SPIDER NAEVI

Are you self-conscious of a spider naevus? Perhaps you’re spending time and money concealing them every day?  Did you know they are easily treatable?

Spider naevi like facial red veins are another form of telangiectasia or vascular blemish.  They present as a permanent dilation of tiny blood vessels visible under the top layer of your skin, and look like a cluster of tiny red veins. They are distinguished by their central dilated blood vessel with smaller dilated vessels branching from it. They look like the legs of a spider, after which this vascular blemish is named.

There is a wide range of causes of spider naevi. They are typically a direct result of an externally caused trauma to the skin, such as a knock with a sharp object, injury and even picking a spot. Other common causes of spider naevi are:

• Over-exposure to the sun (vasodilation occurring through sun exposure and sunburn can cause spider naevi)
• Changes in hormone levels (puberty & pregnancy)
• Extreme temperatures (eg heat & cold)
• Obesity (causes pressure on vessels, which can cause spider naevi)
• Spectacles (where they rub)
• Tight clothing
• Liver disorder (Spider naevi appearing spontaneously on the abdomen could indicate possible liver congestion or a related liver disorder. If you are experiencing this, you should consult your GP)

 

HOW DOES OUR TREATMENT WORK?

The treatment is a very effective and advanced electrolysis technique which involves dotting along the visible red veins with a very tiny needle, emitting a diathermy current. Each dot involves gently tapping the needle onto the vein. The heat causes the vein to be cauterised, which reduces its ability to carry blood, so depending on the size of the vein, treatment will cause the redness to either disappear completely, or reduce dramatically. This effect is immediate and will happen at the time of treatment.

 

HOW MANY SESSIONS WILL I NEED TO HAVE?

Diathermy is a highly successful technique to treat the appearance of spider naevi, as the needle targets the specific vessels only and does not touch the surrounding skin and, due to the superficial nature of the vessels, they respond very well. 

The veins in spider naevi are numerous and close together. The first treatment of a spider naevi will significantly reduce the blemish, however further treatments will be necessary to remove it altogether. It will not be possible to treat them all in one session as the area would become overworked.

For that reason, we advise that two or three sessions will be necessary. The first treatment of a spider naevi will significantly reduce the blemish, and then further treatments will be necessary to remove it altogether. The more severe the spider naevi, the more sessions it may require.

 

HOW OFTEN CAN I HAVE A SESSION?

A minimum of six weeks must be left between each treatment session to ensure full healing in the lower layers of the skin is complete each time.

 

IS THE TREATMENT PAINFUL?

This is not a sensation-free treatment and there is some discomfort involved! It is best described as a hot pin-prick. The level of sensation does vary from one person to another. My best advice would be to relax! If you are relaxed you are likely to experience less discomfort than if you are nervous and tense. You may also find the treatment more uncomfortable if you are tired, unwell or during certain times of your menstrual cycle.

Anaesthetic creams are not necessary or a good idea as they work by causing the blood vessels to constrict which means they wouldn’t be visible to treat.

 

ARE THE RESULTS PERMANENT?

This depends on the cause. At your consultation we will try to establish what the possible cause might be and discuss any adjustments that you can make in order to prevent more spider naevi in the future.

 

WHAT IS THE AFTERCARE INVOLVED?

Immediately after the treatment, the skin will normally appear pink/red, warm and possibly slightly swollen. Over the following 48 hours tiny healing crusts will form. No cleanser or make-up should be used during the first 48 hours. During the first 48 hours you will need to avoid the following:

• touching the area
• alcohol
• spicy foods
• exercise
• anything which causes sweating (saunas, steam rooms etc)

Once formed the healing crusts must be kept as dry as possible and must not be knocked or picked off. They will naturally lift off after 5-7 days. Early removal of the healing crusts can delay healing and can negate the treatment.

You will be best advised to plan your treatment sessions into your schedule when you have a few days to allow the initial healing to take place. This is not a treatment to have immediately before a big occasion.

Once the healing crusts have fallen off, SPF50 or SPF40 must be used on the treated area for at least 6 weeks. Actively sunbathing must be avoided. The area treated and any area showing an ongoing tendency to facial red veins must be protected by a sunscreen. If you’ve read any of my blogs you’ve probably gathered that I am a huge advocate for wearing SPF daily, all year round. SPF really is your BFF!
 

IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO PRIOR TO THE TREATMENT TO MAKE IT MORE EFFECTIVE?

Yes. Arrive for your appointment make-up free. Removing make-up just before the treatment may result in unnecessary stimulation of your skin, causing redness before we’ve even started.

Use a gentle exfoliator (one with aha’s, fruit acids or enzymes, NOT a granular one) a couple of days prior to your treatment. This will remove any dead skin cells. If dead skin cells are present at the time of treatment they are picked up on the probe throughout the treatment. The constant cleaning of the probe this causes slows down the progress I can make.

 

I HAVE SPIDER NAEVI ON MY BODY. CAN THESE BE TREATED?

The method we use is advanced electrolysis, also known as diathermy. It is only suitable for the bright red superficial veins on the face and décolleté (upper chest).

 

ARE THERE ANY MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT WOULD PREVENT ME FROM BEING SUITABLE FOR THIS TREATMENT?

Yes. At your consultation and initial assessment, we would check for any medical conditions that would prevent us from going ahead with the treatment. To prevent you a wasted the journey the following conditions would mean you are unsuitable:

• cochlear implants
• history of keloid scarring
• haemophilia
• pacemaker
• taking blood thinning medication (Warfarin or aspirin)
• diabetes
• epilepsy
• high blood pressure
• any circulatory disorders
• recent suntan (you will need to wait until it has faded)
• recent scar tissue in the area to be treated
• use of retinol, Retin A or tretinoin on the area to be treated

 It is vital for effective and safe treatment that you are honest when answering the questions at your consultation.

WHAT IS THE COST OF TREATMENT?

Up to 15 minutes	£63.00
Up to 30 minutes	£126.00

If we are working on one spider naevi, each session would be a maximum of 15 minutes.