How does laser therapy work?
Spider veins can be sclerosed with drugs or laser. Laser treatment has fewer side effects and compression therapy after laser treatment is not necessary. Laser therapy is not very painful, often only a pinch is noticeable.
The time required varies, depending on the vessel to be treated. The larger the vessel, the longer it takes. One can expect a time expenditure of about 10-30 minutes for a medium sized vessel.
Often several sessions are necessary to remove the spider veins. During the treatment of the spider veins it is necessary to wear protective goggles to protect the eyes from the laser light. To protect the skin from the laser and also to reduce the pain, the skin is cooled with an ice pack.
Then the laser is placed on the skin. Laser impulses are released during the treatment of spider veins, which can be felt as heat. Often a pinch or slight pain is also felt. The laser impulses sclerotize the vessel. This leads to coagulation of the blood and to the breakdown of coagulated blood and the vessel.
Side effects
Often a result is already visible immediately after the treatment, but it takes weeks until the full result is achieved. After the spider vein treatment, the skin in the surrounding area is reddened, but this is reversible and can be reversed even faster by cooling the affected area. Other side effects include blistering, discoloration, scabbing, hypopigmentation (a fading of the treated area of skin), allergic reactions, inflammation and itching.
As a rule, however, these skin reactions usually subside. Exposure to the sun after laser treatment should be avoided, as this can lead to increased side effects. It should also be noted that tattooed skin should not be treated with this laser, as it can lead to burning of the pigments.
Costs
The costs for laser treatment of spider veins are not covered by health insurance, as it is a purely cosmetic matter. Depending on the size of the vessel, the duration of the treatment and the type of skin, a treatment costs between 50 and 200 Euros. Usually several treatments are necessary.
