The unsightly appearance of reticular veins and spider veins are a cause of concern for women of all ages and they often seek treatment to remove or eliminate these veins from their legs. There are many treatment options available, and the Palomar Lux 1064 handpiece offers a safe and effective way to address both of these vein issues.
Characteristics of Spider Veins and Reticular Leg Veins
Spider veins also known as telangiectasia are small clusters of dilated intradermal veins that are less than 1 mm in diameter. Approximately 25% of women and 15% of men have spider veins. Reticular veins are veins that range from 1 mm to 3 mm in diameter, are blue and can easily be seen on the surface of the skin. These veins become enlarged due to increased pressure in the leg and are often the underlying reason for the development of spider veins.
Treatment Options for Spider Veins and Reticular Veins
Traditional treatments for spider veins or telagiectasisas are either laser therapy or sclerotherapy. Traditionally sclerotherapy is also used to treat reticular veins. Because these veins are typically feeder veins for spider veins, they are treated first. Schlerotherapy treatment can be through regular injection or ultrasound guided foam sclerotherapy. With sclerotherapy, a salt solution is injected directly in the blood vessel. The vein becomes irritated, begins to swell and will stick together. Eventually the blood clots inside the vein and over the course of several weeks the vein will turn to scar tissue and recede from view. This procedure is invasive and can involve some pain and cramping. Side effects include bruising, veins that become hard and lumpy (this can take several months to disappear), brown spots can develop on the skin (these will also eventually fade) and finally the development of additional spider veins near the treatment area (these will fade too.)
Laser Treatment with the Palomar 1064 nm Wavelength Handpiece
Laser treatment is a less invasive option for the treatment of these types of veins and Palomar’s 1064 nm handpiece offers an excellent solution. The laser directs energy into the blood and vessel walls and is absorbed by the hemoglobin that is present. The heat causes the vessel to coagulate and constrict basically shutting it down. The vein will disintegrate and will no longer be visible. The outer skin remains unaffected as because the laser beam goes through the epidermis. In short, treatment with the Palomar 1064 laser is noninvasive, no incisions are necessary, there is no downtown and discomfort is minimal.
Palomar’s 1064 handpiece works with both StarLux laser systems and the Palomar Icon.
Patient Benefits:
- Excellent long term results for both spider and reticular veins
- Compared to other options – completely noninvasive
- Procedure typically takes less than 30 min.
- No downtime
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Very minimal side effects
- Minimal discomfort.
Practitioner Benefits:
- Ability to treat a wide range of veins sizes
- Contact Cooling for patient comfort
- Safe and very effective
- 1064 nm wavelength effectively penetrates the blood vessel without damage to the outer skin.
