Broken veins appear on the surface of the skin as visibly widened, contorted reddy-purple veins, often together as fan-like flares or knots. They are not necessarily associated with varicose veins. Varicose veins are bluish in colour and cannot be treated by our non-surgical methods.

Broken veins appear most frequently on the thighs, calves and ankles, particularly in women. They can also appear on the face – the cheeks and the nose – both in men and women and are difficult to conceal.

Veins on the legs can be weakened by prolonged standing, pregnancy, trauma or are just genetically weak. The pressure of blood in the veins causes them to swell and thus become large and visible. Once swollen they do not disappear and may continue to develop.

Veins no the face are most likely due to sun exposure in earlier life. Cold winds, hot environments, UV light and other traumas can also damage the delicate veins on the face, although they can just appear for no reason. Broken veins that are red or purple can be treated with sclerotherapy; blue ones cannot.

Sclerotherapy remains the treatment of choice for broken veins on the legs. A medical solution (Scleremo) is injected into the swollen veins with the aid of a magnifying lamp. This “sticks” the inside of the veins together so that the veins is closed and blood can no longer flow through, thereby losing its vivid colour. After the treatment the area is a little red and swollen (bobbly, like a bee sting). The veins can look more pronounced for a short while but normally settle within three days – and suddenly seem to disappear.

Although veins on the face normally need two treatments, veins on the legs will definitely require three treatments, which may be spaced at two-weekly intervals. Once treated, they should remain at bay for between two and five years, certainly on the face. However new veins may appear according to the individual and these need treatment as necessary, normally on a yearly basis.

For the face we now prefer to use the DEKA Nd Yag laser device. The energy of the laser is picked up by the red colour of the blood in the veins. The energy is converted to heat which “welds” the veins together from the inside. We cannot use too much energy, so this treatment must be performed over a period of time – say three or four treatments.