Discussion of Veinwave, VeinGogh, Laser Therapy, and Sclerotherapy for Spider Vein Removal
There are many choices out there when it comes to spider vein treatments, including Vein Wave, Veingogh, Laser, and Sclerotherapy. And technological advances keep adding more potential options. With the ever-expanding number of spas and clinics offering vein treatments, it can be very confusing to consumers which therapy to have performed for their spider veins. What can be even more confusing is deciding where to have the treatments done. Dr. Gotvald, the board-certified vein specialist, provides some useful information that will help you make sense of the best treatment options available for dealing with those unsightly spider veins.
The current modern treatment options available for the cosmetic treatment of spider veins of the skin are sclerotherapy, laser therapy, Veinwave, and VeinGogh. Each of these therapies is a viable option that can offer excellent results, but they must be appropriately applied by a vein specialist.
Some of the factors that determine which therapy to utilize include the following:
- The number of spider veins that you have. Certain therapies are very time-consuming and are typically utilized when only a small number of spider veins are present. Other therapies allow the treatment of a larger number of vein clusters in a shorter period of time.
- Skin tone or complexion/ethnicity. Certain vein therapies are not advisable for certain types of skin colors or tones.
- The location of the veins on the body. Certain regions of the body do not respond well to certain types of therapies. One example is the face (e.g. it is typically not advisable to perform sclerotherapy on the face).
- Prior treatment response. If you have responded poorly to a certain therapy in the past, it is often not advisable to repeat this type of therapy. Rather, a different option would be considered. For example, if you have responded poorly to laser in the past, then it may be best to consider sclerotherapy or Veinwave in the future.
- Cost. Certain therapies, such as laser therapy, may require many more sessions to get the same results compared to other therapies. Since more sessions translate into higher costs, this can often be one of the determining factors when deciding on which treatment(s) to undergo.
- Drug Allergies. If you are allergic to a sclerotherapy medication, then you would not want to risk receiving this class of drug again.
- Aversion to needles. If you have a significant aversion to needles, then sclerotherapy would not be a good option for you.
What is Veinwave & VeinGogh Therapy for Spider Veins?
Veinwave and VeinGogh are modern medical devices that are used to remove spider veins from the skin using heat energy. Both devices use the same patented technology, referred to as Ohmic thermolysis, to remove spider veins from the skin. A small hand-held probe that has a pin-point tip is used by the physician to deliver focused thermal energy to “zap” the veins. The skin veins then fade away. To minimize discomfort during the treatment, the skin is iced with ice packs prior to heating it. Sometimes numbing cream may be applied to the skin as well.
Advantage of Veinwave & VeinGogh Over Other Spider Vein Therapies
One of the advantages of the device is that it can be used in almost any location on the body. It can even be used in “thin-skin” areas of the body safely, such as on the face or on the ankles and feet. It is often advised not to use other types of vein therapies on these regions of the body due to increased risks of skin side effects. Some of the other spider vein treatments, such as laser, often have a higher risk of scarring and pigmentation changes in these thin-skin regions of the body as a result of potential skin burns. The Veinwave and Veingogh devices have a low risk of causing scarring or pigmentation changes. Also, other spider vein treatments, such as sclerotherapy injections, can often cause chemical reactions in the skin that can leave permanent pigmentation or “browning” of the skin. There can also be rare allergic reactions to sclerotherapy medications that can be dangerous. The Veinwave and VeinGogh devices are not associated with this type of complication since no medication is utilized, only heat energy. No needle injections of medication are needed. Lastly, Veinwave and VeinGogh can be used on any type of skin tone, both dark and light complexions.
Disadvantages of Veinwave & VeinGogh
The treatments are rather time-consuming. It can take about 10 minutes to treat just one small area of spider veins on the skin. So if you have a large number of spider veins on your body, it would likely take many sessions to get the desired result. More sessions translate into higher costs. So if you are someone that has a large number of spider veins, sclerotherapy may be a better option for you.
The treatments can be a little uncomfortable. Since multiple “zaps” of the skin with the device are needed, it can be a little uncomfortable. We minimize discomfort with the use by either icing the skin prior to the use of the device or by using numbing cream on the skin prior to the treatments.
On thick-skin areas of the body, such as the leg skin above the ankle region, it can sometimes be difficult to deliver enough heat through the skin to kill the veins. Since the goal is to remove the spider veins without burning the skin, the physician has to adjust the heat setting low enough so that no thermal energy to the skin occurs. Although this is often easy to do with thin-skin areas such as the face, ankles, and feet, it can be more difficult with thick-skin areas. So sometimes more treatments may be needed on the legs to get the desired effect. The other option is to do a different therapy on these particular areas, such as sclerotherapy.
Since heat is delivered to the skin with this device, there will be a small risk of thermal injury to the skin.
Does Austin Vein Specialists Offer Veinwave & VeinGogh?
Yes, these therapies are offered by Austin Vein Specialists as an option for the treatment of spider veins. Dr. Gotvald has been performing these therapies for many years with good results. Our vein specialist will examine your skin veins and determine if this technology is a good option for you.
If interested in these vein treatments, please contact Austin Vein Specialists at (512) 220-5401.
