Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is a popular and effective treatment used to eliminate unwanted spider veins. The procedure is noninvasive and involves injecting a solution, called a sclerosing agent, into the veins. This causes an inflammatory response and collapse of the treated vessel, and it ultimately gets reabsorbed by your own tissue and fades from view.
The procedure itself can take 15 minutes up to an hour and is relatively painless. Since it involves an injection, you may notice some initial stinging or cramping, but this usually subsides within a couple of minutes. You may also experience some mild bruising or discoloration at the site of the injection but this heals quickly.
Following the procedure, you will need to wear compression hose/stockings in order to maximize the results of the treatment. This constant pressure helps facilitate the breakdown of the vein wall. While normal activities can be resumed immediately following the treatment, we do suggest that you refrain from intense activity involving the lower legs (squats, leg presses, extensive running, etc). Walking is advised and we do suggest 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily. For the first 2 days after the treatment, you should avoid hot baths, saunas, and direct sunlight as well as taking anti inflammatory medications such as Ibuprofen or Aspirin.
Sclerotherapy has an excellent success rate and typically eliminates 50-80% of the treated vessels. Following the procedure, the spider veins usually fade within 6-8 weeks. Depending on the extent of the affected area, more than one treatment may be necessary to achieve the desired results.
We Can Help
If you are interested in discussing sclerotherapy, schedule a cosmetic consultation with our experts at Renew Dermatology.
