Laser treatment
Laser therapy is one of several treatment options for thread veins. It is a useful and effective form of treatment but may not be widely available in the UK. The laser emits short bursts of energy onto the thread veins which causes them to shrink.
Find out more about how this works within this section.
The laser procedure
You will be given a pair of protective goggles to wear during this procedure. A light topical gel will be applied to your skin which acts as a local anaesthetic.
The procedure involves the use of a special pencil thin laser which delivers short, staccato energy beams to the thread veins. These energy beams are absorbed by haemoglobin –a protein in the blood which helps to transport oxygen through the bloodstream.
Haemoglobin is also responsible for the red colour in red blood cells.
These energy beams cause the blood within the thread veins to reach a high temperature which inflames the walls within the veins. The walls of the veins harden and swell and collapse inwards which also seals the vein shut.
The vein then shrinks and fades, and is absorbed by the body.
Laser treatment can take from several minutes up to half an hour although this depends upon the extent of the thread veins.
Post laser treatment
A soothing gel will be applied to the treated area which helps to cool the skin and ease any soreness or discomfort. There may be some light bruising or blistering in this area. Small scabs may form.
These will ease after a short period of time.
Apply a moisturiser to your skin and avoid any sunbathing or sun exposure during this time. Do this before and after this treatment.
Two or three treatment sessions are usually required for maximum effectiveness. However it will take up to 8 weeks before you notice a difference.
Some people find that they develop white or dark areas on their skin after this treatment which is due to damaged pigment in the skin. But this usually returns to normal over time.
However there are people who find that these discoloured patches of skin are a permanent fixture.
Guide to Thread Veins
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