when the laser is not set at the correct setting for the individual. If the laser is set too high, it can cause the spider veins to become inflamed and actually worsen their appearance.
Do spider veins go away with laser?
Laser therapy is one of the most common treatments for spider veins. Laser therapy works by sending short bursts of light into the skin. This light will then cause the spider veins to dissolve. While laser therapy can work, you must remember that laser therapy isn’t the most reliable solution. It can’t treat underlying vein disease, so the risk of spider vein recurrence is high.
Spider veins are usually caused by underlying chronic venous insufficiency, a medical condition caused by the collapse of vein valves. As long as underlying vein disease isn’t treated, your spider veins can return. Unfortunately, laser therapy is generally offered at medical spas, where they don’t perform a thorough evaluation of the root cause of spider veins.
Instead of visiting a medical spa, you must visit board-certified vein doctors or state-of-the-art vein centers in Long Island. Your vein center in Long Island must administer duplex ultrasound tests to visualize and diagnose the root cause of spider veins, following which they must curate a personalized spider vein treatment plan.
Laser therapy is good for cosmetic improvements. But it’s not the best spider vein treatment.
What happens after laser spider vein treatment?
Most people experience no side effects after laser spider vein treatment. However, some people may experience temporary bruising, redness, or swelling. These side effects usually resolve within a few days. There’s no downtime after laser spider vein treatment, so you can resume your daily activities and work immediately.
Which is better for spider veins: laser or sclerotherapy?
Sclerotherapy is a minimally-invasive procedure that involves injecting a solution into the veins. This solution causes the veins to collapse and eventually fade away. Laser therapy, on the other hand, uses high-energy beams of light to destroy the veins. There are several benefits of sclerotherapy over laser therapy:
- Sclerotherapy is more effective. In a study of hundreds of patients, 97% of patients treated with sclerotherapy had improvement in the appearance of their spider veins, compared to only 67% of those treated with laser therapy.
- Sclerotherapy is less expensive in the long run, especially since it involves a lower risk of recurrence. Furthermore, patients can see considerable improvements after only one or two sclerotherapy sessions, so they don’t need multiple treatments.
- Sclerotherapy has fewer side effects. The most common side effect of sclerotherapy is bruising, which usually resolves within a few days.
- Sclerotherapy can be used on more types of veins. Laser therapy is only effective on extremely thin spider veins and broken capillaries on the skin’s surface, but sclerotherapy can be used on spider veins and superficial varicose veins.
- Sclerotherapy is generally performed by board-certified vein doctors and experts. But laser therapy can also be performed by laser technicians.
What is the best treatment for spider veins?
The best treatment for spider veins is sclerotherapy. While there are other options available, such as surgery, lasers, and light treatments, sclerotherapy is minimally invasive and can be done in a short office visit. Sclerotherapy involves injecting a solution directly into the spider veins. The solution collapses the vein, facilitating its eventual absorption. The entire process takes less than an hour.
Long Island Vein Center is a group of state-of-the-art vein centers specializing in minimally invasive spider vein treatments. Our board-certified vein doctors always diagnose and treat the root cause of your vein problems to ensure safe and long-lasting results with a negligible risk of spider vein recurrence. You can find our spider vein centers on the Montauk Highway in West Islip, right off of the Long Island Expressway in Jericho, or in Hampton Bays.
Please schedule an appointment at your nearest vein center in Long Island.