If you have some embarrassing spider veins that you would like to have removed, you may be interested in learning about laser treatment for spider veins. Both lasers and Intense Pulsed Light work in the same way for the treatment for spider veins. The laser or the intense light is used in very short bursts to seal the spider veins off. This results in the loss of blood supply to them and the die off and eventually dissolve.


In order for laser treatment for spider veins to be effective, the physician performing the procedure must calibrate the machine properly so that enough heat is actually applied to the veins to successfully seal off the blood flow.

What are Spider Veins?

Spider veins or telangiectasias are those tiny red, purple, and blue veins that you can often see showing through the skin on both the legs and the face.  The good news about spider veins is that they don’t cause any health concerns.  If you have this condition on either your legs are face, you should take comfort in the fact that they will not cause you any harm.  Their reason to eliminate spider veins is purely cosmetic in nature. 

Types of lasers used for laser treatment for spider veins.

There are several types lasers used in laser spider vein treatment.  The lasers that are commonly used are the diode and long-pulse Nd, long-pulse alexandrite, Yag lasers, and IPL devices. In most cases, some mechanism for chilling the skin is used to minimize discomfort to the patient during the procedure. These mechanisms can either be cooling gell or chilled air that is blown over the treatment site.  Cooling the skin in this manner not only makes the procedure more comfortable for the patient, it also minimizes risk of damage to the skin.

Lasers are generally preferred over IPL devices because lasers emit light at one particular wavelength.  The Physician that is performing the procedure can use the appropriate laser for the color of the spider vein to most effectively treat it.  Lasers also emit a very focused beam of light so that the physician can more accurately target the veins to be treated.

A closer look at laser treatment for spider veins?

The physician performing laser treatment for spider veins will use a hand held laser device to apply brief  pulses of light at the vein to be treated.  This light is then absorbed in the form of heat by the blood in the blood vessel and the lining of the blood vessel. The heat causes the blood in the vessel to clot which is what ultimately results in the loss of blood supply to the vessel. The vessel and blood then dissolves in a matter of 4 to 6 weeks.  Because the laser beam is a focused beam of light, it doesn’t cause any damage to nearby surrounding skin. 

Those who choose to use this method to have their spider veins removed, will appreciate that it is generally not painful.  If you happen to be one who experiences pain during the procedure, your physician can apply a topical anesthetic prior to the treatment session to relieve any discomfort that you might have.

It’s important to understand that this is a very simple procedure that can be performed in the physicians office.  A treatment session is usually completed within 30 minutes.  Patients will usually need to have 2 – 6 treatments for the results to be optimal. In most cases, the patient will need to wait about six weeks between each treatment session.

The only side effects that you may experience from the procedure is a slight redness of the skin or minor bruising which should vanish in a few days.  There’s no no need to take off work for recovery time because there’s really no recovery to undergo. You can resume normal activities immediately after the treatment.   It may take a few months for your body to completely heal from the treatment session in for you to see the ultimate results from the treatment session.

Cost of Laser Treatment For Spider Veins

Like laser tattoo removal and laser hair removal, it can be difficult to determine the actual cost that you’ll have to pay for laser treatment for spider vein because everyone’s body responds a little bit differently to the procedure. You won’t know exactly how many treatment sessions will be needed until your physician evaluates the progress from previous treatments.  What I can tell you is that according to infoplasticsurgery.com, the cost of laser treatment for spider veins is typically between $300 and $450 per treatment session.  They also state that the average person will need three treatments sessions. Based on those figure’s, the average person would pay between $900 and $1350 for laser spider vein treatment.  This is considered an elective procedure so it will not be covered by health insurance.

Alternative to Laser Treatment For Spider Veins

There is another procedure for treatment of spider veins called Sclerotherapy.  This procedure involves the injection of a liquid into the vein.  This liquid causes the vein to contract and collapse.  Sclerotherapy is best suited for medium to large spider veins because the procedure involves inserting a needle into the actual vein.  If the spider veins are very small, this procedure will be difficult to perform and laser spider vein treatment may be a better option. 

Most people choose laser treatment for spider vein when the veins are on the face because the results are generally faster with this type of treatment and side effects are minimal.

Are Spider Veins and Varicose Veins The Same Thing?

No, spider veins and varicose veins are definitely different conditions.  Spider veins are cosmetic and a nuisance but varicose veins may cause pain and discomfort and require surgery to remove. It should be noted that if you have both spider veins and varicose veins, the varicose veins should be treated first or the laser treatment for spider veins may not be effective.

Laser treatment for spider veins video.

Here’s a short video showing the treatment for spider veins. If the video does not play, you’ll need to install the latest flash driver on your computer.

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