At The Skin Doctor, we offer medical assessment and laser treatment for selected superficial blood vessels — often called spider veins or broken capillaries.
Using our Fotona long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser, we target suitable small superficial vessels to help reduce their visibility and support a clearer, more even complexion.
Before any treatment, your veins are assessed by a doctor to determine whether laser therapy is appropriate or whether another approach would be more effective.
Visible superficial veins can occur due to:
These vessels are usually harmless, but many people seek treatment for cosmetic reasons or to improve evenness of the skin tone.
Every patient begins with a doctor-led assessment.
This is essential because not all veins are suitable for laser treatment, and treating the wrong type of vein with laser may be ineffective.
During your consultation, your doctor will:
If a vein is not suitable for laser, your doctor may recommend alternative treatments or referral for vascular assessment.
Laser treatment works best for:
These veins respond well because they are:
The following typically require other treatments:
A short skin or vein consultation with Dr Chris Irwin will determine which type you have and what treatment is best.
The long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser targets haemoglobin within the blood vessel.
This produces controlled heating of the vessel wall, causing it to:
Because the Nd:YAG wavelength penetrates deeper than other vascular lasers, it is particularly effective for:
However, deeper or larger veins still require non-laser modalities.
Treatment time varies depending on the number of vessels.
You may experience:
These effects typically settle within days.
This varies depending on:
Many small facial veins need 1–2 sessions, whereas leg veins may require multiple treatments spaced several weeks apart.
Your doctor will give a personalised plan.
All medical laser treatments carry risks.
Potential side effects include:
Your doctor will advise on the risks relevant to your skin type.
Are all veins treatable with laser?
No.
Laser works best on small superficial spider veins.
Larger veins often require non-laser treatments.
A consultation with Dr Chris Irwin will determine suitability.
Can laser treat bulging leg veins?
No.
Bulging or rope-like veins are typically due to deeper venous issues and require different treatment pathways.
Is laser vein treatment painful?
Most patients describe a brief warm snap or sting.
It is generally well tolerated.
How soon will I see results?
Small facial veins may fade within weeks; leg veins can take longer.
Can veins return?
Treated veins usually do not return, but new veins can appear over time depending on genetics, lifestyle and sun exposure.
Is the treatment safe for all skin types?
Nd:YAG is one of the safest vascular lasers for medium to darker skin types, but your doctor will determine appropriateness.
If you have small spider veins or broken capillaries you’d like assessed, our doctors will help determine:
A short consultation with Dr Chris Irwin ensures your veins are correctly diagnosed and safely managed.
Darker skin tones are beautiful, diverse, and uniquely complex. Melanin-rich skin (Fitzpatrick types IV–VI) requires specialised knowledge, careful technology selection, and a deep understanding of pigmentation behaviour, scarring tendencies, and laser safety.
At The Skin Doctor, we provide a dedicated service for patients with African, Afro-Caribbean, South Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin American and Pacific Islander skin. Our approach combines:
This allows us to offer safe, effective and personalised care for all shades of melanin.
Melanin-rich skin has several important characteristics that influence treatment planning:
Even minor irritation can trigger darker marks lasting months to years.
This requires careful assessment and preventative strategies.
Incorrect devices or settings may lead to burns, pigment loss or scarring.
Melasma and deeper dermal pigmentation need long-term, gentle management.
Post-inflammatory pigmentation is more visible and frequently the main concern.
These factors make medically supervised, carefully selected treatments essential.
Dr Chris Irwin is one of the few Melbourne doctors who routinely uses medical-grade lasers both for aesthetic concerns and in the treatment of skin cancer. This provides a deep understanding of laser–tissue interaction, risk minimisation and safe laser settings for darker skin tones.
With Zimbabwean heritage and lived experience managing melanin-rich skin, Kim Irwin offers perspective, guidance and a culturally sensitive environment. Her background helps patients feel understood, respected and represented.
Our dermal therapists have extensive experience in treating pigmentation, melasma, acne, scarring and texture concerns in darker skin. Her approach prioritises safety, skin-barrier support and long-term pigment stability.
Our use of state of the art Fotona including qswitch allows safe and effective treatment for higher Fitzpatrick skin types. All care is tailored, conservative and medically overseen.
We provide tailored protocols using non-ablative Nd:YAG laser, pigment-stabilising skincare, peels suitable for skin of colour and long-term pigment control strategies.
We treat inflammatory acne, hormonal patterns, pigmentation from previous acne, and selected scarring with safe, gradual treatment pathways.
We assess keloid risk before treatment and provide medically supervised scar-prevention strategies, including corticosteroid therapy when appropriate.
We use long-pulse Nd:YAG laser, the global standard for safe hair removal in melanin-rich skin. This minimises burn risk and provides effective results for coarse, dark hair.
We offer gentle, non-ablative laser treatments and dermal therapies suitable for improving tone, luminosity, hydration and overall skin health without compromising safety.
Your consultation includes:
This ensures your results are achieved safely, gradually and with long-term skin health in mind.
Our treatment philosophy combines medical assessment, laser physics, dermatologic science and culturally aware care. We favour conservative, stepwise plans that prioritise skin integrity, pigment stability and minimal downtime.
This approach creates natural, healthy and reliable outcomes for melanin-rich skin.
If you have concerns about pigmentation, acne, scarring, or safe laser options for darker skin tones, we welcome you to book a consultation to discuss suitable treatment pathways.
The Skin Doctor is a leading centre for cosmetic and medical skin treatments, including the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancers.