Aug 13, 2008 7:01 pm US/Eastern
HealthWatch: Updated Procedure Treats Spider Veins
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Spider veins are one of the most common complaints women have when they visit the dermatologist, and preventing them is hard to do.
CBS
Spider veins aren't painful, but they are unsightly. They even keep some women out of skirts and shorts in the middle of the summer, but there's a new treatment that's rebuilding confidence one step at a time.
Spider veins are one of the most common complaints women have when they visit the dermatologist, and preventing them is hard to do.
But treatment is getting more effective, and less painful.
"I have an unusually large amount of spider veins," Julie Migliaccio said. "I have very fair skin, thin skin."
Migliaccio is ready to get rid of her spider veins.
"When the winter comes and you're in pants, you can forget about them," Migliaccio said. "But then everybody's wearing shorts and skirts, and you just feel self-conscious."
Spider veins are similar to varicose veins, but they're smaller. They often look like red or blue spider webs and rarely cause symptoms.
Almost 50 percent of women suffer from spider or varicose veins. Heredity is mostly to blame, but hormonal changes during pregnancy and obesity can also contribute.
Dr. Amy Wechsler says spider veins are best treated by a procedure of small injections called sclerotherapy.
Wechsler used to give injections of hypertonic saline, which should sting, but now she uses a new, pain-free formulation.
"The solution I use is something called Sotradecol," Wechsler said. "It's FDA-approved and all it does is damage the lining of these extra blood vessels, so that the body can take care of them."
"I didn't find it uncomfortable at all," Migliaccio said. "It's very minimal, you barely feel the needle. Certainly, I've had far more pain in the dentist's office."
"There is some itching for about a half an hour after the procedure," Wechsler said. "Then there is some bruising, and the bruise can last anywhere form a week to three weeks."
Once a specific vein has been treated it never comes back, but new spider veins can always form.
"I'm not gonna get obsessed about every little spot, but there are areas where they are more clustered and I think I definitely will pursue a few more treatments," Migliaccio said.
It may take two or three sessions of sclerotherapy to see results. After the procedure, the legs may need to be wrapped in pressure bandages for 24 hours.
Insurance rarely covers the surgery because it's considered a purely cosmetic procedure.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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