Question:
I recently saw an ad in the local newspaper on "photoderm VL light treatment" of varicose/spider veins. What does the treatment involve? Does anyone know how effective it is? Thanks in advance.

Answer: Although the technology is changing & better lasers may come to be I currently do not recommend laser obliteration of veins. The lasers designed for blood vessel obliteration are absorbed by the color red such as arteries & their contents. Veins are darker in color. To adjust for this absorption difference laser manufacturers are marketing their tattoo, hair & mole removal lasers which are absorbed by darker colors as vein removal devices. The efficacy of this is marginal at best. My opinion is that surgical removal is better for larger veins & sclerotherapy for smaller vessels. The larger veins can be removed through a tiny incision. However, in the upper part of the face sclerotherapy cannot be used because of the proximity of the eyes & tendency for the sclerosant agent to migrate. Additionally, in most people compression stockings should be worn on the legs after treatment to prevent recurrence of visible leg veins. Large varicose veins in the legs require treatment because the vein walls can be become so weakened that the vein bursts & bleeds throught the skin. For large straight veins radio frequency ablation applied via a small catheter threaded into the vein can be also be effective. This procedure first became available in 1999. As far as I know there are no creams that can be applied to rid the skin of the problems described above.