Spider veins are small unsightly veins near the surface of the skin. They can appear red, blue, or any shade of purple. They sometimes appear as single veins separated throughout the face, or in a number of clusters. These veins commonly appear in the face and in the legs. There are three main treatment avenues for spider veins.

Sclerotherapy

Sclerotherapy is the process of injecting spider veins with a compound that causes them to collapse and dissolve, and the veins are then moved to the surface of the skin and sloughed off by the body. Following treatment, bruises may appear and the coloration of the veins many worsen for a couple of weeks. The results of the treatment can take a month or longer to be fully evident. Once the results are achieved, those particular veins will be forever gone. On the other hand, new veins are growing all the time, which prevents vein treatment from being permanent.

Electrodesiccation

In electrodesiccation, electrical current is applied to the spider veins, leading them to swell, close, and die. The main disadvantage to this treatment is that it can leave scars from the damage electricity does to the skin.

Photorejuvenation

There are a number of photorejuvenation techniques that can be used for the treatment of spider veins. These include intense pulsed light (IPL) and broadband light (BBL) treatments. These treatments use a process known as selective photothermolysis to destroy unsightly spider veins. In this process, the light applied to the skin penetrates the veins, which absorb the light energy, becoming heated and destroyed. Then the veins are moved to the surface and shed by the body as in sclerotherapy. Lasers are not good for vein treatment because cosmetic lasers all emit in the red spectrum, which is poorly absorbed by the veins.

How Permanent Is Vein Therapy?

Vein therapy provides long-lasting reduction of spider veins. All treatments provide a 50-90 % reduction in spider veins that can be permanent. However, as long as any underlying conditions that can contribute to spider veins--including high blood pressure, obesity, and pregnancy--continue, spider veins are likely to return. The rate at which they return depends on the individual, but it is usually measured in years.