Cautery and Electrocautery (includes Electrocoagulation and Electrodessication) devices attempt to remove small blood vessels in the skin ('spider veins', capillaries, telangiectasias) by tracing along the course of the blood vessel in order to heat and destroy it. The problem is that such techniques invariably heat all of the skin directly above the vessel and - unless the skin is very forgiving - scars the overlying skin. Often these scars are imperceptible but the fact remains that the blood vessel and the skin overlying it are all targeted in the process.

Lasers attempt to heat the unwanted blood vessels in the skin by subjecting the vessels to specific wavelengths of (usually visible) light that preferentially targets and heats the vessels. The wavelengths of light chosen are such that they are able to pass through the overlying skin without damaging it. In order to ensure minimal risk for damage to the overlying skin, these lasers are incorporated with a device the cools the skin simultaneously with the laser light transmission through it. There are some inexpensive laser devices that do not incorporate any simultaneous cooling of the skin - these lasers also carry the risk of heating and damaging the overlying skin.

Published on Jul 11, 2012