The demand for cosmetic treatments is ever increasing nowadays and I guess no one is immune to striving to achieve a better version of themselves, me included. My latest venture in cosmetic treatments is Laser Treatment of Spider Veins at CHIC Med-Aesthetic Clinics at SkyParks.
This is not my first time at CHIC where I have already been having my laser hair removal done for the past three years and I have always been satisfied with their professional and impeccable service, from reception to delivery of treatment and ultimately, the actual results.
I wanted to involve you, my readers, in my latest venture and I had asked you on my blog's Facebook page for any concerns and curiosities you might have regarding the laser treatment of spider veins so I could ask them to the doctor during my consultation appointment. Fast forward a few weeks, and last week, on Wednesday, I went in for my consultation and patch test with Dr. Angel Bonello.
Here's a little bit of background information first. So, I first noticed my first (hopefully last) and only spider vein threads on the back of my left knee something around two years ago I think, the culprit being none other than prolonged standing periods at my work place. Of course they annoy me so I had to do something about them.
The first thing Dr. Angel did was to assess my concerned area, then we moved on to discussing the questions you asked and the ones I had prepared myself before going on with the actual patch test. This post is only meant to discuss common concerns and what actually went during my consultation; if you have any other health concerns and are considering treatment, they are best discussed during your own consultation with a professionally trained doctor.
So basically, laser treatment of spider veins works on the same principle of laser hair removal - colour differentiation. In fact, the same machine is used for both treatments yet for spider veins, a different wavelength and a specialized handpiece is used. In this case, a 1064nm wavelength (known as NdYag) is employed to penetrate through the skin where the energy from the laser is absorbed by the red cells, causing them to break down. The specialised handpiece is capable of using small spot sizes to target the relatively smaller blood vessels and not the surrounding skin. Whilst in laser hair removal 15mm or 18mm spot sizes are commonly used, in veins 1.5mm or 3mm spot sizes are needed.
A slight sensation of pain may be felt but this of course depends on the individual's pain tolerance. Redness and swelling of the treated area are possible but they are temporary 'side-effects'. One might also notice that the treated vein gets darker after treatment. This is because the broken down red cells clot and it takes the body approximately 6 weeks to get rid of these minor clots. In fact, it is recommended to leave 6 weeks between treatment sessions. Depending on the area to be treated, 1 to 3 sessions are usually all it takes to get rid of spider veins. The good news is that once an area is treated, it is not likely that the veins will re-appear (of course, there might be other areas where new spider veins appear though).
Since the treatment involves the use of laser, it is important to avoid exposing your skin to the sun for 4 to 6 weeks before and after treatment and it is recommended to use products with SPF50. It is also advisable to avoid laser treatment of veins if pregnant. Furthermore, treating spider veins with laser is avoided on tattooed skin and where there are any suspicious moles or lesions.
As for after care and prevention, aloe gel is your best friend to soothe your skin after treatment while doing leg exercises and elevating your legs whenever possible and avoiding prolonged standing may help you lessen the likeliness of spider veins from developing.
Finally, my own experience. The feeling of pain depends on the individual but I have to say that the laser treatment of spider veins hurt much less during the patch test than laser hair removal. The area which was tested swelled up a little bit for a few hours after treatment but it has greatly subsided by the day after and it is now almost back to normal; the redness subsided almost immediately. I did not experience any intolerable pain or discomfort whatsoever during and after treatment. I did sign a consent form prior to the patch test and I was given a sheet explaining the pre and post-treatment care to get the most benefits out of the whole experience.
I hope this post has been helpful to you and do check back in a few weeks where I shall write about my experience for the first treatment session.
Don't forget that you get one hour free parking at the airport when doing a treatment at CHIC Med-Aesthetic Clinics. For treatment prices, kindly consult the CHIC Med-Aesthetic Clinics website.
All opinions and experiences are my own and are in no way influenced by CHIC Med-Aesthetic Clinics.
This is not my first time at CHIC where I have already been having my laser hair removal done for the past three years and I have always been satisfied with their professional and impeccable service, from reception to delivery of treatment and ultimately, the actual results.
I wanted to involve you, my readers, in my latest venture and I had asked you on my blog's Facebook page for any concerns and curiosities you might have regarding the laser treatment of spider veins so I could ask them to the doctor during my consultation appointment. Fast forward a few weeks, and last week, on Wednesday, I went in for my consultation and patch test with Dr. Angel Bonello.
 |
| CHIC Laser Treatment Room - photo courtesy of CHIC Med-Aesthetic Clinics Facebook page |
Here's a little bit of background information first. So, I first noticed my first (hopefully last) and only spider vein threads on the back of my left knee something around two years ago I think, the culprit being none other than prolonged standing periods at my work place. Of course they annoy me so I had to do something about them.
 |
| The spider vein I wish to treat - photo taken by Dr. Angel Bonello |
The first thing Dr. Angel did was to assess my concerned area, then we moved on to discussing the questions you asked and the ones I had prepared myself before going on with the actual patch test. This post is only meant to discuss common concerns and what actually went during my consultation; if you have any other health concerns and are considering treatment, they are best discussed during your own consultation with a professionally trained doctor.
So basically, laser treatment of spider veins works on the same principle of laser hair removal - colour differentiation. In fact, the same machine is used for both treatments yet for spider veins, a different wavelength and a specialized handpiece is used. In this case, a 1064nm wavelength (known as NdYag) is employed to penetrate through the skin where the energy from the laser is absorbed by the red cells, causing them to break down. The specialised handpiece is capable of using small spot sizes to target the relatively smaller blood vessels and not the surrounding skin. Whilst in laser hair removal 15mm or 18mm spot sizes are commonly used, in veins 1.5mm or 3mm spot sizes are needed.
A slight sensation of pain may be felt but this of course depends on the individual's pain tolerance. Redness and swelling of the treated area are possible but they are temporary 'side-effects'. One might also notice that the treated vein gets darker after treatment. This is because the broken down red cells clot and it takes the body approximately 6 weeks to get rid of these minor clots. In fact, it is recommended to leave 6 weeks between treatment sessions. Depending on the area to be treated, 1 to 3 sessions are usually all it takes to get rid of spider veins. The good news is that once an area is treated, it is not likely that the veins will re-appear (of course, there might be other areas where new spider veins appear though).
Since the treatment involves the use of laser, it is important to avoid exposing your skin to the sun for 4 to 6 weeks before and after treatment and it is recommended to use products with SPF50. It is also advisable to avoid laser treatment of veins if pregnant. Furthermore, treating spider veins with laser is avoided on tattooed skin and where there are any suspicious moles or lesions.
As for after care and prevention, aloe gel is your best friend to soothe your skin after treatment while doing leg exercises and elevating your legs whenever possible and avoiding prolonged standing may help you lessen the likeliness of spider veins from developing.
Finally, my own experience. The feeling of pain depends on the individual but I have to say that the laser treatment of spider veins hurt much less during the patch test than laser hair removal. The area which was tested swelled up a little bit for a few hours after treatment but it has greatly subsided by the day after and it is now almost back to normal; the redness subsided almost immediately. I did not experience any intolerable pain or discomfort whatsoever during and after treatment. I did sign a consent form prior to the patch test and I was given a sheet explaining the pre and post-treatment care to get the most benefits out of the whole experience.
I hope this post has been helpful to you and do check back in a few weeks where I shall write about my experience for the first treatment session.
Don't forget that you get one hour free parking at the airport when doing a treatment at CHIC Med-Aesthetic Clinics. For treatment prices, kindly consult the CHIC Med-Aesthetic Clinics website.
All opinions and experiences are my own and are in no way influenced by CHIC Med-Aesthetic Clinics.
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