Face Veins
Prominent face veins may arise as a consequence of sun exposure, conditions such as rosacea, old surgery or injury. Some individuals develop vascular spots on the face known as spider naevii and others have areas of blood vessels (haemangiomas) arising as birthmarks.
What ever the cause many lesions are treatable, however unlike leg veins where laser therapy is ineffectual laser treatment is the modality of choice.
How are they treated?
In the 1950’s a Swiss doctor devised the modern method of Ambulatory Phlebotomy.
This enables the removal of the veins without the need to be admitted for hospital stay.
With the development of the ultrasound precise identification of the nonfunctioning veins is now possible such that these may be mapped and only the exact nonfunctioning veins removed.
The treatment may be done in a morning and there is no requirement to be hospitalised, or for long periods off work.
All the treatment is done in our day procedure centre.
Treatment
There are several colored light wavelengths which may be absorbed into the red haemoglobin within the blood cell this then results in the heating of the blood vessel which then fibroses to exclude the blood. The blood vessels are traced out with the laser beam to eliminate the vessels.
This is excellent for larger veins, for smaller veins which are difficult to see and still cause that reddish color IPL is used as an area treatment that is an area is treated rather than a specific vein.
IPL machines are not true lasers but emit a wide spectrum of high energy light wavelengths, various unwanted wavelengths are filtered out
The number of treatments depends on the profusion of veins however for discrete veins only one or two treatments may be required with laser, IPL treatments are usually from three to six.
For an assessment or further information please contact us.
Cost
Some laser treatments may be eligible for medicare rebates, but may not attract private health insurance benefits.
