You love it in San Diego.  You love the warm weather, you want to wear shorts in fall.  You want to go to the beach, you want to head out to the golf coarse.  But something is stopping you, it’s those spider veins.  Those tiny, thread like veins that look like a purple or blue road map on your legs.  Treating spider veins is incredibly easy but patients suffering from this form of venous disease put it off because of myths surrounding treatments.

Here we will dispel those myths and give you the reality…

Myth #1:  TREATMENT IS PAINFUL

Origin:

Most people who think that treatment is painful are thinking about old treatments they have had for varicose veins.  Vein stripping and ligation was far more common years and was a surgical procedure.  Today we use two common treatment options for spider veins, sclerotherapy and laser treatments.  Sclerotherapy involves injections directly into the vein to cause its collapse, people just think “pain” whenever they hear injections.  Laser treatments are a natural evolution of treatments like EVLT which would insert a probe into the vein.

Reality:

Treatment is not painful! Sclerotherapy uses needs with the said type of needles that are used in Botox.  In the hands of a skilled physician you will feel almost nothing during the injection process.  For laser treatments we use an Nd:YAG laser.  This laser is extremely powerful but almost completely painless.  We use a separate cooling machine to cool the area before the laser is used.  In almost all cases that alleviates the need for even light topical anesthesia.  In short, modern spider vein treatments are pain free.

Myth #2: TREATMENT IS EXPENSIVE

Origin:

Again, some of this misconception comes from past treatments for varicose and spider veins.  Old techniques such as ligation and vein stripping were actual operations.  The doctor needed to reserve an operating room, etc.  Those inherent costs have to be passed directly to the end consumer.  It was an economic reality of the time.

Reality:

The reality is that spider vein treatments can be cost effective.  You should consult with the physician when it comes to pricing.  You will see “discounted” treatments for as little as $250.  That may seem like a good deal but it may be for “one area” and it may involve treatment from someone who isn’t a doctor or surgeon.  We encourage our patients to take advantage of our free consultation where we can provide pricing based on your specific case.  Spider veins are usually a cosmetic treatment and out of pocket expense, you should ask questions so there are no financial surprises.

Myth #3: ANY TREATMENT CENTER CAN PROVIDE GREAT RESULTS

Origin: 

There is not so much of an origin to this myth but rather the abundance of marketing around spider vein treatments recently from medical spas.  Today it seems like anyone with a laser or a syringe is happy to provide treatment.  Dermatologists offices are offering treatment even though it’s outside of the core area of expertise.  Treatment for any venous disease – including spider veins – should not be treated as a commodity as should be conducted be a trained vascular surgeon.

Reality:

This is the most dangerous myth that is out there about spider and varicose vein treatment.  It’s important for the consumer to know that all laser aren’t created equal.  At the San Diego Vein Institute we use different laser for different procedures.  Mismatching the laser to the treatment need can result is poor results, increased pain, and an overall bad experience.  Additionally, our physicians work to stay up on the latest advances in areas such as foam sclerotherapy.  Make sure physicians in the practice are board certified and specialize in vein treatment.