Leg Veins

Improve the look of your legs with Nd:YAG laser treatment

What are my treatment options?

As we age, valves in our leg veins become less efficient, so less blood is pumped back from the legs.
This means blood vessels in our legs become larger, darker and more visible. In severe cases, varicose veins may form, and may require surgical treatment (vein stripping). Other vessels can be treated by injection (sclerotherapy). Smaller vessels (leg telangiectasias) are often treated by laser, such as the Ellipse Nd:YAG laser.

How does Ellipse treatment work?

Ellipse leg vein treatment uses a precisely calculated pulse of laser energy, exactly directed to the vessel being treated. This causes the blood inside the vessel to heat up; causing the wall of the vessel to collapse. The vessel is reabsorbed naturally by your white blood cells. The skin surrounding the vessel is not affected by the treatment.

Can I be treated?

This depends on the size of your leg vessels, and also on your medical history. Your doctor can advise if your vessels are too large for treatment or if you have one of the few pre-existing medical conditions that may make you unsuitable for this type of treatment.

Does the treatment hurt?

Ellipse leg vein treatment uses the latest in cooling techniques – SoftCool™ – to minimize discomfort and protect the surrounding skin. Most people find that treatment of smaller vessels is practically painfree. Even treatment of larger vessels is only mildly uncomfortable. The results are worth it, Ellipse treatment hurts less than those from most other Nd:YAG systems.

Do I need to take special precautions before and after treatment?

Avoid sun exposure in the four weeks up to treatment; and avoid smoking in the four hours before
the treatment starts (smoking causes the vessels to constrict, so there is less of the target available to treat). After treatment, you should avoid sun exposure for 30 days, even if there is no sign of inflammation in the treated area. Use sun protection (minimum SPF 30) if sun exposure cannot be avoided.

What can I expect after treatment?

Smaller vessels can disappear immediately after
treatment, larger ones fade away more gradually over the next few weeks. Normally patients experience a little redness and/or swelling (lasting up to 2 days) in the treated area. Rarely, blood may collect in the treated vessel. In this case your doctor will most likely request that you call back two days after your treatment.

How many treatments will I need?

This depends on number of vessels to be treated. A single treatment is typical for most individual vessel, though some larger ones may need a second treatment. Your doctor will be able to make a more accurate assessment following examination.