If so, will the laser only target the veins, not the surrounding skin ?
IPL can be a safe way to remove spider veins from under the eyes, but only if performed by a very experienced doctor. There are other vascular laser treatments available that can also remove facial spider veins. Visit a dermatologist who is a vein expert in order to get the best treatment recommendation.
Veins on the face are best treated with either the Pulsed Dye Laser (such as the V-Beam) or a long-pulsed Nd:Yag laser (such as the GentleYag), depending upon the type and depth of the vessels. If they are especially close to the eye, we would need to insert a protective shield under the eyelids.Of note, the IPL is NOT a laser--- it is an Intense Pulsed Light device--- which actually is quite different. Think of IPL's as trying to be "jack of all trades, master of none", while lasers are more specialized and specific for a given problem. Put another way-- IPL''s are the GP's of light devices while lasers are the specialist. Of course, this requires that practices which do laser treatments to have access to a wide variety of lasers if they want to treat a wide variety of conditions. Be sure to consult with a specialist in an accepted aesthetic field with experience in the use of a wide variety of lasers.
