Vein removal

The presence of thread veins can cause distress to many people and both sexes are equally affected. ‘Telangiesctasia’ is the correct name for these thread veins, which can also be referred to as dilated capillaries, broken veins or red veins.

Please contact Skin Wise for more information or to book your vein removal in Reading

		Subject: Female Age: 28 Site: Forehead Courtesy of Dr Paul Myers Supplied by Lynton Lasers
Before	After 1 session

		Subject: Male Age: 47 Site: Side of face Courtesy of Lynton Lasers
Before	After 1 session

How can they be treated?
At SkinWise we offer treatment with either the Lumina (IPL) system or electrolysis. Which method is more suitable will depend on the severity of the condition and the reasons why the thread veins have appeared.

What causes thread veins?
Facial veins can be found mainly on the nose and cheek areas and can be caused by a variety of factors. Some of which are:- Extremes of temperature Medications Aggressive skin products Sensitive skin Smoking Sporting activities Sun Exposure Hereditary Pregnancy

How does vein removal work?
Lumina Intense Pulsed Light System Lumina consists of intense light that is emitted in a series of short pulses. The wavelength of light is specially selected so that when it is directed into the skin, it is predominantly absorbed by blood vessels. First a clear cool gel is applied to the skin and the light pulsed through the gel into the skin. The sensation felt by the client is that of a very quick splash of hot fat which is instantaneous and lasts for micro seconds. These blood vessels will absorb the light, which causes them to heat up and undergo a process called ‘thermocoagulation’. This destroys the entire vessel while causing minimal damage to the surrounding skin. Following treatment, the damaged vessels are absorbed by the body and little or no trace of the initial vessel remains.

What should I expect after vein removal?
General redness and a slight burning sensation in the area is normal. A cooling pack will be applied to the skin to ease these symptoms. You may see a temporary ‘greyness’ in the vessels, which will pass and you might notice that some of the vessels have disappeared immediately.

Will they come back?
Depending on the reasons for the thread veins appearing, steps should be taken to ensure the skin is protected. Sunscreen needs to be applied all year round for protection and suitable skincare should be used.

How many vein treatments will I need?
This depends on the type and size of the thread veins present, but typically 1-5 treatments. Vein treatments should take place approximately every 4 to 6 weeks.

Are there any side effects?
The visible light is completely safe so no special precautions are needed apart from glasses from the brightness. The skin of some clients becomes quite red immediately after treatment and in rare cases some bruising may be seen. However, most clients experience no side effects and the described skin reactions usually disappear within hours to a few days. Mild hyper or hypo pigmentation may occur from time to time but this usually fades within a short period of time. It is essential that during a course of treatment, the skin is not exposed to sun light without the protection of a high factor sun screen. Small blisters rarely occur, but provided these are not interfered with, they will cause no adverse after effects.

Is everyone suitable for vein treatment?
The upper skin layer, the epidermis, contains melanin, a very good absorber of light, which is why it is the skin’s natural defence against harmful sunrays. The concentration of melanin in the skin is greater in darker skinned people and increases when the skin is exposed to UV light. The light emitted by the Lumina will be absorbed to a certain extent by the melanin as well as the veins and will heat the skin. The more melanin in the skin, the more heat will be produced so it is therefore not possible to treat dark-skinned and tanned individuals. The lesions that will respond best are thought to be those consisting of blood vessels of a small diameter that lie close to the surface of the skin. If there are areas of broken skin, the treatment should be delayed until the area has completely healed.

How does electrolysis with short-wave diathermy work?
Vein removal by short-wave diathermy can produce considerable improvement within a number of treatments. This obviously depends on the severity of the condition and the reasons why the thread veins have appeared. Diathermy uses a high frequency current which heats up the vein, causing coagulation and helps it to disappear. A very fine sterilised gold needle is used. This method is more suitable for spider naevi, blood spots and superficial veins with no diffused redness in the surrounding area.