Spider Vein Treatment (Sclerotherapy) Questions and Answers

Question:

I am interested in finding out what can be done about unsightly veins that are visible under my eyes. They have been there since I was a child and they are a bluish-purple color that is hard to cover up with make-up. Is there a procedure available to get rid of them or reduce their appearance, and what risks are involved? Thank You!

Answer:

Dear Jamie, Sclerotherapy is the golden standard in the treatment of veins but it should not be performed near the eye. I would suggest a direct excision or ligation (tying off) of the veins. This could be performed through an inconspicuous incision and would give you the best result with minimal risk of scarring. Laser treatment, for veins that large would run the risk of a severe scar.

Question:

What to do about spider veins ?

Answer:

Dear Vivian, Treatment is relatively simple through the use of sclerosants (injection of material which makes the veins collapse) for the larger veins and laser treatment of the smaller vessels. Compressive garments will help to minimize the number of treatments and also future development of more.

Question:

are there new ways to remove broken veins?

Answer:

Yes there are. The veins that you are referring to are actually capillaries that are close to the surface of the skin. They are not broken and they carry blood. For larger or feeding vessels, sclerotherapy (injection) is still the best treatment but laser have largely supplanted this treatment for smaller vessels especially in the face. The lasers that work best are KTP or the newer pulsed dye lasers. Hope this helps.

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