MIAMI – Doctors are offering a virtually pain-free treatment to eliminate spider and varicose veins.
"Our downfall before is these tiny, little veins that looked so hard to treat are the bane of our existence. They're very hard to go away," said Dr. Susan Fox.
Mariela Alvarez found that make up couldn't hide the spider veins on her face.
"Especially during the summer months, they would become really red," she said.
Age, heredity, sun exposure, hormonal changes, pregnancy, obesity, and inactivity can cause varicose and spider veins. Treatment options have included sclerotherapy, where a solution is injected into the vein, and laser therapy.
Fox is now working with a new device that relies on radio frequencies to treat those who failed sclerotherapy or have skin tones too dark for laser therapy.
"People can go back in the sun afterwards," said Fox. "Here in South Florida, people don't realize how much sun they get just walking to their car and with this machine, you don't have to worry about that."
The device, called the VeinGogh, treats varicose and spider veins in minutes. Patients who undergo the treatment also don't need to follow any special post-treatment protocols.
"Most people have just a little redness or blushing for a few days and they really don't have any problems," said Fox.
A series of treatments with the VeinGogh has eliminated the varicose veins from Ann Hernandez's legs.
"Makes you feel very good about yourself, and it's an easy enough procedure that you don't have downtime, you don't have to postpone it and say, 'I'll do it when I'm off.' It's not like that," she said.
The VeinGogh can also be used to treat cherry angiomas, which are red bumps on the skin, and skin tags. It cannot be used on women who are pregnant, people with pacemakers, or those who use self tanners.
About 50 to 75 percent of the veins vanish with the first treatment. Each session costs $250.