Spider Veins and Varicose Veins: Treatments to Lessen Vascular Lesions

Vascular lesions may involve spider veins, varicose veins, enlarged leg veins, port wine stains, broken capillaries and birthmarks. These marks involve large, abnormal blood vessels and often appear reddish or purplish. People with vascular lesions may have them at birth or develop these unsightly lines and bulges as they age. Spider veins typically form in the legs from weakened blood vessels or faulty valves, as do varicose veins, but they may also appear on the face, nose, cheeks and chin.

Dr. Carlos Chacon at Divino Plastic Surgery offers vascular lesion treatment with intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy to eliminate unsightly veins for an even skin tone. 

How Does IPL Therapy Reduce Visible Veins and Lesions? 

IPL is not a laser treatment and instead uses high intensity light beams to heat the affected blood vessels, damaging the walls, so the vein collapses and forms scar tissue that is reabsorbed in the weeks after IPL treatment. 

The light in IPL is delivered in precise pulses and works best for small spider veins or varicose veins near the skin’s surface. IPL therapy uses multiple wavelengths to target unwanted pigmentation in the skin, offering improvement for a range of skin conditions. When treating vascular lesions, such as spider veins, birthmarks and varicose veins, IPL light pulses focus on the red pigment to heat and destroy the hue without affecting the surrounding skin and tissues. 

The veins darken after IPL treatment, and the body naturally eliminates them during the healing process. Visible veins and blood vessels can disappear within a few days of IPL therapy but may also require multiple treatments or more time to resolve completely. 

IPL treatments may work best for spider veins that appear on the face, and skin color may impact how well the light is absorbed by the blood vessels. 

Is There Downtime After IPL Therapy? 

Most people go back to their normal routine right after their IPL appointment. The treatment may take up to 45 minutes, depending on the severity of spider or varicose veins and the treated area. A pinching or snapping sensation is expected as the light pulses target the discolored tissues, and our patients don’t consider IPL therapy painful or uncomfortable. 

The face or body area treated with IPL may develop bruising for up to 10 days, and some facial areas, such as the lips and eyelids, may swell after IPL therapy. Dr. Chacon provides post-treatment instructions to answer questions and concerns regarding aftercare and results. 

If you struggle with vascular lesions, contact Divino Plastic Surgery to see if IPL therapy is a good fit for your needs. Call (858) 633-7546 or fill out our online contact form for an appointment at our Bonita, California, office.