CAN CREAMS ELIMINATE SPIDER VEINS?

Can Creams Eliminate Spider Veins?

We often receive inquiries if we have a product that can eliminate spider veins. Our short answer is “No! Creams will not work on spider veins.” At times, some will question our frank reply. Many people are being deceived into believing claims of “revolutionary cure in a jar” for unsightly spider veins.

These expensive creams are highly advertised and sold over the counter and in the internet. Some preparations have horse chestnut extract. Some have caffeine. Others have extracts of arnica and cypress. Most have vitamin K. And then there is the popular Hirudoid cream. The ingredients in these creams cannot penetrate the skin in sufficient concentrations to have any effect on the veins. None of these can fix the underlying problem of a stretched out vein.

Spider veins are small, superficial blood vessels that are highly visible on the surface of the skin. They may look like a group of veins radiating out from a central point; they may have a shape like the branches of a tree; or they may be thin, separate lines. They're most commonly found on the legs.  You can have spider veins if you're pregnant, overweight, inactive, or have a job that requires standing for long periods of time. In most cases, heredity plays a role. If your mother has them, there's a higher risk that you'll also have spider veins as you get older.

Sclerotherapy is the best
treatment option for
legs spider veins.

Prevention is possible by wearing compression stockings if you have to stand frequently for long periods of time, such as with nurses, teachers and retail sales personnel. Walking, weight loss, and elevating the legs at bedtime are also very beneficial.

If creams do not work, what are the treatment options? Sclerotherapy is the best treatment for spider veins on the legs and laser treatments are the best for treating spider veins on the face and nose. Sclerotherapy involves injecting the veins with a saline solution that causes the vein to collapse and disappear. The procedure is simple and relatively inexpensive. For very small spider veins on the face, laser therapy and IPL are the effective options. The high energy treatment causes the veins to shrink and gradually become invisible. Although needle free, there is still stinging sensation with the laser and IPL options.

While these clinic procedures for spider vein treatment are more expensive than those creams being peddled in the internet, the results are far more effective. The bottom line? Don't waste your money on creams that won't work.

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This column was published in the Manila Bulletin Lifestyle Section on October 8, 2013. The author is the CEO of SkinStation. He received the 2011 Outstanding Chemist Award from Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) for his achievements in the field of cosmetic chemistry. Skin Smart aims to clarify facts and myths on skin care. Send your questions and comments to info@skinstation.ph. 

Laser Hair Removal 101 (Part 1)

Laser Hair Removal 101 (Part 1)

Next to facial, laser hair removal is probably the most commonly performed cosmetic procedure in the Philippines, with underarm hair as the most unwanted. The basic principle behind laser hair removal is selective heating of melanin in the hair follicle, while keeping the rest of the skin unharmed. Dark objects absorb light, so laser energy can be absorbed by melanin in the hair and skin. Light skin and dark hair is an ideal combination, producing the best results, but new lasers are now able to target black hair in darker skin tones.

Many clinics still offer hair removal by intense pulsed light (IPL) and commonly but incorrectly promote this as "laser hair removal.” IPL devices use full light spectrum from xenon lamps, and are therefore technically not lasers.  Lasers use a single wavelength, leading to a more precise and effective targeting of hair follicle.

Laser hair removal has become popular because of its speed, safety, and effectiveness, although results will depend upon the choice of laser technology used. These lasers are characterized by their wavelength, measured in nanometers (nm).

Alexandrite (755 nm) is used only on pale skin and has the highest pain score. Nd:YAG (1064 nm) is the gold standard for olive (type IV) and dark (type V) skin. Diode (810 nm) laser is the gold standard for pale (type I) to medium (type III) skin, and has now been made safer and virtually painless with the new Super Hair Removal (SHR) technology. 

Diode laser is the best option for the typical Filipino skin, which has light brown (type III) to fair (type II) skin tone. Painless diode laser is available at all SkinStation branches.

Spot size, or the width of the laser beam, affects treatment. The width of the beam should be about four times as wide as the depth of the target. Usual spot size used is about the size of a fingertip (8-18 mm). Larger spot sizes help laser light penetrate deeper and make treatments more effective.

Lasers must have a range of pulse width or pulse duration of 5 to 100 milliseconds. Longer pulse widths are safer for darker skin, but shorter pulse widths are more effective. Pulse width must be matched with the right fluence or energy level (measured in Joules/cm2) necessary to disable the follicles. Fluence levels of 10 to 30 J/cm2 are typically used. Although a higher fluence level can be more effective, it can also mean more pain.

Laser energy can have cumulative effect when introduced repetitively in the same target area. Using this principle, it is now possible to avoid painful laser procedure with the use of low fluence (4-8 J/cm2) and high repetition rate (10 pulses per second). This is commonly referred to as Super Hair Removal (SHR). Diode lasers with this new technology are virtually painless and as effective, making SHR a popular alternative to waxing in Brazilian hair removal. (Part 2 will be published on June 19, 2012.)

______________________________________________________________________________________(Updated on February 21, 2013) This was published in the Lifestyle Section of Manila Bulletin on June 12, 2012. The author is the CEO of SkinStation. He received the 2011 Outstanding Chemist Award from Professional Regulations Commission for his achievements in the field of cosmetic chemistry. He can be reached at fred.reyes@skinstation.ph.