Consumer Reports Magazine
July 2011

Laser Treatments for Large Spider Veins in the Legs
"Laser removal of web-like purple and red spider veins is limited to very fine surface veins. ‘For very noticeable veins, especially if your legs look more like a road map, don’t waste your money,’ says Luis Navarro, M.D., founder and medical director of the Vein Treatment Center in New York City, A central ‘feeder’ vein from which small spider veins radiate must be treated to fix the problem, and that can’t be done externally by laser…. Sclerotherapy. A doctor injects veins with a solution that causes them to fade. ‘Blood flows through an alternate healthy vein, so circulation is not affected,’ Navarro says. You can resume normal activity right away. Multiple visits might be necessary depending on severity.”