Spider veins are the small purple veins that do not bulge out the skin - they are usually hereditary in nature. Sclerotherapy is performed with extremely small needles. The solution is a local anesthetic and has no pain on injection. The laser treatment requires temporary ice cooling before each treatment.

Information found in this website is applicable for most patients. Response to treatment may vary in some patients.

While we do have a laser available that is occasionally used to treat leg veins, we have found over the years that sclerotherapy (injection treatment) is more effective, hurts less, has fewer complications, less cost, and is far more efficient. While laser treatment has made the news a lot, most vein centers dedicated to vein treatment agree that topical laser treatment has been a big disappointment.

Answer: Spider veins may be triggered by pregnancy or hormonal variations and sometimes result in itching, restless leg and minor aches and pains. Although surface veins are mainly a cosmetic problem, they can also be an indication of more serious vein disease deep below the surface.

The exact cause of spider and varicose veins is unknown. They are caused by excessive pressure on the legs or abdomen. They are more common in women, and seem to be hereditary. Some of the more common pressure inducers are pregnancy, obesity and standing for very long periods of time. Oral contraceptives can also lead to spider veins.

Spider veins, or telangiectasias, are those tiny purple and red blood vessels found most commonly on the thighs or lower legs of women. They are hereditary and can form anywhere on the leg, from the top of the thigh to the ankle. Occasionally, spider veins appear on the face. Varicose veins are larger. They can appear raised with a bluish color and can become quite painful. Although spider veins and varicose veins carry blood, they are not part of the venous valve system.

Sclerotherapy is used to treat unwanted spider veins. This procedure has been used since the 1930s, and continues to be the most successful treatment of spider veins.

No, although they frequently occur together in the same leg, spider veins and varicose veins are different. If you think you have varicose veins, you should be able to close your eyes and FEEL the dilated veins beneath the skin of your legs. By contrast, spider veins which are tangled clusters of minute veins WITHIN the skin cannot ordinarily be felt.

Spider veins are formed by the dilation of a small group of blood vessels located close to the surface of the skin. Although they can appear anywhere on the body, spider veins are more commonly found on the face and legs. They usually pose no health hazard but may produce a dull aching in the legs after prolonged standing. Varicose veins are abnormally swollen or enlarged blood vessels caused by a weakening in the vein's wall.

Dr. Munyon can perform sclerotherapy to treat leg veins. The procedure involves the injection of a hypertonic saline solution into the visible vessels. Treatment time is approximately 20 minutes and with virtually no pain. If you have questions about the Levulan PDT system, you are not alone. Here are some of the questions other patients commonly ask about this advanced new treatment.

Although genetics, childbirth, and female gender are the most important predisposing factors, the actual cause is related to incompetent valves in the larger veins, which lead to reflux of blood in the wrong direction back toward the foot. Normally, venous blood should flow up the leg toward the heart. When blood is forced by gravity in the wrong direction, (toward the foot) the abnormal varicose and spider veins can bulge and become distended.

The exact cause of spider and varicose veins is unknown, although heredity, pregnancy and hormonal changes are believed to be factors contributing to both conditions. More than 20 percent of women have some form of abnormal veins. Four times more women than men have varicose veins.