We are excited to offer our patients Veinwave™ treatment for small spider veins of the legs and face. Veinwave is a new, FDA approved technology to treat facial spider veins. Widely used in Europe, it has become the “gold standard” for eliminating these tiny veins. Veinwave works by transmitting high frequency thermal energy through a fine probe, causes the vein wall to collapse without damaging surrounding tissue.
Until Veinwave, no totally effective and safe treatment for face spider veins was available. Laser treatment has been used but is expensive, painful, can cause burns and scars, and is of limited benefit for these veins. The discomfort experienced with Veinwave is minimal. It is equally effective in both light and dark skinned individuals. The treatment leaves no bruising or pigmentation. No bandaging is needed. The procedure is safe, and no sun exposure issues or limitations are present. Patients can return to normal activities immediately after a 15-20 minute treatment. In most cases two or three treatments, six weeks apart, are required to obtain maximum benefit.
The most exciting application for Veinwave™ is in the treatment of fine, red vessels complicating the condition rosacea. Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory condition that involves the face in many men and women. In our society, having red nose and cheek veins is often thought to indicate alcoholism. This is simply not true. Though alcohol can worsen their appearance, it does not actually cause spider veins. In women, estrogen use and pregnancy contribute to the problem, as does too much exposure to the sun. Rosacea is a common skin condition that produces intense redness of the cheeks and nose in both men and women. Obstructed pores trap bacteria and inflammation results. Spider veins develop as a response to that inflammation. Therefore, before treating the spider veins, we first treat the obstructed pores with a medicated gel applied to the face.
Veinwave™ is an electrical device that works by emitting high frequency thermal energy (a process known as thermo-coagulation) through a very fine probe. It causes the vein wall to collapse without affecting or damaging any of the surrounding tissues. To say this device is a revolutionary breakthrough is not an overstatement. Veinwave™ is the absolute best and most effective way to treat small veins of the nose and face. Prior to the availability of this device, these tiniest of veins were the most frustrating and difficult to treat. Now they are the easiest!
The discomfort is minimal and much less than with laser treatment and certainly more effective. It can be used on difficult-to-treat and sensitive areas such as the face/nose, knees and ankle/foot areas. It is equally effective in both light and dark skinned individuals. The treatment leaves no bruising and the results are instantaneous. No bandages or compression stockings are used. There are no sun exposure issues or limitations. There are no residual pigmentation issues that can complicate injection treatments. Patients can return to normal activities immediately after their 15-20 minute treatment. The procedure is safe and complications are rare. After a few days, small micro-crusts like a cat scratch will appear over the treated area. This is normal and will disappear after several weeks on their own.
For leg spider veins, Veinwave works best when used with sclerotherapy. Larger spider veins are treated first with injections. Veinwave is then used to treat any tiny veins that may remain. The advantage to Veinwave treatment is that compression stockings need not be worn afterwards. It should be noted that up to ten percent of patients complaining only of spider veins will have saphenous vein reflux. Ideally this should be corrected first (with VNUS Closure endovenous ablation) before the smaller veins are treated.
Dr. Conti will evaluate YOUR special circumstance and recommend the specific treatment best for you.