Laser Treatment for Thread Veins in Denizli: Face and Legs

Thread veins are small vessels that have widened and show through the surface of the skin as fine red or purple lines. Sometimes they look like a mole, with a small central dot and fine branches spreading out from it; this is called a spider angioma. They are seen most often on the face and legs, but they can appear anywhere on the body.

Why Do Thread Veins Appear on the Face?

Facial thread veins rarely have a single cause; several factors are usually at work together:

• Thin, sensitive skin and a family tendency
• Sun damage built up over many years
• Rosacea
• Metabolic and rheumatic diseases
• Excess oestrogen, alcohol use and long-term use of steroid creams
• Injury, and an increase in vessels after nose surgery

When the vessels come with flushing and spots on the cheeks, we first consider rosacea. In that case the laser is planned together with treatment of skin conditions such as rosacea.

Why Do Thread Veins and Varicose Veins Appear on the Legs?

When the valves in the leg veins can no longer carry blood back towards the heart properly, gravity causes blood to pool in the legs. Over time the vessel wall widens and thickens. This tendency can be inherited and is structurally more common in women.

Standing for long periods, sitting for a long time with the legs hanging down and hot environments all encourage thread veins to form. Pregnancy and weight gain also increase the load on the veins.

What Happens If Thread Veins Are Not Treated?

Widened thread veins do not disappear by themselves. Most of the time they are only a cosmetic concern, but facial vessels can cause sensitivity and a burning feeling. Varicose veins on the legs, as they progress, can cause pain, a feeling of heaviness and swelling that is worse in the evening.

Which Veins Is Laser Treatment Suitable For?

Laser treatment is for superficial thread veins. Fine facial vessels, spider veins and small superficial veins on the legs respond well to the laser. With varicose veins that are raised, twisted and thick, however, the problem lies in a deeper vein; in this case a vascular surgery assessment is needed first.

Painful swelling in the leg, darkening or hardening of the skin, or a wound that does not heal may be signs that vein disease has progressed, and these must be investigated before any laser treatment. If painful swelling, redness and warmth start suddenly in one leg, go without delay to the emergency department of the nearest hospital.

For redness spread across the whole face, BBL light therapy, which targets the entire area rather than individual vessels, may be a more suitable option.

How Is Laser Treatment for Thread Veins Carried Out?

The Nd:YAG laser targets the haemoglobin in the blood inside the vessel. The laser light is passed along the vessel; the heat it creates damages the vessel, and the body gradually removes what is left of it. During treatment your eyes are covered with protective glasses and the skin is cooled so that the heat does not harm the skin surface.

With each pulse you feel brief warmth or a sensation like a rubber band snapping. Fine vessels may fade during the treatment itself, while leg veins disappear gradually over a few weeks.

How Many Sessions Does Laser Treatment for Thread Veins Take?

The number of sessions depends on the type, thickness and location of the vessel and on why it formed. Some fine vessels close in a single session, while others need more than one. Leg veins generally need more sessions than facial ones.

What Happens to the Face and Legs After Laser Treatment?

After facial treatment there is mild pinkness, which usually settles within half a day. At suitable settings scarring is not expected, although temporary crusting or colour change can rarely occur. On the legs, mild redness and raised lines along the vessel may last a few days.

After treatment we ask you to:

• Stay out of the sun and off sunbeds for a few weeks, and use a high-factor sunscreen.
• Avoid very hot showers, saunas and Turkish baths.
• After leg treatment, avoid standing for long periods and strenuous exercise.
• After leg treatment, wear compression stockings for as long as we advise.

Thread Veins in Denizli: Your Examination

At the examination in Denizli we look at the location, colour and thickness of your veins and check whether there is an underlying skin or vein condition. If your varicose veins are not suitable for laser treatment, we refer you for a vascular surgery assessment. To see Spec. Dr. Tuba Çelebi Kayhan, you can call our appointment line.