Laser therapy is another alternative medical procedure that also can be performed in your physician's office. It is sometimes used as a complement to Sclerotherapy in order to maximize results. It is most effective for spider veins and tiny varicose veins in legs and other parts of the body. For those individuals who do not like needles, this provides an alternative option, though your physician will counsel you on which treatment modality is best given your particular situation. Laser therapy uses a focused beam of light that heats and damages the affected blood vessel, which eventually fades. Potential side effects include minor redness or swelling around the treated area, skin discoloration, blisters, and rarely scarring. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy is a recently developed treatment for spider veins. IPL delivers pulses of different bands of light to targeted areas.
As with Sclerotherapy, several sessions are frequently necessary for optimal results with laser therapy. Resolution can take anywhere from several weeks to several months after treatment.