Eeek! A spider (vein)!

Little patients need a little patience

If you plan to wear swimsuits or shorts this summer, make sure your telangiectasias aren’t showing. Tela . . . what? Telangiectasias, better know as spider veins, are those purple and red blood vessels that mar the look of your legss — and those of nearly half the adult female population.

Spider veins can be caused by heredity, pregnancy, weight gain, or jobs that involve hours of sitting or standing. They can appear as a group of veins radiating outward from a dark central point (hence the "spider" moniker), or in a branch-like formation, or as separate lines. Unlike larger varicose veins, which may bulge and cause pain, spider veins are just an eyesore.

Luckily, HMF offers sclerotherapy, a nonsurgical procedure for eliminating spider veins. Compared to other treatments, sclerotherapy is the "gold standard" in terms of results. Performed by dermatologist Patricia Cavender, M.D., sclerotherapy is noninvasive and nearly painless.

"It’s a very simple procedure," says Dr. Cavender, "I use a microfine needle to inject a mild solution which causes the veins to recede and the color to fade. You can return to normal work or household activities right away.”

But . . . don’t we need those veins? "While spider veins are part of the venous system, they are not essential to healthy blood flow," says Dr. Cavender.

However, she warns patients that treated veins will look worse before they look better. "You can start showing some leg just as soon as the discoloration fades—usually three or four days."

Sclerotherapy dates back to the 1920s and has been de rigueur in Europe for 50 years. Only in the past decade has the treatment been widely available in the United States. Each session takes approximately 45 minutes, and some veins require more than one injection.

To schedule a sclerotherapy consultation, call the HMF dermatology office at 626/792-2166.