Spider veins and small leg veins have a strong genetic component. They may be made worse by hormones and activities which restrict or inhibit effective blood flow from the lower extremities to the heart, such as crossing legs or sitting for extended periods. Spider veins are different to varicose veins in that they are seldom painful, they are small and often clustered in a spiderweblike network and are typically less than a millimetre in diameter. Spider veins are also very superficial in the skin and may appear purple, red, or blue. Most often they are seen around the inner and outer aspect of the knees, the upper thighs and around the ankle area.

Treatment is performed with the Candela GentleMax Pro laser (1064nm Nd:YAG) which targets the blood and vessel wall, collapsing the vessel and enabling the body to dispose of it. Treatments are fast but somewhat uncomfortable. Immediately following the treatment, clients can expect to have a ‘cat-scratch’ appearance on the skin, where the skin is slightly raised along the path of the treated vein. The area will be sensitive immediately following treatment but this will resolve within a few hours to a day. It is common to experience bruising which can last from a few weeks to several months.