Clearing Spider Veins

‘It was such an embarrassment,’ said Eliana as we sat in Dr Ayham Al-Ayoubi’s surgery in Wandsworth, ‘I could never wear a knee length skirt or shorts because my legs were covered with spider veins.’

After enquiring further of Eliana, I discovered that spider veins are like varicose veins but smaller. They are small red, blue or purple veins that commonly appear on the surface of the thighs, calves and ankles. They begin as tiny capillaries and appear as blue or red squiggles. Spider veins are common with middle aged women and many seek cosmetic treatment for them because they are unsightly.

Certain factors contribute to the development of spider veins (heredity, pregnancy, hormonal factors, weight gain) - especially occupations or activities that require prolonged sitting or standing. Eliana is an active grandmother and a professional painter, so as she explained, ‘I am on my feet quite a lot.’ Clearly the veins were not going to go away by themselves so Eliana carried out some research and found that the most common method of curing the problem was by having surgery. ‘I didn’t fancy that,’ she said, ‘so when I came across the laser method, I became interested.’

Dr Ayham Al-Ayoubi’s laser method treats the individual veins. The cynosure elite laser’s light applicator is placed on the skin and a short pulse of light is released from the laser. The laser is moved from area to area until the whole leg is covered. This can require a number of treatments. If the veins are bad – as Eliana’s were - it can take up to a year to cover the whole area. ‘I came back every month or so,’ Eliana explained ‘because it is necessary to leave time between each treatment.’

After treatments, spread over 12 months, the veins gradually disappeared and Eliana is now clear of spider veins on the lower part of her legs. ‘It’s fantastic,’ she says. ‘I can now continue to enjoy all the things that make life worth living’ which include playing with her two grandchildren and her love of making abstract art.