Spring is here, and that means swimsuit season will arrive shortly. If you’re like most people, you’re watching your diet and exercising more so that you can drop pounds and tone up before summer. But also like most people, you may have a little more than just flab and cellulite bothering you. If you have unsightly spider veins on your legs, you’ll be relieved to know you can banish them well before it’s time to put on that swimsuit.

Spider veins and the slightly larger reticular veins are largely hereditary, meaning if your parents have them it’s likely you will too. But there are some lifestyle factors that can encourage the development of more spider veins, such as pregnancy, being overweight, and a lack of exercise. If your job requires you to stand for long periods of time, you may be more prone to develop spider veins.

Sitting with your legs crossed is often blamed for the appearance of these unsightly veins, but that’s only one contributing factor. If you’re genetically prone to developing spider veins, sitting this way can make the veins worse, but you can still place most of the blame on your heritage.

Obviously, you can prevent spider veins to some extent by exercising and watching your weight. But if you’ve already developed this problem, the best course of action is usually laser treatment. The Cutera Excel laser works by destroying these blood vessels, forcing the body to redirect that blood flow to veins deeper in your body where it should be.

Treatment with Cutera Excel is very comfortable, and most patients don’t require any anesthesia. You’ll experience a mild stinging sensation, and may see slight reddening, swelling, or bruising afterward. These side effects are almost always very mild, and most patients notice a significant improvement in the appearance (or disappearance) of their spider veins within two to six weeks of treatment.

Many patients need only one or two treatments with the Cutera Excel laser, but treatment will depend upon the size and number of your veins. We can quickly and safely treat spider veins and reticular veins that are 1 to 3 millimeters in size right here in our office. If you’re bothered by unsightly spider veins, call us for a consultation and we’ll be happy to set up a treatment plan for you.