IPL Vascular Treatment

Spider veins are thinned or stretched blood vessels that may occur in any area of the body, but they mostly happen on the face and legs. IPL (intense pulsed light) laser therapy is widely used for hair removal and other cosmetic procedures (such as vascular therapy) in many beauty clinics. In this post, we will be focusing on IPL vascular treatment.

An important question that concerns the minds of patients is whether the IPL laser is considered a suitable option for the treatment of varicose and spider veins. To answer this question, in this post we will discuss the details of IPL vascular treatment.

How Are Spider Veins Formed?

Veins return blood from the organs to the heart. These vessels have valves that make it easier for blood to flow to the heart and prevent backflow. Factors such as genetics, standing for a long time, hormonal changes, etc. may cause the destruction of these valves and they cannot do their job properly. Therefore, the blood goes back and collects in one area. This leads to applying extra pressure on the vein and as a result, it bulges and becomes visible from the surface of the skin, which is called varicose veins.

The origin of spider veins is similar to varicose veins. When blood pools in an injured vein and puts too much pressure on it, the extra blood flow must be diverted. This can cause the formation of more varicose veins or smaller spider veins around the respective veins, which are visible from the surface of the skin.

How Dangerous Are They If Left Untreated?

These spider veins that can be treated through IPL vascular treatment may be visible but without symptoms, visible with symptoms, or invisible but with symptoms. For patients, whose spider veins or varicose veins have appeared in the leg area, performing a detailed ultrasound examination is of particular importance.

Patients usually do not know much about varicose veins and do not notice their annoying symptoms. These symptoms can include things like swelling, or pain in the lower part of the leg, itching next to the veins, and cramping (spasm) of the leg muscles at night. Since spider veins and varicose veins do not heal by themselves, medical intervention is needed. Therefore, if you have this problem, see a doctor and they may advise you to undergo IPL vascular treatment. Chronic venous insufficiency is one of the diseases that you may get due to ignoring varicose veins. Chronic venous insufficiency is a common disorder that affects the leg vessels.

The main cause of this disease is congenital problems and not treating varicose veins for a long time (Be it through IPL vascular treatment or any other form of therapy that your physician recommends). Symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency include thickening of the skin on the lower legs or ankles, swelling in the legs, venous eczema, skin discoloration (hyperpigmentation), and atrophy of the skin (especially around the ankles).

These symptoms may worsen with age. If varicose veins are left untreated for a long time, the leg tissues begin to harden. This problem makes it difficult for the patients to move their legs, which can seriously affect the health of the lower leg and lead to complications such as severe inflammation and infection.

Varicose veins can lead to the formation of blood clots and varicose ulcers. Therefore, if you have untreated varicose veins, it is better to see a doctor as soon as possible and have your IPL vascular treatment going on. Because if left untreated for a long time, the disease may become more difficult to treat (especially when the relevant vessel is bleeding, leaking, or infected).

When Can IPL Vascular Treatment Be Used?

The only prerequisite for having IPL vascular treatment for spider veins is that these cases are completely superficial on the face, chest, or - in rare cases - on the legs and that the specific underlying reason which has caused the appearance of spider veins has been or is being addressed.

Other Treatment Options for Spider Veins

Other commonly used treatments for spider veins on top of IPL vascular treatment can also be highly effective options. These procedures usually take the same amount of time as an IPL treatment session.

For example, sclerotherapy is a medical procedure for treating varicose veins and spider veins. In sclerotherapy, a solution is injected directly into the vein, which causes it to collapse and block the blood's path through another healthy vein. The damaged vein is absorbed by the body tissue and eventually disappears.

For the treatment of large and extensive varicose veins as well as internal varicose veins, according to the needs of the patient, the diameter of the vessel, and the affected area, several treatment options may be considered.

Final Word on IPL Vascular Treatment

Spider veins in the legs are usually formed due to the accumulation of blood from nearby varicose veins. These varicose veins may not be visible in some cases. The main goal of treating spider veins should be the treatment of underlying veins (the cause of spider veins). In order to find these vessels, it is necessary to perform a detailed scan. IPL Vascular treatment can be especially effective when the spider veins are superficial or when the underlying case has been addressed.