Thread Veins

Thread veins, sometimes also called spider veins, are tiny veins just underneath the surface of the skin that have become dilated, which means that they are reddish, blue or purplish in appearance. Thread veins are harmless and do not usually cause medical problems, although many people find them unsightly and they can cause an aching sensation. They often occur on the legs, but can also appear on the face.

What Causes Thread Veins?

Thread veins tend to occur as we get older and skin becomes thinner and more fragile. Subcutaneous tissue also becomes thinner, which means that blood vessels underneath the skin are far more obvious. A number of factors seem to increase the likelihood that you’ll develop thread veins. Some research indicates that thread veins are hereditary, and it is also thought that smoking or being overweight increases the risk. Certain contraceptive pills might also increase the likelihood that you’ll develop thread veins.

Treatments for Thread Veins

We offer a few treatments for thread veins at Hilton Skin Clinics, Dye-VL within the Harmony XL Pro laser platform, Sclerotherapy and advanced electrolysis. These treatments can minimise the appearance of thread veins and improve the overall look of skin.

Dye-VL With Harmony XL Pro

The Dye-VL laser treatment, which is part of our new Alma Harmony XL Pro platform is used to cause selective heating within the red blood vessels or thread veins only, thus protecting surrounding skin and other tissue. This heating, and specific targeting of the heat, causes the blood to coagulate and the tiny veins to collapse in on themselves and ultimately be absorbed and removed by the body over time. The technology uses the Dye-VL with a filtered wavelength range of 500 – 600 nm which is the optimal frequency needed for absorption in the blood. It does this using Alma’s Advanced Fluorescence Technology (AFT™) which is an advanced form of Intense Pulse Light (IPL) which doesn’t waste any of the light energy produced to create a more effective treatment.

The Dye-VL technology can also be combined with a long-pulsed Nd: YAG laser which is also part of the Harmony XL Pro platform so that we can achieve the best results, particularly on deeper veins. Dye lasers have become something of a gold standard option for treating and removing vascular or vein related problems over the years. What makes the Dye-VL from Alma special is that it advances the treatment offering so that we can provide a safe and effective treatment, but with the affordability you get from traditional IPL treatments, making treating thread veins much more accessible to everyone; great news given that it is not available on the NHS.

As well as the efficient use of light energy, the treatment also has contact cooling which is delivered at the same time. This is done using a cold sapphire tip which cools the skin as the Dye-VL is delivered which reduces any pain, and minimises, even further, the change of any damage to the skin’s surface as the area is kept cold throughout treatment. It may even feel chilled for some time afterwards which will aid comfort post-treatment.

Treatment is therefore quite tolerable and you will typically see results after one treatment, although several treatments spaced three to four weeks apart may be recommended for the best results. Veins will typically disperse within two to four weeks following treatment.

Advanced Electrolysis

Our practitioners perform advanced electrolysis to treat a wide range of skin complaints, including milia, skin tags and thread veins. Advanced electrolysis differs to regular electrolysis used for hair removal in that a tiny needle is inserted into skin and a tiny current passed through the needle. The current effectively cauterises the thread veins, destroying them. Over time, they are absorbed by the body. Treatment causes minimum discomfort and you will often see results after just one treatment, although we may recommend a course of treatments for the best results.

For more information about the thread vein treatments that we offer at Hilton Skin Clinics, please contact us today.

or Call  01189 464 333