Veins and Vascular Lesions
Prominent red or blue blood vessels on the face or legs can be an unsightly distraction to otherwise unblemished skin. Most often the superficial blood vessels found at the surface of the skin are in clusters that can easily be treated with in office procedures. The trick, however, is to locate the source that provides the flow to these vessels. That is why it is important to seek treatment from an expert who is well versed in treatment options and limitations.
Facial Veins
Broken blood vessels- Many people develop "broken" blood vessels on their cheeks, nose, and chin as they get older. These blood vessels often coexist with diffuse facial redness and excessive flushing. Lasers are now the mainstay of therapy for facial vessels and redness. Dr. Ort uses several lasers for this condition, including the Cynergy, V-Star lasers, and Varilite lasers. Treatment is gentle, effective, and has little to no downtime.
Leg Veins
Spider veins- Many women are plagued with spider veins on the legs that prevent them from showing their legs. Leg veins are usually treated with sclerotherapy, or gentle injections of medicine into the veins. The medicine irritates the vein, causes it to shrink down and eventually disappear. With a series of treatments, veins disappear over several weeks to months. Sclerotherapy is almost painless and works on 90% of patients treated. Some patients are candidates for laser treatment of spider veins, which is often combined with sclerotherapy for best results.
Before and After Photos
| Treatment Type | Description | How will it feel? How will I look afterward? | Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) or Photofacial | Uses multiple wavelengths of light to treat redness and fine blood vessels. This procedure is quick and easy procedure with virtually no downtime. |
Treatment involves a slight snapping sensation on the skin. A cooled tip is used to minimize discomfort. Afterwards you may notice some slight swelling and slight darking of any brown age spots on your skin |
Photofacial is a terrific option for diffuse redness. There is virtually no downtime with no bruising after treatment. Energy levels can be adjusted to maximize your treatment benefit. |
| Pulsed dye laser- PDL (Cynergy™ and V-Star®) | The gold standard for treating small vascular lesions of the skin. This laser is great for spot treatment of particularly tough red lesions or vessels. |
Treatments feel like the snapping of a rubber band. Energy levels can be regulated up or down depending on the red vessel size and persistence. Some patienst will develop a bruise in the treated area. This is expected and temporary. |
PDL can treat generalized redness (for conditions such as rosacea). It can also be used to treat red, raised scars, port wine stains, hemangiomas, cherry angiomas, spider angiomas, warts, psoriasis, and other blood vessel abnormalities. |
| Sclerotherapy for leg veins | Sclerotherapy uses a gentle sclerosing (irritating) agent that is injected directly into unwanted veins. The veins close and blood is rechanneled to veins deeper in the skin. A key component to successful sclerotherapy is finding the feeder blue veins that channel blood to the unwanted red and blue surface veins. Dr. Ort's expertise in this area maximizes results and reduces the incidence of recurrence. |
A tiny needle is placed in the treated vein. Discomfort is minimal. After treatment, heavy weight lifting or intense exercise is to be avoided for at least 3 days. Medical compression stockings are to be worn for 1 week after the procedure. Some temporary discoloration of the treated vein may occur during the healing process. |
Leg veins are treated instantly and results are usually permanent. Multiple areas can be treated in one treatment sessions. Bulging or starburst pattern leg veins are virtually erased. |
