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Does Home Light Therapy Work for Spider Veins?
Blue light therapy, laser light therapy, and IPL therapy all claim to shrink spider veins with an intense beam of light or laser. But, can you count on them to truly fix your gnarled veins?
Are you looking for a quick fix for your spider veins? Spoiler alert: You won’t find it in a drugstore or on the Internet.
Although spider veins are typically a cosmetic problem, those thin webs of red and blue veins can cause uncomfortable symptoms such as itching and heaviness in the legs that may push you to seek out a quick fix.
It’s easy to automatically turn to the drugstore aisle or the Internet for DIY remedies. After all, DIY means avoiding doctor consultations, prescriptions, or medical procedures. But as with many advertised quick fixes, these “magic” cures don’t address the underlying issue. The best method for eliminating spider veins is a medical, professional procedure done by a vein specialist.
Spider veins, like varicose veins, form when vein valves lose the strength to push blood back to the heart. As the blood accumulates, the vein expands and becomes visible. Varicose veins develop for the same reason. However, varicose veins are thicker in diameter and protrude from the skin.
Common risk factors for spider veins include advanced age, prolonged periods of sitting and standing, lack of exercise, obesity, and heredity. Because of hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy and menopause, women are at higher risk than men to develop spider veins.
Over-the-counter treatments and Internet products such as blue light therapy and intense light pulsed (IPL) therapy offer a quick route to unblemished skin. Light therapy can be found at medspas and promises to erase spider veins with a sweep of a pen.
Herbal supplements applied topically, such as witch hazel or oral doses of ginkgo biloba and horse chestnut, are said to reduce the symptoms of spider veins, too. Essential oils containing lavender, yarrow, and lemongrass applied to the skin also offer the same claim. Although herbal supplements and essential oils aren’t necessarily harmful, they could interfere with other medications you take. Please check with your doctor first before using any of these remedies.
These treatments may (or may not) briefly diminish the appearance and symptoms of spider veins. However, they are not permanent solutions, as they fail to target the underlying cause of malfunctioning vein valves.
Don’t be fooled by an unproven treatment advertised on the Internet. A procedure performed by a vein specialist remains the quickest and safest cure for spider veins. The two most common treatments for spider veins are sclerotherapy and laser therapy:
Sclerotherapy. The doctor will inject a sclerosant solution into the vein during sclerotherapy. The solution irritates the vein wall, causing it to close and be reabsorbed into the body. You may require more than one sclerotherapy session to eliminate all spider veins. Still, it won’t take as many sessions as with so-called quick fixes that have no guarantee of success.
Laser Treatments. During this procedure, the heat from a laser is pulsed into the affected vein, causing it to dissolve and disappear. Possible side effects include temporary minor pain and skin discoloration.
The treatments provided by a board-certified physician have a high success rate in permanently removing spider veins and can be completed in a medical office in just under an hour. After-care usually involves wearing compression stockings for a few days to promote proper blood flow in the legs. Rather than an untrained technician at a medspa, a board-certified vascular specialist will guide you through the entire process, from initial consultation to the last day of recovery, with your health and well-being in mind.
Center for Vein Restoration (CVR) operates two full-care vein facilities in Austin, Texas, led by Aditya Gupta, MD, RPVI, DABVLM. Dr. Gupta is not only board-certified in Internal Medicine and Venous and Lymphatic Medicine but is also an expert in vascular interpretation. With his vast experience, Dr. Gupta will diagnose and provide a tailored plan to treat your spider veins and varicose veins. Contact Dr. Gupta or one of CVR’s many locations for a consultation.
11111 Research Boulevard
Suite 400
Austin, Texas 78759
7900 Farm to Market Road 1826
Building 1, Suite 170
Austin, TX 78737
Blue light therapy, laser light therapy, and IPL therapy all claim to shrink spider veins with an intense beam of light or laser. But, can you count on them to truly fix your gnarled veins?
