Vascular anomalies

 

Vascular anomalies are pronounced or enlarged veins and blood vessels that can appear on your skin. They are usually harmless but they can be aesthetically undesirable or uncomfortable. Laser procedures have been refined to help minimise or eliminate the appearance of these conditions.

During your procedure, your doctor will project the laser onto the affected veins. The haemoglobin in your skin, will then absorb the laser-light creating heat. That heat then causes blood in the treated area to become hardened destroying the walls of the vein and, subsequently, the vein itself. The process is called ‘photocoagulation’.

Your procedure should take only a few minutes and is non-invasive. Thanks to the sapphire contact cooling system integrated into the Skin Medic’s laser device, the procedure is near painless.

Laser procedures might be right for you if you suffer from¹:

Venous Lakes

Venous lakes are a small blood vessel that has become enlarged and become a small soft blob. They’re often caused by exposure to the sun and found around the mouth or ears. Their name is derived from the violet or blue colour often associated with them. They’re not contagious or cancerous, but they can become painful or bleed if knocked or caught.

Spider veins (telangiectasia)

Telangiectasia (in the main image), more commonly referred to as ‘spider veins’, is a condition in which widened blood vessels beneath the skin cause small, threadlike red/blue lines to appear on the surface. These lines are often clustered or tangled giving them their trademark web-like appearance. Whilst telangiectasia usually occurs in otherwise healthy people, it can occasionally be symptomatic of a larger concern, which may require treatment.

Angiomas

Angiomas or cherry angiomas are overgrown blood vessels that appear as small, usually red growths. They are thought to be largely hereditary – i.e. if your mum or dad had them chances are you’ll have them or get them too. They’re benign and fairly common but their bright colour and tendency to appear in highly visible areas of your skin can be undesirable and cause self-confidence or social issues.

 

Port Wine Stains (PWS)

‘Nevus flammeus’, or port wine stains, are red marks, usually appearing on the face and neck. Whilst they are most commonly birthmarks they can occasionally appear in early childhood.

They are not known to be health concerns but they can be very large and highly visible. They are not widely understood which, particularly for a child, can be a difficult reality to live with. Removal or minimisation of a port wine stain usually requires multiple treatments at least 6 weeks apart to let the effects of the procedure run their course⁸.

 

Pronounced leg or facial veins

Aside from any of these conditions veins can sometimes appear large or overly visible without a precipitating condition. These kinds of veins are very common and are usually not indicative of health concerns but can be unsightly or unwanted, particularly around the face and legs. Laser procedures for these kinds of veins is typically very simple and relatively painless.

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If you think you might be suffering from any of these conditions and want to have a chat about whether laser treatment is right for you, call Northern Beaches Skin Medics a call on 02 8036 2044 or simply drop your details into the form below. We’ll have someone get back to you asap.