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As we edge toward the summer months, pants shrivel to shorts, and shorts to bathing suits, many people are wondering how to rid themselves of spider veins. For some, simply getting a dark enough tan is enough to reduce visibility. For others, though, they’re frustratingly persistent. The summertime sales of all manner of skin cream are enough to show that many people just aren’t happy with the way their skin looks. Rather than covering up with some slimy cream, a V-beam laser treatment can help you resolve long-standing skin conditions in short order.
Reducing Vein Appearance with Collagen Production
The beauty of the V-beam laser is that it manages to eliminate unsightly veins without significantly damaging other tissue. By leaving the skin intact, your body is encouraged to heal more naturally after treatment. This natural healing involves the production of collagen – the skin structure that produces luster and visible depth. Not only will your spider veins diminish, you’ll be left with healthier, vibrant, youthful-looking skin. Retaining the body’s natural healing mechanisms also means that V-beam laser treatments have significantly reduced recovery times compared to other options.
What to Expect from a V-beam Treatment
For maximum patient comfort, we employ a number of methods to reduce pain and improve recovery time. The first line of defense against pain is the Dynamic Cooling Device built into the V-beam system. This actively cools the skin before each laser pulse, meaning patients feel less of a burning sensation from the laser itself. There may still be a slight sting involved – if this proves to be unbearable, we can arrange for a topical anesthetic. Your skin may remain tender for a day or two after the procedure. In some cases, it will be slightly darker than untreated skin, even after the initial bruising and irritation subside. This will resolve itself over time. The post-treatment sensation is often compared to a mild sunburn.
Who Can Receive V-beam Treatments?
In most cases, V-beam laser treatments are best suited to those with lighter skin with very superficial small blood vessels. The dense pigmentation of darker skin can be more difficult for the laser beam to penetrate, and also increase the risk of blistering and hyperpigmentation. For deeper veins, it’s also possible that the area you want treated may be out of range of this laser. It is only able to penetrate 1.5 mm beneath the surface of the skin – veins beyond that are simply out of reach. Further, the device is best at treating red blood vessels. It may still work on blue vessels, but its efficiency will be reduced. Sclerotherapy, or injecting the vessels with a concentrated salt solution or detergent solution, is still the gold standard for treating spider veins. V-beam laser is often reserved for the small, matted blood vessels that are too small to inject. Even under ideal conditions, you’ll likely need more than one sclerotherapy or laser session before you see full improvement.
If you have any questions or concerns about using a V-beam laser to treat spider veins, or if you have questions about any other skin condition or treatment, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re available if you’d like to schedule a consultation or appointment. It’s our job to see that everyone is comfortable in their skin – if you’re unsatisfied with yours, let us help.
