Thread Vein Treatment

Thread veins are tiny blood vessels which run close to the surface of the skin and look like fine red, or sometimes purple lines. Also called 'spider veins' or 'broken veins'. These are not veins that are broken, but only slightly enlarged and showing under the surface of the skin. The medical term for them is telangiectasia.

Thread veins tend to develop as we get older and the skin thins. Hormonal changes associated with pregnancy and the menopause are thought to provoke their development - the reason why women are more prone than men. They can also run in the family and be inherited. Other causes include too much exposure to the sun, wind or extreme temperatures, cortico-steroid medicines and radiotherapy. Thread veins can be unsightly, but aren't dangerous, however they do tend to spread and become more prominent over time.

Before treating thread veins it is necessary to make sure there are no underlying major vein problems, and in order to do this a duplex scan (doppler-ultrasound) is usually required. If a larger vein is affected, iths will need to be addressed before and treatment for thread veins can be carried out.

The good news is that most thread vein problems are quick and easy to treat, however the exact type of treatment needed will be discussed on the day of your consultation. In most cases, just one treatment is enough to see and feel the difference.

Treatment options include:

+ Foam and micro injection of varicose and flare veins (Sclerotherapy) - a medical procedure whereby a chemical is injected into a vein to entirely obliterate it. This chemical damages the innermost lining of the vessel, resulting in a clot that blocks the blood circulation in the vein beyond.
+ Norseld Dual Beam Laser Treatment - an incredibly fine and precise laser beam to remove thread veins. The laser is absorbed by the blood pigment haemoglobin, so the laser is concentrated in the vein being treated, leaving minimal trace on the surrounding skin.

Our Vascular (Vein) Clinic in London is led by Mr Ian Franklin, one of London's top vascular surgeons and a leading specialist in vascular and endovascular surgery.

Due to the inherent complexity of the many vascular disorders, there may be more than one way of managing a particular condition. For this reason, when planning a procedure, Mr Franklin will discuss all the treatment options in a multidisciplinary team meeting, to ensure that all perspectives are considered before recommending a course of action to a patient.