How varicose and thread veins differ (2)

Posted on 27 Oct, 2011

The legs are most commonly affected by venal insufficiency, as the vessels rely on the leg muscles to keep blood flowing back to the heart. As our lifestyles have become more sedentary, and more people are becoming overweight, the pressure put on the blood vessels in the legs increases.

Pregnancy can also be another contributing factor, as a woman’s blood volume increases during this period, as well as her weight, and this can put enormous pressure on veins, particularly those in the legs.

Although thread and varicose veins have similar causes, their treatments are very different. Varicose veins need surgical intervention to remove them from the body, whereas this is not necessary or viable for the tiny thread veins.

Thread veins can be effectively removed using Intense Pulsed Light treatment. This type of thread vein removal treatment uses the energy of the laser to heat up the blood within the tiny vessels. Once temperatures reach between 60 and 70°C, the cells lining the vessel walls denature. This renders the veins useless, and it eventually collapses and is absorbed by the body.

The treatment is effective, and with the collapse and disintegration of the vein, the visible blue or red lines fade away. While the treatment permanently removes the offending veins, it cannot prevent new ones from forming.