Blue light therapy has rapidly risen in popularity as a non-invasive yet effective solution to many skin conditions, from open pores to managing oily skin and acne. By using a combination of light therapy and medication, a patient can improve their skin by making it more sensitive to light, which can help remove parts of the skin you may find undesirable.
But does blue light therapy for spider veins work? While it excels at managing skin issues and encouraging collagen production, the causes and factors that affect spider vein formation aren't affected by it at all. If you're considering using blue light therapy to treat a spider vein, you're far better off using the specially-designed procedures that have proven effects in treatment.
Blue light therapy (in combination with photodynamic therapy) can manage premalignant skin cancer growths, sun damage, and other skin conditions like acne. It's effective at making sure that your skin's immune response is triggered the right way, so any malignant or potentially cancerous skin cells are removed by your body.
However, this kind of treatment doesn't do anything at all for your blood flow or blood vessel, which are the primary factors that contribute to spider vein formation. Because blue light therapy can only reach as far as the light allows, it can't penetrate the subdermal layer to get to the affected vein or enlarged veins underneath.
Typically, the best treatment for spider veins is anything that can directly reach or affect the vein itself. Alternatively, management methods like using compression stockings, diet and lifestyle changes, and exercise can also improve your outlook with spider veins. Since the problem is underneath your skin, light-based therapies either do not work or will have underwhelming results.
So why the push towards blue light therapy? One reason is that people may be confusing the process used in blue light therapy with laser treatment since they both rely on light to treat the underlying skin condition. But while blue light therapy can only reach the surface of the skin, laser therapy can actually reach the veins underneath, which makes it especially effective at removing spider veins.
Using a treatment like an Nd:Yag laser can penetrate the superficial blood vessels (especially around the leg veins) in the affected area, and work directly on closing the veins that cause spider veins. Many vein specialists and vein doctors consider laser therapy as an effective method for removing both spider veins and varicose veins in general, alongside treatments like radiofrequency ablation and sclerotherapy.
So while blue light therapy and laser therapy can both work on skin conditions, only the latter has the power possible to actually work on broken capillaries that form spider veins. Their efficacy isn't limited by where the veins are either: whether they're on the body, face, or even extremities, laser therapy can always manage spider veins.
One thing to note about blue light therapy is that technically, any sufficiently trained staff can apply the solution - which is why you can find it at most medical spas. In contrast, you can only find laser treatment for spider veins at vein clinics and other institutions that have specially-trained doctors, since the procedure needs high-tech tools and equipment to do properly.
So if you're looking for laser treatment for your damaged vein, looking for a vein specialist or vein clinic is your best bet to getting the treatment you need. Like blue light therapy, laser treatments are non-invasive and don't require a lot of postoperative downtimes, and you can start seeing results after consecutive sessions.
Just make sure that the place where you'll get your treatment is properly qualified and experienced to carry out the procedure. While the laser used in the therapy isn't harmful to the surrounding tissue, an unskilled application can cause adverse effects like a blood clot in the treatment area.
Learn more: Getting Laser Treatment for Spider Veins on Face
Blue light therapy has some applications with the prevention of cancerous cells on the skin and other skin problems like loose skin, rosacea, or hyperpigmentation - but the exact process used by this treatment won't do anything for a spider vein or a varicose vein. For preventing skin cancer, blue light therapy works well - but for getting rid of thread veins, purple veins, or any visible vein on the skin, treatments specifically for vein conditions are best.
Led by a board-certified vein specialist, The Vein Center Doctor specializes in the treatment of vein disease and other vein-related conditions. From swollen veins to chronic venous insufficiency, we use the best therapies like sclerotherapy and laser treatment to make sure that you experience long-term results. Our treatment methods don't harm surrounding tissue, nor do they leave post operative bruising and other side effects after the procedure.
For more information on how we can help you with blood circulation or remove a vein blockage, contact us today.
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