Spider Vein Treatment Reviews
There are various different ways to treat spider veins. In the past, the only way to treat spider veins was through complex surgeries that could lead to infections or deep vein thrombosis. But now, spider veins can be treated via several different minimally invasive and non-surgical procedures.
The type of spider vein treatment you go for depends on your specific condition. Sometimes, spider veins are a symptom of underlying vein disease. Venous insufficiency is a condition in which your vein valves collapse and blood pools in your leg veins. When this happens, it’s not enough to simply remove the spider veins — the vein doctor also has to treat the underlying vein disease so your spider veins don’t return.
However, if you have superficial spider veins, i.e., if there’s no underlying vein disease, then the vein doctor can use simpler procedures. Two of the most popular spider vein treatments include sclerotherapy and laser therapy. In this article, we provide spider vein treatment reviews for all the most popular treatment procedures.
Sclerotherapy Treatment for Spider Veins
Sclerotherapy is the most popular spider vein treatment available, and for good reason. This is a minimally invasive and non-surgical spider vein treatment with minimal risk of side effects. During the sclerotherapy procedure, the vein doctor injects a medicine called sclerosant into the unhealthy surface veins. This medicine fuses the vein walls and turns them into scar tissues that gradually get absorbed by the body.
Does Sclerotherapy Really Work?
Sclerotherapy treatment really does work and it has a 97% success rate. In most cases, a single sclerotherapy session can remove up to 80% of the spider veins within two weeks. But if you have a lot of spider veins, you may need additional sessions as well.
The only situation in which sclerotherapy doesn’t work is if your spider veins are caused by underlying venous insufficiency. This treatment only removes the surface spider veins and doesn’t treat the underlying root cause of spider veins.
Furthermore, sclerotherapy isn’t highly recommended for spider veins on the face or feet. These body parts are dense with veins and arteries and it’s dangerous to inject sclerosant into the arteries. So most vein doctors generally avoid using sclerotherapy to treat spider veins on the face and feet.
Does Insurance Cover Sclerotherapy?
The cost of a single sclerotherapy session is approximately $700, according to the national average. Since this is a completely cosmetic procedure, it’s not covered by insurance and you have to pay for it out of pocket.
Laser Treatment for Spider Veins
Laser treatment for spider veins is another popular method, but this procedure is extremely ineffective. The only reason this method is popular is that medical spas often promote them because laser therapy doesn’t require certified vein doctors.
During the laser therapy procedure, a special non-UV light is applied to the regions with the spider veins. The photons emitted by the light gradually break down the blood vessels and restore effective blood circulation. But this procedure is extremely slow.
Does Laser Treatment Really Work?
Laser therapy is an extremely slow and ineffective spider vein treatment. You have to go for several sessions over the course of several weeks and months before you see any results. Furthermore, laser therapy only treats the surface spider veins and not the root cause of spider veins, i.e., vein disease. As such, if your spider veins are caused by venous insufficiency, they’ll simply come back later.
The only situation in which laser therapy is actually preferred over sclerotherapy is when treating spider veins on the face and feet. As previously mentioned, these regions are dense in venous-arterial connections. Since sclerotherapy can’t be used for spider veins on these regions, you should go for laser therapy instead.
How Much does Laser Vein Removal Cost?
A single laser vein removal procedure costs between $300 and $600. But you’ll have to go for multiple sessions over several weeks, possibly even more than ten sessions, so those bills can really add up. You also don’t get any insurance coverage since laser therapy is a cosmetic procedure.
Radiofrequency Ablation for Spider Veins
Radiofrequency ablation is a procedure that doesn’t just treat spider veins but also the underlying venous insufficiency. During this procedure, the vein doctor inserts a catheter into the unhealthy vein and passes thermal energy to destroy the diseased vein. This treats the root cause of spider veins, ensuring that your spider veins don’t come back later.
Does Radiofrequency Ablation Really Work?
Radiofrequency ablation is the most effective spider vein treatment procedure. It’s minimally invasive, non-surgical, has a high 97% success rate, and it doesn’t cause serious complications. The most important part is that radiofrequency ablation treats the underlying venous insufficiency. As such, this procedure is suitable for you if your spider veins are merely symptomatic of vein disease.
How Much does Radiofrequency Ablation Cost?
Radiofrequency ablation costs between $1,500 and $3,000 but you can expect insurance coverage because it’s a medically necessary procedure.
Schedule your Spider Vein Treatment
At VIP Medical Group, we have some of the world’s most qualified and accomplished board-certified vein doctors who carefully diagnose your vein disease and curate a treatment plan meant just for you. For more information, please schedule your spider vein treatment right now.