Treating Spider Veins

CBS 2's Paul Moniz reports that there's now a quick laser treatment that could clear up spider veins, those rash-like red splotches that plague millions of Americans, leaving people self-conscious and slaves to slathering on cover-up.

Forty-four-year-old Joan Gellis is concerned about the veins on the bridge and sides of her nose, even though they are mild.

"It's just something that bothers me," Gellis admits. "I have the feeling that my nose looks red."

Gellis uses makeup to cover the veins. She had considered getting rid of them in the past but the breaking point came when her 13-year-old son began making comments.

"He looked at me and said, 'Mom, your nose is kinda red, you have these little red lines on it,' and I said, 'That's it,'" she remembers.

So Joan turned to plastic surgeon Paul Carniol, who says spider veins can be genetic and made worse by sun exposure or hot drinks, not necessarily alcohol.

"The old rumor that the person [has them because they] drink is not true," he says.

Dr. Carniol is preparing to use the long-pulse diode laser on Joan Gellis.

After applying aloe vera gel to her face, Dr. Carniol begin zapping the veins with the laser, essentially tracing each vein until it's gone.

"The way the laser works is that it's attracted to the blood molecule within the vessel and it heats up the vessel and by a slow heating process, it causes collapsing of the vessel," he explains.

The pain is minimal

"It feels like little pin pricks," Gellis describes.

Unlike lasers of the past, there's no bruising, swelling or downtime. Patients leave with only pinkish skin, which returns to normal in two to three hours.

The diode laser is considered very safe; however, any laser can leave scars or light and dark spots.

Dr. Carniol says he's seen no such problems with this laser, which can also be used on tiny spider veins on the legs and to treat the redness in rosacea.

The cost ranges from $300 to $600 per session and it can take two to three sessions to get rid of the veins.

The bad news is that new veins tend to reappear over a period of months or years, so keeping up with removal can be costly, especially because the procedure is generally not covered by insurance.

Joan Gellis is pleased with her results.

"The redness is gone!" she says. "It's definitely much less than when I began!"

If you're interested in treating spider veins, Dr. Paul Carniol's phone number is (908) 598-1400. His office is in Summit, N.J.

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