Service
Facial thread vein removal
Visible thread veins (dilated capillaries) on the nose, cheeks and chin are removed by electrocoagulation: a fine needle closes the tiny blood vessel with an electric current and it disappears. The same procedure is used for small thread veins on the legs.
What concerns does it address?
How is it done?
No incision, with or without numbing cream. Each thread vein is closed individually. When there are many, it is done in several treatments. After the procedure, tiny scabs remain and fall off within a few days.
Thread veins on the legs
Small surface thread veins on the legs are removed with the same procedure. Larger dilated veins need a different kind of examination — they are not thread veins.
When is the procedure not suitable?
Thread veins are not treated over tanned or recently sun-exposed skin — the procedure is planned for the colder months, and sun is avoided for four weeks before and after. With rosacea, thread veins are a symptom of a skin disease managed by a dermatologist; removal helps the appearance, but new ones form until the disease is under control. It is not done in pregnancy.
General reasons for postponing a procedure (pregnancy, breastfeeding, inflammation, a clotting disorder, smoking): When is a procedure postponed?
Anaesthesia
Before a procedure under general or regional anaesthesia, you are seen by the anaesthetist, who works full time at the clinic; the same doctor is also present during the procedure. The anaesthetic assessment and the anaesthesia for larger operations are included in the price of the procedure. What happens before, during and after anaesthesia is described on the Anaesthesia page.
Risks
Expected — redness and tiny scabs for a few days.
Occasional — a slight change in skin colour at the treatment site, new thread veins appearing elsewhere in time.
Expected, and rare but serious → Risks and complications: what is the course of healing, and what is a complication?
Price
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Electrocoagulation of facial thread veins | €150–500 |
| Electrocoagulation of leg thread veins | €200–600 |
Specialist and team
Specialty: plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.
When the procedure is done under sedation or general anaesthesia, the anaesthesia is led by a specialist in anaesthesiology, resuscitation and intensive care who works full time at the clinic.
In the operating theatre, the surgeon is assisted by head nurse Martina Šereg, with the help of nurses Kristina Jurešić and Mateja Tomorad, and in recovery the care assistant Mirjana Kovačić is with you. Martina also looks after preparation, scheduling and contact after the procedure.
Who will operate is decided at the examination, based on the findings and the type of procedure. You know the name of the surgeon before the procedure and meet them at the examination.
What happens at the examination?
The first examination lasts 30 to 45 minutes on average. The surgeon examines the area you are concerned about, asks about illnesses, medicines, allergies and previous operations, and talks with you about what you expect. If the procedure is appropriate and likely to help, you receive a plan: which procedure is proposed, under which anaesthesia, what recovery looks like and what is included in the price. If the procedure is not needed or would not give you what you expect, you will hear that at the examination too.
What if the result is not as agreed?
The result of a procedure is assessed at a follow-up visit, once the swelling has gone down and the scar has matured, not in the first weeks. If it differs from what was agreed at the examination, the same surgeon carries out the correction.
→ Poliklinika Barbel's correction policy
Frequently asked questions
Why do dilated thread veins form? From sun, cold, alcohol, rosacea, hormonal changes, long-term corticosteroid creams and inherited thin skin — most often on the nose, cheeks and chin. Once a thread vein has dilated, it does not shrink by itself.
How many treatments are needed? Small single thread veins often need one; denser networks two to three, four to six weeks apart.
What does the skin look like afterwards? Redness and tiny scabs for a few days, sometimes a bruise for up to a week. Make-up after two to three days. Sun protection is needed for four weeks.
Do they come back? The ones that have been removed do not; new ones can appear if the cause remains — sun, rosacea, cold. Sun protection and treatment of rosacea make the result last longer.
Medical review: doctors of Poliklinika Barbel · October 2026.