Varicose veins and facial spider veins are concerns that can have a significant impact on your appearance and your self-confidence. Fortunately, these issues are no longer problems you just need to accept and “deal with.” Dr. Leslie Smith founded Sapphire Advanced Aesthetics to bring patients in and around Wayzata, MN, access to the latest cosmetic treatments so they can look and feel their best through every season of the year.
Trained in the latest laser technology, Dr. Smith offers a range of treatments that are safe, fast, and effective. For most of our treatments, you can be in and out of our office and back to work in less than one hour. With a variety of treatments available for vein removal, you can rest assured we are equipped to tailor your procedure to your needs and desired outcome.
Eliminate Visible Veins
You probably don’t pay a significant amount of attention to your veins – until those red, blue and purple lines start to become visible on the skin’s surface. In most cases, spider and small varicose veins don’t cause many symptoms, but they can become a significant cosmetic embarrassment whether they appear on the face or the legs. Dr. Smith offers advanced laser treatments that target unwanted superficial veins, so they disappear without damaging the surrounding skin, tissue or other vessels.
This technology delivers laser energy directly to the visible vein without actually penetrating the skin. The heat from the laser coagulates the vein, sealing it closed, so it collapses. The treated vein is reabsorbed by the body, while blood naturally redirects to healthy veins nearby. In some cases, a satisfying outcome is achieved in a single treatment session. However, some patients may need to schedule an additional appointment or two to obtain optimal results.
Laser vein treatment is not painful, and there is no recovery process after the procedure. Most sessions take just 15 to 30 minutes to complete. Dr. Smith uses a device that works on nearly all skin tones, ensuring all her patients can see improvement in their superficial spider and facial veins.
Injections for Larger Veins
While laser treatments go far in eliminating many of those visible veins causing you cosmetic concern, they are not as effective in removing larger spider veins and smaller varicose veins in some cases. For these patients, Dr. Smith offers Asclera, an injectable solution that is administered directly into the affected vein to eliminate it. The medication irritates the lining of the vessel so that it seals close and collapses. The body absorbs the vessel, replacing it with tissue, while blood reroutes to healthy veins.
Asclera is recommended for larger, uncomplicated spider and varicose veins that are either too large or too deep to respond to laser procedures. The process is known as sclerotherapy, an injectable therapy that has been used for decades as a safe and effective spider vein treatment. Sclerotherapy continues to be considered the gold standard in spider vein management. Asclera is a relatively new medication used for sclerotherapy, approved by the FDA in 2010. Since that time, this solution has been shown to be a safe option in eliminating uncomplicated spider and reticular veins, producing comparable and even enhanced results over other sclerotherapy formulations.
Asclera injections take just a few minutes to complete, and the process is relatively comfortable. The vessel will disappear over time and once it does, it should not return. Some patients may require more than one treatment session to achieve their full results. Dr. Smith may also recommend compression stockings for a short period after your Asclera treatment to promote healing to the area and reduce the risk for blood clots.
Treatments Tailored to You
No matter what your cosmetic concerns might be, it is likely Dr. Smith has a minimally-invasive treatment to help you achieve your aesthetic goals without an extraordinary amount of discomfort or recovery time involved. As a leader in her field, Dr. Smith is committed to ensuring her patients receive the safest, most effective treatments, customized to their precise needs and desired outcomes. She will take the time at your consultation to discuss your concerns in detail and collect your pertinent medical information to ensure the procedure she recommends is the right one for you.
Unwanted facial and body hair and unsightly visible veins do not have to keep you from looking and feeling your best any longer. With the highest level of care and state-of-the-art technology, Dr. Smith can help you achieve clearer, smoother skin. To learn more about these procedures, contact Sapphire Advanced Aesthetics today at 952-460-1970.