Leg veins

According to the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS), more than 40 per cent of women have some kind of unwanted vein condition — including spider veins — with incidence increasing with age.

Spider veins are small, twisted blood vessels that can be seen under the skin on the face and body, and don’t bulge out like varicose veins. Reticular veins, which are often bluish green or purple, also don’t bulge, but their size is usually somewhere in between spider and varicose veins.

Both spider and reticular veins are caused by damaged vein valves, which can be related to hormonal changes, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle and genetics.

Dr. Hermant has been performing sclerotherapy at the clinic for many years. In this procedure, a chemical solution is injected into a vein using an extremely small needle. The solution irritates the lining of the diseased blood vessel, causing it to collapse and stick together and the blood to clot. The collapsed vein is eventually reabsorbed by the body and begins to fade.

The clinic now also offers treatment for leg veins using the Elite iQ™ laser, which targets the blood vessels within unwanted veins in the skin without harming the surrounding tissue. The high intensity of the light closes off the treated vein, which eventually evaporates.

Sclerotherapy is often used for larger reticular veins and small varicose veins, while the Elite iQ can be used in conjunction to treat smaller spider veins.

Contact the clinic for more information on the treatments mentioned above.